The Purpose Found Only in Him
In Christ, the final piece of God’s eternal purpose falls into place.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
In today’s reflection, E. Stanley Jones draws our attention to the breathtaking reality that God’s eternal purpose has already been fulfilled in Jesus. In Him, the plan moved from concept to completion, from anticipation to realization. In every other faith system, the truth is spoken of as an idea or an ideal, yet in Jesus alone, the Word became flesh. This is not a philosophical musing or moral code, but the living Person of God’s Son stepping into time to accomplish what no other could.
Jones recounts encounters with seekers who claimed they could find God without Jesus, yet none ever returned to report they had succeeded. The reason is simple, real reconciliation with God only happens in Him. Canon Holland’s conversation with a Hindu illustrates this vividly. While many religions claim to find God within oneself, only in Jesus is there the actual transformation that brings one into union with God. Through Him, conversions take place, lives are changed, and the eternal purpose of God is brought into living reality.
The same holds true for modern people who, stripped of endless options, eventually face the reality that life is either in Christ or in barren futility. One Japanese Buddhist, upon embracing Jesus, saw there was no viable alternative. His conclusion mirrors Jones’, there is no substitute for the life that comes through Him. Everything outside of Him ends in emptiness, while in Him we find the fullness of God’s purpose made personal.
Today’s truth calls us to anchor our lives in this unwavering reality. In Jesus, God’s eternal purpose is not merely a distant plan but a present and active reality in us. Because He has completed it, we live not in restless striving but in the settled joy of walking in what has already been accomplished.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have set My eternal purpose in motion, and in Jesus that purpose has reached its fullness. You are not trying to discover some hidden plan, for you are already living in its reality through your union with Him. I have placed you in Christ so that His life becomes your life, His victory your victory, and His fullness your fullness. You are complete in Him.
No other path will lead you into My heart. All other pursuits end in emptiness because they are rooted in self-effort or human wisdom. In My Son, I have brought you to Myself. I have seated you with Him in the heavenly realms. Your life is hidden with Him in Me. Live from this place, and you will see that My purpose is not an abstract ideal but a daily reality as My life flows through you.
You no longer live for yourself but for Him who died and rose again on your behalf. You walk in the works I prepared for you before time began. Trust that I am working all things together for good, not as a distant observer but as the One who indwells you, bringing My eternal plan into your present moments.
Scripture References: Ephesians 3:11, John 1:14, Colossians 2:9-10, Colossians 3:1-3, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:28
Real-Life Analogy
Finding the eternal purpose of God in Jesus is like finally fitting the last piece into a complex puzzle. For hours, you may have shifted pieces, forcing them into places they did not belong, only to be met with gaps and mismatches. Then, at last, the correct piece slides in effortlessly, completing the picture you were meant to see all along.
When we trust in Jesus, the scattered pieces of our lives come together into the image God intended. Lord, I trust You to live Your life in me and through me today, filling in the missing spaces with Your presence. For example, when I face uncertainty about a relationship or a decision, I yield to You to bring clarity, patience, and grace, knowing that in You the whole picture is already complete.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that Your eternal purpose is already fulfilled in Jesus and that I share in that fulfillment through my union with Him. I rest in the certainty that nothing in my life is left outside of Your plan. I rejoice that I do not have to create purpose for myself, because I am already living in Yours.