Neil T. Anderson - Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide

Jesus promised that you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). Our identity in Jesus Christ is a fundamental truth that we believers need to understand if we are to experience this promised freedom and to mature in Christ. Who are you? sounds like a simple question, but attempting to answer it soon reveals the complexity of the issue.

We tend to identify ourselves and each other by what we look like, what we do, where we live, and what our social standing, political affiliation, or denominational preference is. But does that determine who we are, or does who we are determine what we do? Thats an important question, especially as it relates to our self-perception, and how we live.

How you ever thought about who you are and formed an opinion about yourself? How has that self-perception affected how you live?

What influenced this perception of yourself?

Why cant the sciences of psychology and biology unlock the mystery of the person ?

People cannot consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with what they believe about themselves. How important is it that we have Gods perspective for who we are?

FALSE ATTEMPTS AT SELF-VERIFICATION

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I shared the story of an attractive young woman who, from the outside, seemed to have everything going for her: excellent grades, musical talent, a full-ride university scholarship, an attractive wardrobe, and a new car.

Upon talking with her, I discerned that what was on the inside didnt match the outside. I asked her, Have you ever cried yourself to sleep at night because you felt inadequate and wished you were somebody else? Through her tears, she asked, How did you know?

How we appear affects the perception that others may have of us, but how does that affect our understanding of who we are? Why are so many concerned about what others think of them?

Have you ever felt inadequate and wished you were somebody else? Have you ever been tempted to project an image of who you are to others that was different from how you perceive yourself? How did that make you feel? What is wrong with doing that?

Why do so many strive for acceptance and affirmation from others? How important is that to you?

There is certainly nothing wrong with appearing attractive, performing well, or having social status, but why dont such attainments determine who you are and guarantee fulfillment in life?

Does everybody have the same opportunity to find purpose and meaning in life? Why or why not?

What is wrong with labeling people as losers, failures, derelicts, alcoholics, addicts, co-dependents, etc.?

In the introduction to the book, I mentioned that every defeated Christian I have worked with had one thing in common: None of them knew who they were in Christ, nor did they understand what it meant to be a child of God. Why do you think that is?

What labels have you been saddled with that still influence your perception of yourself, and do such labels affect how you live.

THE ORIGINAL CREATION

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Genesis chapters 1 and 2 begin the creation story and elaborate on how God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness. All other organic matter functions according to its God-given instinct, whereas Adam and Eve had the capacity to think, feel, and choose. After God breathed life into his nostrils, Adam was both physically and spiritually alive (see Genesis 1:2627). Adams soul was in union with God, and that union assured him of the following attributes:

1. SignificanceIn the original creation, Adam and Eve were given a divine purposedominion over all the birds of the sky, beasts of the field, and fish of the sea.
2. Safety and securityIn the garden of Eden, Adam and Eves needs were fully met.
3. BelongingThey not only knew and belonged to God, but they also belonged to each other in a mutually beneficial and intimate relationship.

Try to imagine what Paradise was like, and contrast that to our present experience on earth.

What was totally unique in the universe about God breathing His life into Adam?

Explain the difference between being physically alive and spiritually alive, and what makes humanity totally different from all other created matter?

THE EFFECTS OF THE FALL

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The effects of the fall were dramatic, immediate, and far-reaching. The result of Adams sin not only affected Adam and Eve, but also all their descendants.