Sanctified from the Inside Out
The moment we yield, the light of Christ within us is revealed.
Devotional Credit:
My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Photo Credit:
Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash
In today’s devotional, Oswald Chambers reveals a vital distinction often missed in modern Christian thinking—sanctification is not the result of striving to imitate Christ, but the reality of Christ Himself being expressed through us. The holiness that God requires is not a refined version of our own self-discipline; it is Jesus’ very own life, infused into ours the moment we yield to Him in faith. We are not called to act holy—we are called to receive holiness, because holiness has a Name, and His Name is Jesus.
Sanctification, then, is not gradual in the sense of waiting for something new to be added to us. The moment Christ indwells us, He brings with Him all His perfections—His love, patience, faith, purity, and godliness. It’s not about gaining more over time, but about yielding more fully so that what is already ours in Christ becomes visible in us.
Chambers invites us to abandon the exhausting treadmill of self-improvement and instead recognize that sanctification is a gift already given. It is not our holiness that pleases God—it is Christ’s holiness, revealed in us by His Spirit. The mystery is not how to be holy, but who is living through us.
This changes everything. No longer are we imitators striving to be like Jesus—we are containers letting Jesus be Himself through us. Our job is not to perfect ourselves but to believe and yield, allowing the One who is already perfect to express His life within the cracked clay of our humanity.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You were not called to imitate My Son—you were called to contain Him. I have placed His life within you as a treasure in an earthen vessel so that the glory would be Mine and the rest would be rest for you. You do not need to strive to be holy; I have already made you holy in Him. Christ is your righteousness. Christ is your sanctification. Christ is your redemption.
This is not something you accomplish—it is someone you trust. His love is in you. His patience flows through you. His purity has already made you clean. His godliness is your new nature, not a behavior to imitate but a reality to yield to.
Let My Word dwell richly in you. I am the One who works in you both to will and to do for My good pleasure. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. It is no longer you who live, but Christ lives in you. And the life you now live in the body, live by faith in My Son who loved you and gave Himself for you.
The more you yield, the more He is seen. The more you rest, the more He moves. Sanctification is not you climbing toward Me but Me expressing My Son in and through you. Trust Me for what I have already given.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Peter 1:5; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3-4; Romans 6:6-11; Philippians 2:13; Galatians 5:16; John 17:19; Romans 8:9-11; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 10:10; Ephesians 1:3-4
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine flipping a light switch in a dark room. The power was already present—wired, ready, waiting. The moment you flip the switch, the light shines. You didn’t create the power; you simply allowed what was already there to be revealed. That’s sanctification. You’re not the source—you’re the lamp through which Christ shines.
So today, as you face moments that would typically tempt you to react in the flesh, pause. A coworker may interrupt your focus. A spouse might speak with frustration. A stranger may cut you off in traffic. In that moment, you don’t have to summon patience—you yield to the indwelling Christ, trusting Him to respond through you with gentleness, love, or peace.
Prayer of Confidence
Father,
Thank You for giving me Jesus—not just as my Savior, but as my sanctification. I rest today in the reality that I don’t have to manufacture holiness. The One who lives in me is holy, and He is fully mine. I trust You to manifest His life through me, not by my effort but by Your grace. What You’ve begun, You will finish. And every moment is an opportunity to let Christ be seen—not by trying harder, but by trusting deeper.
Amen.