Discovering What It Means to Belong to Jesus and Live in the New Life We Have Received Through Him
The Real-Life Struggle
Have you ever heard someone say that you are in Christ and wondered what that actually means?
Perhaps you have been a Christian for many years.
You believe that Jesus died for your sins.
You know that He rose again.
You understand that salvation is a gift of God’s grace.
And you genuinely desire to live in a way that honours Him.
Yet sometimes, when you hear expressions such as united with Christ, crucified with Christ, or alive in Christ, you find yourself wondering how these extraordinary truths relate to your everyday life.
Does being united with Jesus mean that you should always feel close to Him?
Does it mean that your old struggles should have disappeared?
Does it mean that you no longer have a personal identity of your own?
Or is it simply another way of describing the fact that you believe in Him?
Perhaps you have experienced moments when your relationship with God felt wonderfully close.
You were encouraged by Scripture.
Your prayers flowed naturally.
You felt confident in His love.
And you found it easier to respond to others with patience and kindness.
Then came a difficult day.
You became frustrated.
An old habit resurfaced.
You felt anxious about something you could not control.
Or you responded in a way that did not reflect the character of Jesus.
Suddenly, you began questioning your spiritual progress.
If I am united with Christ, why do I still struggle?
Why do some of my old patterns feel so familiar?
Am I supposed to be trying harder to become more like Him?
What does it actually look like to live from my union with Jesus?
These are important questions.
Because when we misunderstand what it means to be united with Christ, we can begin treating our Christian lives as an exhausting attempt to achieve something that God has already graciously established through His Son.
We may imagine that we must continually work to become connected to Jesus.
Or that our relationship with Him rises and falls according to our latest spiritual performance.
But Scripture invites us to begin from a different foundation.
Here, beside a beautiful woodland chapel with open doors and a stone bridge connecting two sides of a flowing stream, we are invited to explore what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ.
And as we discover the truth of Romans 6, we may begin understanding our new identity with greater clarity, confidence, and gratitude.
Discover the Truth
In Romans 6:5, the apostle Paul writes:
“For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection.” — Romans 6:5 (WEB)
This is an extraordinary declaration.
Paul is not simply encouraging believers to admire Jesus or imitate His example.
He is describing a profound relationship established through our participation in Christ’s saving work.
To understand what he means, we need to consider the question he is answering.
At the beginning of Romans 6, Paul asks whether believers should continue in sin so that grace may abound.
His answer is emphatic.
“May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?” — Romans 6:2 (WEB)
Paul then explains why continuing comfortably in sin is inconsistent with the new life believers have received.
Those who belong to Christ have been united with Him in His death and resurrection.
This changes our relationship with sin.
And it establishes a new foundation for how we are called to live.
United with Christ in His Death
Paul writes:
“Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” — Romans 6:3 (WEB)
He continues:
“We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.” — Romans 6:4 (WEB)
Paul connects baptism with the believer’s identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection.
Christians understand the relationship between baptism and union with Christ in somewhat different ways, but Paul’s central emphasis is clear.
Those who belong to Jesus are no longer to understand themselves as though nothing has changed.
Through Christ, they have entered a new relationship with God.
Their former life under sin’s dominion is no longer the defining reality of who they are.
This does not mean that believers have literally experienced physical death and resurrection.
Nor does it mean that they have already become incapable of sinning.
Paul is explaining the significance of belonging to the crucified and risen Christ.
His death and resurrection have changed our standing and our relationship with sin.
And because we belong to Him, we are called to live consistently with that new reality.
Our Old Self Was Crucified with Christ
In Romans 6:6, Paul writes:
“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.” — Romans 6:6 (WEB)
The expression our old man refers to who we were in our former condition under sin.
Paul is not suggesting that our personalities, memories, or individual characteristics have been erased.
Nor is he saying that every sinful habit disappears immediately when someone becomes a Christian.
Rather, he is describing a decisive change in our relationship with sin through Christ.
Our old existence under sin’s mastery has been brought to an end in Him.
We are no longer to regard ourselves as helplessly belonging to the dominion of sin.
This is why Paul can speak so confidently about the possibility of walking in newness of life.
Something fundamental has changed.
And that change begins with what Jesus has accomplished, not with our ability to manufacture a new spiritual identity through determination.
Alive to God in Christ Jesus
Paul then gives believers an important instruction:
“Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:11 (WEB)
Notice the order.
Paul first explains what Christ has accomplished.
Then he instructs believers to consider themselves in the light of that truth.
He does not tell them to imagine something that is not real.
He calls them to recognise the significance of their union with Jesus.
They are to regard themselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ.
This is not merely a positive statement designed to improve their feelings.
It is a response to the reality of Christ’s death and resurrection.
And it provides a foundation for the instructions that follow.
Paul tells believers not to allow sin to reign in their mortal bodies.
Instead, they are to present themselves to God as those who are alive from the dead.
Their everyday choices are to reflect the new relationship they have received.
Christ Lives in Me
The apostle Paul expresses this truth beautifully in Galatians 2:20:
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” — Galatians 2:20 (WEB)
Paul does not mean that he has ceased to exist as an individual person.
He continues to think, choose, speak, serve, and respond.
But his life has been fundamentally reoriented through Jesus Christ.
His former standing and identity apart from Christ are no longer the foundation of his relationship with God.
He now lives by faith in the Son of God.
And notice how personally Paul describes Jesus.
Who loved me and gave himself up for me.
Union with Christ is not an impersonal theological concept.
It is a profound relationship with the living Saviour who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Abiding in Christ
Jesus also uses a beautiful picture of dependence and relationship in John 15.
He describes Himself as the true vine and His disciples as the branches.
In John 15:5, He says:
“I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (WEB)
Here, Jesus emphasises the importance of remaining in Him.
A branch does not produce fruit independently of the vine.
Its life and fruitfulness depend upon its connection to the source.
In the same way, the Christian life is not intended to be lived independently of Jesus.
We are called to remain in Him, receive His words, trust Him, and live in obedience to His commands.
Our union with Christ provides the foundation of our new life.
And abiding in Him describes the ongoing relationship of faith and dependence through which that life bears fruit.
These truths belong together.
We belong to Jesus.
And we are invited to live in daily dependence upon Him.
See the Father’s Heart
Sometimes we imagine that God has saved us but left us to work out the rest of our Christian lives through our own strength.
Perhaps we think that Jesus has forgiven our past sins, but now everything depends upon our ability to become sufficiently disciplined, faithful, and spiritually mature.
We may begin approaching each day with a quiet sense of pressure.
I need to try harder.
I need to become more patient.
I need to stop struggling with these familiar habits.
I need to prove that I am growing.
But Romans 6 reveals something extraordinary about the Father’s saving purpose.
He has not simply given us forgiveness while leaving our relationship with sin unchanged.
Through Jesus Christ, He has brought believers into new life.
We have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Our old existence under sin’s dominion has been decisively challenged through His saving work.
And we are called to walk in the newness of life He has provided.
Consider what this reveals about the Father’s heart.
His purpose is not merely to improve our outward behaviour while leaving us spiritually unchanged.
He has acted through His Son to bring us into an entirely new relationship with Himself.
He has provided a new foundation for our identity.
And through the Holy Spirit, He continues His transforming work in those who belong to Jesus.
This does not mean that spiritual growth happens without our willing response.
Scripture calls us to resist sin.
To renew our thinking.
To walk by the Spirit.
To love others.
And to obey the words of Jesus.
But these instructions are not invitations to manufacture a relationship with Christ through our own efforts.
They are invitations to live consistently with the relationship we have received through Him.
The Father has not called us to live independently of His Son.
He has brought us into fellowship with Him.
And this changes how we approach our weaknesses.
We do not need to pretend that we have already reached maturity.
We do not need to deny that temptation remains a genuine challenge.
And we do not need to interpret every struggle as evidence that our union with Christ has disappeared.
We can acknowledge what needs to change.
We can turn away from sin.
We can seek wisdom and support when necessary.
And we can continue learning to depend upon Jesus.
Because our new life begins with His gracious work, not our personal achievement.
Recognise the Old Pattern
One of the most familiar ways we misunderstand the Christian life is by trying to produce spiritual transformation through determination alone.
Perhaps you recognise this pattern.
You become aware of an attitude or habit that does not reflect Jesus.
You feel disappointed.
You decide that this time you will try harder.
You make a plan.
You promise yourself that you will respond differently.
And for a while, things seem to improve.
Then another difficult situation arises.
You feel overwhelmed.
You become impatient.
Or you return to a familiar response.
And suddenly, you begin thinking:
I haven’t changed at all.
Why can’t I get this right?
Perhaps I’m not as spiritually mature as I thought.
Maybe I just need to work harder.
Before long, the Christian life can begin feeling like a continual cycle of effort, disappointment, and renewed determination.
But what if the problem is not simply that you have failed to try hard enough?
What if you have been approaching transformation as though you must create a new identity rather than learning to live from the one you have received in Christ?
Consider a woman who has struggled for years with responding defensively when someone questions her decisions.
She genuinely wants to become more patient.
She knows that Scripture calls her to gentleness and humility.
Yet whenever she feels criticised, her familiar response appears almost automatically.
She becomes frustrated with herself.
She promises to do better.
And when the pattern repeats, she feels condemned.
Now consider what Romans 6 reveals.
If she belongs to Christ, her former life under sin’s dominion is no longer the foundation of her identity.
She has been united with Jesus in His death and resurrection.
She is called to consider herself dead to sin and alive to God in Him.
This does not mean that her defensive reactions are harmless.
Nor does it mean that she can ignore the need for change.
But it gives her a different foundation from which to respond.
Instead of concluding, This is simply who I am, she can recognise that her old patterns do not have the final authority to define her.
She can acknowledge her response.
She can apologise where necessary.
She can ask God for wisdom.
She can consider what triggered her defensiveness.
And she can practise responding differently.
Not in an attempt to create a new identity.
But because she belongs to Christ and is learning to live consistently with the new life she has received.
This is a very different approach to spiritual growth.
We do not deny our weaknesses.
We simply refuse to allow them to become more authoritative than what God has accomplished through Jesus.
Renew Your Thinking
Romans 6 invites us to think about ourselves in the light of our union with Christ.
Paul does not begin by telling believers to achieve a new spiritual identity through effort.
He begins by explaining what has happened through Jesus.
Then he calls them to live consistently with that reality.
Consider how this changes our familiar patterns of thinking.
The Old Pattern Says:
I need to become a completely different person before I can truly belong to Jesus.
Renewed Thinking Says:
Through faith in Christ, I have been brought into new life. I am called to grow in ways that reflect the relationship I have already received.
The Old Pattern Says:
My old habits prove that nothing has really changed.
Renewed Thinking Says:
My old habits may reveal areas where growth is needed, but they do not automatically cancel the new relationship established through Christ. I can address them honestly and learn to walk in newness of life.
The Old Pattern Says:
I must produce spiritual transformation through determination alone.
Renewed Thinking Says:
The Christian life is lived through faith in Jesus and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. I am called to respond actively to God’s Word, but I am not expected to live independently of Him.
The Old Pattern Says:
Being united with Christ means I should never experience temptation or struggle.
Renewed Thinking Says:
Union with Christ changes my relationship with sin, but Scripture still calls believers to resist temptation and grow in holiness.
The Old Pattern Says:
I only belong to Jesus when I feel spiritually close to Him.
Renewed Thinking Says:
My relationship with Christ is not established by the strength of my emotions. I can continue trusting and obeying Him even when my feelings fluctuate.
The Old Pattern Says:
If Christ lives in me, my own choices no longer matter.
Renewed Thinking Says:
Because I belong to Jesus, my choices matter deeply. I am called to present myself to God and live in ways that reflect His character.
Notice how renewed thinking changes our approach.
We are no longer trying to manufacture spiritual life through our own efforts.
We are learning to recognise and respond to the life God has given through His Son.
And this produces neither passivity nor endless striving.
It invites us into active dependence upon Jesus.
We can acknowledge temptation without surrendering to it.
We can recognise old patterns without treating them as permanent definitions of who we are.
We can pursue holiness without attempting to earn our place in Christ.
And we can continue growing through faith, obedience, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Walk It Out
Imagine arriving at a beautiful woodland chapel.
Its stone walls are softened by climbing roses.
Warm light shines through the open doors.
Nearby, a clear stream flows over moss-covered stones.
And a graceful bridge connects the garden pathways on either side of the water.
The bridge offers a lovely picture of connection.
Two areas that were separated are now joined by a pathway.
But our union with Christ is far more profound than a bridge connecting two places.
It is not simply an opportunity to approach Jesus from a distance.
It is the new relationship God has established through His Son.
We belong to Him.
And from that relationship, we are invited to walk in newness of life.
Here are three practical ways to begin.
1. Begin with What Has Already Happened in Christ
Read Romans 6:1–11 slowly.
Notice the repeated references to Christ’s death and resurrection.
Pay particular attention to verses 4, 6, and 11.
Ask yourself:
What does Paul say has changed for those who belong to Jesus?
How does he describe our former relationship with sin?
What does it mean to consider myself alive to God in Christ Jesus?
Rather than beginning with everything you still need to improve, begin with what God has accomplished.
Allow Scripture to establish the foundation of your understanding.
2. Recognise One Old Pattern That No Longer Reflects Your New Life
Consider one familiar response that you would like to change.
Perhaps you become defensive when criticised.
Perhaps you withdraw when relationships become difficult.
Perhaps you respond impatiently when plans change.
Or perhaps you continually describe yourself through mistakes you made many years ago.
Choose one pattern.
Then ask yourself:
What usually happens before this response appears?
What am I believing about myself or the situation?
How does this response compare with the life Jesus calls me to live?
What would a response shaped by faith, love, and obedience look like?
You do not need to condemn yourself for recognising an old habit.
But neither do you need to accept it as something that must always define you.
Through Christ, you have been brought into new life.
And you can begin learning to respond accordingly.
3. Practise Dependence Upon Jesus in One Ordinary Situation
Jesus said that apart from Him we can do nothing.
This reminds us that the Christian life is not intended to be lived through self-sufficiency.
Think about one situation you expect to encounter today.
Perhaps a difficult conversation.
A demanding responsibility.
A decision that requires wisdom.
Or an opportunity to show kindness when you feel tired.
Before entering that situation, take a moment to turn your attention towards Jesus.
You might pray:
Lord Jesus, I belong to You. Help me respond in a way that reflects Your truth and love.
Then approach the situation with a willingness to listen, obey, and respond wisely.
You may still need to pause.
You may need to apologise.
You may need to reconsider a decision.
But you can continue learning to live through faith in the One to whom you belong.
This is part of walking in newness of life.
Not becoming connected to Jesus through perfect performance.
But learning to live in the light of the relationship He has already established.
Pause and Reflect
Take a quiet moment to consider what it means to be united with Christ.
1. When I hear the expression in Christ, what do I understand it to mean?
How does Romans 6:3–11 deepen or clarify that understanding?
2. Are there familiar habits or descriptions of myself that I have continued treating as though they define who I am?
What does Scripture reveal about my new relationship with sin through Jesus?
3. Have I been trying to produce spiritual transformation primarily through my own determination?
What might it look like to approach growth through faith, obedience, and dependence upon the Holy Spirit?
4. What is one ordinary situation where I can begin living more consciously from my union with Christ?
Consider a practical response that reflects patience, honesty, humility, love, or obedience.
You do not need to understand every aspect of union with Christ immediately.
Allow God’s Word to deepen your understanding as you continue walking with Jesus.
A Prayer of Response
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the extraordinary new life You have given through Jesus Christ.
Thank You that salvation is not simply an invitation to improve myself through my own efforts.
Through Your Son, You have brought me into a new relationship with You.
Your Word declares that those who belong to Jesus have been united with Him in His death and resurrection.
Thank You that my former life under sin’s dominion is no longer the foundation of my identity.
Thank You that I can consider myself dead to sin and alive to You in Christ Jesus.
Father, help me understand these truths more deeply.
Where I have continued defining myself through old habits, past failures, or familiar weaknesses, teach me to return to Your Word.
Where I have tried to produce spiritual growth through determination alone, remind me that I am called to live through faith in Jesus and dependence upon Your Spirit.
Give me wisdom to recognise the patterns that no longer reflect the new life I have received.
Help me acknowledge sin honestly.
Teach me to respond with repentance, humility, and obedience.
And strengthen me to walk in ways that reflect the character of Your Son.
Lord Jesus, thank You that You loved me and gave Yourself for me.
Teach me to remain in You.
To receive Your words.
To trust Your promises.
And to live each day with a growing awareness that I belong to You.
May my thoughts, words, and actions increasingly reflect the life You have graciously given.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Before You Continue Along the Path
Perhaps you began this reflection wondering what it really means to be united with Christ.
Perhaps you have heard expressions such as crucified with Christ, alive in Christ, or Christ lives in me without fully understanding their significance.
Or perhaps you have spent years trying to become a better Christian through determination, without recognising the new relationship God has already established through His Son.
Romans 6:3–11 invites us to begin from a different foundation.
Through Jesus Christ, believers have been united with Him in His death and resurrection.
Our former life under sin’s dominion is no longer the defining reality of who we are.
We have been brought into new life.
And we are called to walk in ways that reflect that extraordinary change.
This does not mean that temptation disappears.
It does not mean that every old habit immediately loses its familiarity.
And it does not mean that our everyday choices are unimportant.
But it does mean that we no longer need to approach the Christian life as though we must manufacture a new identity through our own efforts.
Through Christ, God has already acted.
We belong to Jesus.
And from that relationship, we are invited to live through faith, obedience, and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
We can recognise old patterns without allowing them to define us.
We can acknowledge our mistakes without denying what Christ has accomplished.
We can pursue holiness without attempting to earn our place in Him.
And we can continue growing in the confidence that our new life rests upon His saving work.
Union with Christ is not something we achieve by becoming spiritually impressive. It is the new relationship we receive through Jesus, from which we learn to live in the life He has given us.
As you continue along The Woodland Path, return to Romans 6.
Consider what it means to have died with Christ and to be alive to God in Him.
Remember Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20.
And allow Jesus’ invitation to remain in Him to shape the way you approach your everyday life.
There is no need to hurry.
The One to whom you belong is worthy of your trust.
Continue exploring The Woodland Path — Living in Your New Identity in Christ.