Life Transformed in Christ
“If I stay in Christ, when life tries to get to me to separate me, it cannot reach me without itself being turned into Life.”
— E. Stanley Jones, In Christ
Reflection on Key Truths
There is a vast difference between life and Life. The daily grind, the responsibilities, the challenges—these are part of what we call life. But in Christ, everything is infused with His presence, His power, and His eternal purpose. Life outside of Him is ordinary, temporary, and ultimately fleeting. Life in Him, however, is transformed.
E. Stanley Jones highlights this truth with a striking observation: when something is placed in Christ, it is no longer just what it was—it becomes something more. Bread in Christ is not just bread; it is Bread of Life. Money placed in Christ’s hands is no longer just money; it is invested with eternal value. Likewise, our struggles, our joys, our very existence—when surrendered into Him—become something new, something that cannot be separated from His love.
Paul assures us in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The key, then, is to remain in Him, to abide in the Life He offers. When difficulties press in, they do not drive us away from Him; rather, they are transformed in His presence, absorbed into the very Life of Christ Himself.
Practical Application
View all things through the lens of Christ. Your work, relationships, and resources—when placed in Him—take on new meaning and eternal value.
Remain in Christ in all circumstances. Do not allow life’s struggles to separate you; instead, let them be transformed as you abide in Him.
Embrace the reality that everything in Christ lives. Even the smallest aspects of your day, when surrendered to Him, are infused with His presence and purpose.
Illustration
Imagine a simple lump of clay. In itself, it is formless, ordinary, without distinction. But when placed in the hands of a master potter, it is shaped into something useful, something beautiful, something designed for a purpose. So it is with life outside of Christ—it remains merely existence. But in Christ, it becomes Life, shaped by His love and filled with His divine purpose.
Closing Prayer
Father, I rejoice in the truth that nothing can separate me from Your love. In Christ, life itself is transformed—what was ordinary becomes extraordinary in Your presence. I rest in the assurance that every moment, every resource, every trial placed in You is not wasted but infused with eternal meaning. Thank You for the Life that is mine in Christ. Amen.
Final Thought
To live outside of Christ is to merely exist. To live in Christ is to truly live—fully, abundantly, eternally.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Devotional Source: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones