may 2012
CityLight.org 31
am a Jesus pusher!
"Prevenient grace"
is the basis of all
theology. It appears
repeatedly in our
studies. How could
it not? It is so im-
portant. It may be
necessary to speak of
it every time we assemble. The meaning of
"prevenient" is "going before." Another word
for "grace" is "love." Therefore, prevenient
grace is the love of God, which goes before
any and every response of man. God initiates
every encounter with Himself. He is after us!
We cannot claim our discovery of God as a
result of our effort. We did not learn, search,
Stephen Manley
www.jesuspusher.org
I
develop, or invent even the slightest knowl-
edge of Him. Your first desire for God came
from Him. He brought revelation to your life.
Seven hundred years prior to Jesus' ministry
in Galilee, God spoke through a prophet.
This prophecy is a revelation of prevenient
grace. The people who sat in darkness have
seen a great light (Matthew 4:16). They
were overcome, submerged, and immersed
in darkness. Absolute despair is the picture.
Then Jesus, the light, came. God brought the
light. No explanation is possible. This is "reve-
lation." Man saw because Jesus revealed. Man
heard because Jesus spoke. Man knows be-
cause Jesus imparted. The height of stupidity
is to claim the right to stand before God as
if we placed ourselves there. How could we
earn the right? This self-pride is the epitome
of the heart of evil. We fell into the depth of
a pit; God has rescued us! We have strayed
as sheep; the Good Shepherd has found us.
We are the prodigal sons in the pigpen; the
Father embraces us. Jesus comes to us!
I am a Jesus pusher!!!
The people which
sat in darkness saw
great light; and
to them which sat
in the region and
shadow of death
light is sprung up.
-Matthew 4:16