No Good Thing in Me—All Good in Him
A conscience at rest—because we’ve been clothed in Christ.
📖 Devotional Credit:
From His Victorious Indwelling, compiled by Nick Harrison, featuring T. Austin-Sparks and F. W. Grant
📸 Photo Credit:
Image by Unsplash
Today’s devotional compiled by Nick Harrison gently exposes one of the deepest sources of unrest in a believer’s heart: the continual striving to find something good in ourselves that God can accept. T. Austin-Sparks explains that peace of conscience and rest of heart are not found by searching inwardly but by abandoning hope in the old man altogether. There is no good thing in our flesh. The enemy loves to keep us busy trying to uncover some hidden virtue—something salvageable in our fallen nature—but this is a trap that leads only to spiritual exhaustion and condemnation.
Instead, the invitation is to step entirely onto the Lord’s ground, where all righteousness, goodness, and acceptance are found in Christ alone. The good conscience that Scripture speaks of flows from trusting what God has already done in Christ, not from managing or improving the old nature. That’s the freedom the law of the Spirit of life offers us—the glory of Christ as our Light and our only righteousness.
F. W. Grant completes the thought by reminding us that God has already answered all questions about our spiritual acceptability—not by looking to us, but by giving us His Son. Our link to God is not our sincerity, effort, or moral progress. Our link is Christ. And as long as we hope to satisfy God by our own efforts, we are headed for disappointment. The moment we see that Christ alone satisfies the Father—and that He lives in us—we’re finally free to live by His life instead of trying to qualify on our own.
The conscience is not cleared by sinless behavior, but by faith in the finished work of Jesus. We rest not because we’ve done well, but because He did—and does—perfectly in us and through us.
📜 Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, your conscience can be at peace—not because of your ability to measure up, but because I have placed you in the One who already has. The voice of accusation still echoes from the old realm, but it no longer belongs to you. The old man was crucified with Christ. You are no longer in Adam. You are in Me.
When you hear that accusing voice saying, “You haven’t done enough. You aren’t enough,” remind your heart: I have already declared you righteous in My Son. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Him has set you free.
Do not look inward for something to offer Me. Look upward—and inward—to the indwelling Son. He is your goodness. He is your righteousness. You are not being perfected by the flesh. Your life is now hidden with Christ in Me. That is your rest. That is your answer.
I have cleansed your conscience by the blood of My Son. So draw near—not with guilt or striving, but with full assurance of faith. Stand firm in grace. Yield to Me in the moment, trusting the Spirit of life to express the goodness of Christ through you—not by imitation, but by participation in the One who is your life.
Scripture References: 1 Timothy 1:5; Romans 7:18; Romans 8:1–2; Colossians 3:3–4; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 10:22; Hebrews 9:14; Galatians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 3:9; Ephesians 4:22–24
🧼 Real-Life Analogy
Picture a stained shirt you’ve washed a dozen times, scrubbing and treating the fabric, only to find the stain still won’t budge. Eventually, someone hands you a brand-new shirt—bright, clean, and perfectly yours. You put it on and suddenly realize… the old one is no longer needed.
That’s how the conscience finds peace—not by endlessly scrubbing the old life, but by putting on the new. Christ is your new garment. Instead of anxiously trying to clean up what cannot be made clean, simply yield to Him who is already pure and present in you.
Today, when the old mindset creeps in—trying to measure your worth by your performance—pause and say, “Jesus, You are my righteousness. I trust You to live through me now. I yield to the new garment, not the stained one.” Whether you’re facing criticism, regret, or pressure to perform, rest in the truth that the old has gone and the new has come.
🙏 Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rejoice that I no longer need to find something good in myself to satisfy You. You have already given me Christ, and in Him, You are well pleased. Thank You that my conscience is cleared not by my performance but by Your promise. I rest in Your grace today, knowing that all goodness dwells in Him, and He dwells in me. I trust You to live His life in me and through me right now.