Sanctified in Christ
Like sitting in the warmth of the sun, our sanctification flows not from striving but from remaining in Christ.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones reminds us that our sanctification—the process by which we are made holy—is not a self-contained accomplishment or a mystical experience to be admired in isolation. Rather, it is located in Christ Jesus. Paul does not say we are simply “sanctified,” but that we are “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:2). This is not mere wording—it is foundational theology. It roots our transformation not in our effort or our experience, but in our union with the One who is holy.
Jones challenges the tendency to make sanctification a doctrine to debate or an experience to spotlight. When we do, it becomes lifeless, dry, and divisive. But when we see sanctification as our present reality in Christ, it becomes a living truth that shapes our daily walk. We are not chasing holiness—we are abiding in the Holy One. And as we remain in Him, the life we share with Him expresses itself through us.
Sanctification, then, is not a badge we wear or a goal we achieve—it is the natural outflow of abiding in Christ. When we stay in Him, holiness stays in us. And when we drift into self-focus or experience-centered thinking, the vitality of sanctification withers. It is not an achievement to protect—it is a Person to remain in.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit
You are not sanctified by effort. You are not sanctified by progress reports. You are sanctified because you are in Me. I am your sanctification. I am your holiness. I do not give you sanctification like a separate gift to manage—I give you Myself. And in Me, all the fullness of God dwells. And in Me, you are being made whole.
When your eyes drift inward, your footing becomes unsteady. When you examine your sanctification to see if it’s still there, it slips through your fingers. But when your gaze returns to Me—when your heart rests in My sufficiency and your mind dwells on who I am in you—sanctification flows like fruit on a branch.
Let no one steal your joy by demanding that you prove your holiness. Let no voice within or without call you to strive for what is already yours. I am your life. And My life in you is pure, set apart, and pleasing to the Father. You are not trying to become holy—you are living from the Holy One within you.
Remain in Me. Walk in Me. Trust that your sanctification is not fading or fragile—it is fixed in the One who never changes. And as you rest, I work.
Scriptures referenced: 1 Corinthians 1:2, Colossians 2:9–10, Galatians 2:20, John 15:4–5, Hebrews 10:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like sitting in a sunlit room. You don’t generate the light. You simply remain in it. The warmth, the clarity, and the glow on your skin have nothing to do with your effort—they come from where you’re positioned. Step outside, and the warmth fades. But stay in the light, and it does what light does. So it is with Christ. Stay in Him, and holiness shines through without striving.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that I am not called to chase after holiness but to remain in Christ, who is my holiness. I rejoice that my sanctification is not a shifting experience but a settled reality in Your Son. I trust Your Spirit within me to express the life of Jesus moment by moment. When I rest in Him, holiness rests on me. And when I yield, His life flows freely. Thank You for making me whole in Christ, and for keeping me there by Your grace.