Backwards Is Frontwards

This morning I was studying Ephesians 2:8 - a verse that is very common to many of us . . . maybe too common??

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

One cool thing that I saw is that the word for "are" (or rather "you are") is a present tense, active, statement of fact. It's not just something that happened one day in the past. It can be happening right now . . . if . . .

The other cool thing I saw is that the word for "of", in "not of yourselves", means "out of". This has to do with the source, or the origin. You and I can't be the source of anything in our lives - it has to be "out of" God that we live, and move, and have our being. This is how we are continually saved . . . saved by His life. :0)

So as I was thinking about this, this morning, my eyes were drawn to some notes I had written down from one of Stephen Manley's sermons. It was from podcast number 74. I don't usually take notes when I'm listening to sermons, but once in a while I hear something that I just have to write down. :0) In this sermon he was talking about dying to ourselves and the things of the Kingdom of God that seem backwards to us . . . but only because we've been living in a backwards world. Backwards is really frontwards. :0)

Towards the end of the sermon Stephen says . . .

"What are you doing living for yourself?? Who would take their career . . . who would take their energies . . . who would take their securities . . . who would take their dreams, their plans . . . who would take their retirement . . . who would take their possessions . . . who would take their entire life and lay it at His feet, and take their hands off and say, "I abandon it all. I no longer dictate. Do anything You want to with me."?  . . . Who would do that?? I have no idea who would do that. I only know what you call them when they do it. They're called Christians! Wouldn't you like to be one?" . . .

"We . are . not . our . own! We've been bought and paid for with a great price. And You died, that they . who . live . should . no . longer . live . for . themselves. Save us, oh God, from ourselves, please!"

Sooo . . . are we ready to go frontwards? :0)