In the Christian life, the indicative and imperative are two fundamental aspects that shape how
believers understand and live out their faith. The indicative refers to the statements of fact about
what God has already done in Christ. It describes the objective reality of salvation, redemption,
and transformation through Jesus' death and resurrection. These truths declare what is already
true about the believer’s identity—saved by grace, forgiven, and made new in Christ. In contrast,
the imperative speaks to the commands or instructions that God gives to His people, outlining
how they are to live in response to what He has done. These commands are the moral and ethical
guidelines for Christian living, such as loving others, living in holiness, and bearing fruit in good
works. The imperative is not a call to earn God's favor but to live according to the new identity
believers have in Christ. The relationship between the indicative and imperative is crucial: the
indicative provides the foundation for the imperative. In other words, Christian obedience flows
from the grace of God, not as a means to earn it, but as a response to the reality of salvation. The
imperative is empowered by the indicative, meaning that Christians are called to live in a way
that reflects the truths of their position in Christ. Thus, the Christian life is one of living out what
is already true in the believer's identity, guided by the commands of Scripture that reflect God's
will.
