All His, All Ours

Belonging to Him means receiving all that He is—His peace, His joy, His perfection—as our own.

E. Stanley Jones invites us to abandon the burden of self-improvement and instead rest in the liberating truth of belonging to Christ. He uncovers the subtle trap of pursuing “self-perfection”—a path that may seem noble but ends in frustration, alienation, and inner turmoil. The secret, he says, is not in refining the self, but in surrendering it.

Using the imagery of John 15, Jones highlights that to be a branch in Christ is to be a branch of Christ. We don’t just live in Him—we belong to Him. And because we belong to Him, all that He is becomes ours. The focus is no longer on self-perfection but on Christ-realization. This shift from striving to surrender yields something striving never could: transformation into His likeness by the Spirit.

Jones recounts a woman who, in chasing her own perfection, became a source of disruption in her relationships. Her gaze was on herself, not Christ. But if she had fixed her eyes on Jesus, she would have been changed into His image. This is the paradox of grace: by losing ourselves in Him, we find ourselves. In belonging to Christ, we belong to His perfection—His perfect peace, perfect righteousness, perfect love. We stop being nuisances to ourselves and others when we stop trying to be perfect and start resting in the One who already is.

Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture

You belong to Me, and that belonging is your freedom. You are not required to perfect yourself, for My perfection has already embraced you. The branch cannot bear fruit by striving—it abides and receives. You are the branch, I am the Vine. I have chosen you, and you are Mine. You no longer live, but Christ lives in you.

Fix your eyes not on yourself, but on Me, the Author and Finisher of your faith. When you behold Me, you are being transformed—from one degree of glory to another. That change does not come by your resolve but by My Spirit. You are complete in Me, lacking nothing. Let your mind be renewed to this truth: you are hidden with Christ in God.

Do not let your soul chase after an idealized version of yourself. That only leads to striving and sorrow. Instead, rest in My sufficiency. Let My peace rule in your heart. You are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. I am the one who began this good work in you, and I will carry it to completion. You are not an improvement project—you are My new creation.

So today, walk by faith. See yourself not as one in progress toward Me, but as one already seated with Me. You are Mine—and because you are Mine, everything that is Mine is yours.

(Scripture references: John 15:1–5, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 2:10, Colossians 3:1–3, Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 2:10)

Prayer in My Voice

Father, how grateful I am that I don’t have to strive after a better version of myself. I belong to You. I am Yours, and that alone defines me. No more mirrors of self-assessment. No more chasing a moving target. You’ve invited me to gaze at the face of Jesus and, in doing so, to become what only You can bring forth in me—Christlikeness.

So I yield the chase. I receive Your perfection as my resting place. I receive the peace that comes from knowing I am Yours. Let my eyes stay fixed on Your Son, and my soul stay content in Your embrace. Today, I rest in the Vine—and trust that You will bear fruit in and through me.

Credits:
Devotional insights from In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo from Unsplash