Living As The Beloved
Walking in the freedom of who you already are in Christ.
Promises, Commands, and Truths
Neil Anderson reminds us: “When we find a promise in the Bible, the only appropriate response is to claim it. When we find a commandment, we should obey it. And when Scripture tells us the truth about who we already are in Christ, the only response is to believe it.”
That last part is where many stumble. Too often, Christians spend their lives trying to accomplish what Christ has already finished.
We exhaust ourselves chasing what is already ours as beloved children of God.
Past-Tense Power
Romans 6 does not speak in wishes or possibilities—it speaks in completed action:
“We who died to sin” (v. 2).
“We have been buried with Him” (v. 4).
“Our old self was crucified with Him” (v. 6).
“For he who has died is freed from sin” (v. 7).
These are not commands. They are realities.
You don’t crucify your old self—it’s already crucified. You don’t strive to die to sin—you already died with Christ. The question is not whether it is finished, but whether you believe it.
The Trap of Trying
Here’s where so many trip up: we measure ourselves by behavior alone. We feel guilt for not being “good enough,” shame when we stumble, and pressure to prove we deserve God’s approval. But in Christ, we already have His approval.
Obedience isn’t about striving to earn love—it’s about walking in the love already given.
Even in God’s commandments, He supplies the power. He never commands without also empowering. His Spirit in us fulfills what He requires of us.
Living as the Beloved
The Christian life begins not with effort but with identity.
You are already crucified with Christ. Already raised with Him. Already beloved. To live otherwise is to live in denial of grace.
When you find a promise—claim it with confidence. When you find a command—walk in it through His Spirit. And when you read the truths of Romans 6—believe them. Because they are not future goals, they are present realities.
Reflection