The Center of Rest: Abiding in the Person, Not the Program
Rest is found in the still center—Christ in me, the hope of glory.
E. Stanley Jones brings us into a powerful meditation on John 15:7—“If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” He points out that this abiding has two sides: the general—abiding in Christ—and the specific—His words abiding in us. Jones warns that focusing only on general love can become sentimental and empty, while focusing only on specific acts (like absolute honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love) can become rigid and exhausting. This second path often devolves into law—a life centered on trying harder in our own strength. And trying always drains.
Jones presses a deeper point. He says that when our Christian walk becomes organized primarily around loving others (the second commandment) rather than loving Jesus (the first commandment), we miss the fixed center—the Person of Christ. Obedience must not be the engine but the overflow. The focus is not on hitting moral targets but on surrendering fully to a Person—the living Christ. When He becomes the center, His life flows outward into the absolutes we admire. But apart from Him, even those beautiful absolutes become burdens.
The takeaway is gentle but clear: abiding in Jesus—resting in Him as the indwelling Lord—makes obedience a fruit, not a formula. Love for Christ is the root; the rest follows.
Journal Entry — The Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
You are not called to strain, but to remain. The words of Jesus are not a ladder to climb but a vine to abide in. You have been grafted into the Living One, and the life that now flows through you is Mine. The call is not to imitate Christ but to participate in Him.
The first commandment is not a demand but a doorway—Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, because He has first loved you. You were created to be loved and to love in return. From this resting place, love overflows toward your neighbor—not as law, but as life.
My fruit is born in stillness. Abide in Me, and My words will abide in you. You do not need to produce anything—just stay where I’ve placed you, in Christ. Let love, purity, honesty, and unselfishness arise not as goals to pursue, but as the outflow of a heart captivated by the Son. My commands are not burdensome because they come from One who lives in you and has already fulfilled the law.
This is the rhythm of grace: you look to the Person, not the program. I am the Vine. You are the branch. Remain in Me. Rest in Me. Rejoice in Me. And you will bear fruit that remains.
Scripture References: John 15:5, 1 John 5:3, Galatians 2:20, Matthew 22:37–39, 1 John 4:19
Prayer of Trust and Confidence
Jesus, You are the fixed center of my life. I no longer organize my days around rules or absolutes—I delight in You, and in You, those things take shape without the burden. I trust that as I rest in Your life within me, Your words will rise up from my heart with clarity and grace. You have already done what the law demanded, and now I live by the law of liberty—the freedom to love You, because You first loved me.
I am content to be a branch in You, the Vine. I no longer strain to love more, give more, or do more. I yield to Your indwelling presence and rejoice in the life You are living through me—moment by moment. You are my center. You are my everything. Thank You for the restful beauty of grace.
Devotional Credit: From In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Image Credit: Unsplash.com
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