Your New Identity (Victory Series Book #2): A Transforming Union with God by Neil T. Anderson Page B

or some group of people who don’t know the Lord, ask God to send them a messenger. God has to work through His established means of bringing salvation to the lost people of this world. In Romans 10:14–15, Paul explains what that process is: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?”
    Second, John wrote, “If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life” (1 John 5:16). The context of this passage is clearly talking about spiritual life and death, not physical life and death. The lost people of this world are dead in their trespasses and sins. Jesus came that we might have life. So John is telling us to petition God to give them eternal life. Our prayers do not save them; they are saved by their own personal faith in the finished work of Christ. However, in His sovereignty, God has chosen to work out His plan of salvation through the Church. We choose to believe, but God saves us. God miraculously works in response to our prayers, including the salvation of souls.

Session Six
A New Beginning
    A Christian recovery group was just beginning its weekly meeting when a guest speaker was introduced. The speaker took a $20 bill out of his pocket and asked if anyone would like to have it. Many raised their hands.
    “I’m going to give it away this evening,” he said, “but first let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the bill in his hand. “Who still wants this $20 bill?” he asked. The same hands went up.
    “But what if I do this?” he asked. He dropped the bill to the floor and started grinding on it with his shoe. He picked up the crumpled dirty bill and asked again if anyone wanted it. The same hands went up.
    He gave the bill to the newest person in the group and said, “No matter what I did to the bill, you still wanted it—and rightly so, because it still had the same value, no matter how it was abused. We all have been dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we made and the circumstances that came our way. Consequently, we feel as though we are worthless, but that is not true. Your value as a human being, created in the image of God, will never lose its value no matter what happened to you or what you have done. You are not a derelict, you are not a bum,you are not an alcoholic, you are not an addict. You are a child of God, and just like the newest member of your group, you did nothing to earn the free gift of salvation. My gift only cost me $20; the gift of salvation cost Jesus His life.”
    Daily Readings
1. Overcoming Guilt
Romans 8:1–8
2. Overcoming Shame
Micah 7:7–10
3. Conviction of Sin
2 Corinthians 7:2–12
4. Our Inheritance in Christ
Hebrews 1:1–4
5. The Love of Christ
Ephesians 3:14–21

1 Overcoming Guilt
    Romans 8:1–8
    Key Point
    There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Key Verse
    Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
    Romans 8:2
    G uilt is a judicial concept in a court of law presided over by a judge. In order to establish guilt or innocence, there has to be a law or moral standard. People are deemed guilty when they fail to live up to a moral standard or when they break the law. In the book of Romans, Paul argues our case for a “not guilty” verdict in the heavenly court where God is the presiding judge.
    Paul starts by admitting that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(3:23). That is not the defense we were hoping for, but he isn’t finished! “All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ” (3:24). Did God do away with the law or water it down so all would qualify on