Living the Cross-Centered Life | C. J. Mahaney
C. J. Mahaney. Living the Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing. Multnomah, 2006. 176 pp.
At the Core
Life’s Most Important Truth Can Be the Easiest to Forget
Each of our lives is centered on something. What’s at the center of yours? . . .
It could be one of any number of good things, but when it comes to centering our life, what really qualifies as the one thing God says should be the most important? . . .
The Only Essential
Here’s how Paul answers that question for us: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you. . . .For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins.”
First importance. Paul is pointing us to the one transcendent truth that should define our lives. In the midst of our various responsibilities and many possible areas of service in the kingdom of God, one overarching truth should motivate all our work and affect every part of who we are: Christ died for our sins.
This, Paul says, is the main thing. Nothing else—not even things that are biblical and honorable—are of equal or greater importance than this: God sent His Son to the cross to bear His wrath for sinners like you and me.
If there’s anything in life we should be passionate about, it’s the gospel. And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others; I mean passionate in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life. . . .
In the Scriptures we discover a profound urgency for focusing all we are and everything we do around the gospel of the cross. For not only does this good news come first chronologically in our Christian experience, but it stays foremost in critical importance for creating and sustaining our joy and our fruitfulness—a fact we too often overlook.
Our Constant Danger
Every day, we all face the temptation to move away from the gospel, to let it drop from our hands and hearts. Three main tendencies in particular tend to draw us away:
1. Subjectivism, which means basing our view of God on our changing feelings and emotions.
2. Legalism, which means basing our relationship with God on our own performance.
3. Condemnation, which means being more focused on our sin than on God’s grace.
Later in this book we’ll examine each of these tendencies more closely and discover how we can overcome them. But the first and most important thing you can do is simply to make sure the gospel is always at the very center of your life. . . .
Let me urge you to do whatever it takes to make the gospel your passion. Ask God to change your heart so you can personally affirm for your own life the words of Galatians 6:14″Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Cross-Centered Day
Practical Ways to Focus Daily on the Cross
We make time for what we truly value. We build habits and routines around the things that really matter to us. This is an important principle to understand as we seek to build our lives around the gospel.
Do you want to live a cross centered life? A cross centered life is made up of cross is made up of cross centered days. . . .
How do you keep the flame of gospel passion burning brightly in the drizzle of real life? Let me share some simple ways I’ve found to help me receive the “sparks” of the cross each day.
Preach to Yourself
Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish. If the gospel is the most vital news in the world, and if salvation by grace is the defining truth of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed.
This is “preaching the gospel to yourself,” as we earlier learned about from Jerry Bridges. And don’t worry—even if you don’t consider yourself a public speaker, you can do this kind of preaching. Your audience is your own heart. And the message is simple: Christ died for your sins.
It’s a matter of sitting down, grabbing your own attention, and telling yourself, “Hey, listen up! This is what matters most: You’re forgiven! You have hope! Your hope is based on the sacrifice of Jesus. So let’s not view this day any other way. Let today be governed by this one defining truth.
But let’s be practical. How do you maintain your cross centeredness in the midst of a busy schedule amid the demands of work and family? Let me share five very simple ways I’ve found that help me draw near to the cross each day.
1. Memorize the Gospel
You might not think you’re good at memorizing Scripture. That’s okay. Don’t give up. Work at it. God isn’t keeping score. Even if it takes you longer than someone else, it’s worth the effort.
And if you’re already memorizing Scripture, practice what my friend Mike Bullmore calls “strategic Scripture memory.” Start with passages that define and describe the gospel. All God’s promises and commands are precious and powerful, but those verses (like the ones mentioned below) that tell us of the Son of God who gave His life in our place are the most precious and powerful of all. Since you have to begin somewhere in Scripture memory; why not start with the Bible’s central message?
Having these verses instantly accessible is so helpful. If you find yourself losing perspective in the midst of life’s daily troubles and inconveniences, reach into your memory and pull out this verse:
If you’re struggling with condemnation over a sin that you’ve repented of and turned away from, reflect on this passage:
Here are more key passages that speak of God’s work of salvation through the cross. You’re probably familiar with some or all of these, but let me encourage you to read and reflect on them again and to store them in your heart:
If your interaction with the Word of God is not consistently making you more aware of the cross—getting you near enough to allow the sparks of this blazing fire to fall on you—then focus your attention specifically on such gospel passages as those listed here. And the result of this exercise is that your heart will become more sensitized to see the powerful presence of the gospel throughout Scripture.
2. Pray the Gospel
The gospel should be at the center of your prayer life because it makes it possible for us to approach God. The gospel gives us the confidence to pray boldly—we’re accepted in God’s beloved Son.
There’s nothing complicated about this. To pray the gospel, simply begin by thanking God for the forgiveness of sins, purchased through the death of His Son. Acknowledge that Christ’s work on the cross is what makes prayer possible.
Thank Him that you’ll never be separated from God’s love because Jesus bore God’s wrath for sin. Thank Him that because of the cross you’re reconciled to God and have been given the Holy Spirit to dwell in you, lead you, guide you, and empower you to resist sin and serve God. Then ask God to bless you graciously with everything you need to obey and glorify Him.
The gospel should be woven throughout our praise, our petitions, and our intercession, because our approach to God the Father is only—ever and always—through God the Son and His work on the cross.
3. Sing the Gospel
A Christian’s heart should be brimming over every day with the song, of Calvary.
This is another opportunity to be strategic. There are countless worship CDs available, but it’s important to choose ones that draw our attention to the amazing truth of what God has done on our behalf. Not all worship songs are created equal; many today are more centered on ourselves than on the cross and on Christ. They focus more on what we need or what we want God to do than on what Jesus has already done.
I have to admit I’m spoiled when it comes to great cross centered worship songs. Some of my friends are very gifted songwriters who create beautiful contemporary worship songs that are filled with the gospel. (You can find out more about how to obtain this music—including a CD created specifically in conjunction with this book—at www.sovereigngraceministries.org.)
Wherever you find it, make cross centered worship a regular part of your daily routine. There’s no better way to start each day than to employ songs and hymns that speak of the cross with clarity and power. . . .
4. Review How the Gospel Has Changed You
Many people today want to forget the past. The mistakes they’ve made and the sins they’ve committed aren’t subjects they like to revisit. But for Christians, one of the best ways we can draw near the blazing fire of the cross is to remember our past,and allow it to remind us of how marvelous God’s salvation really is.
The apostle Paul was committed to remembering what he once was because that memory magnified God’s grace. Earlier we quoted Paul’s remembrance of being “a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” of God, and then his grateful words, “But I received mercy. . . .” Though written some thirty years after he came to faith in Christ, Paul remembered vividly and specifically his many sins prior to conversion. . . .
You and I as well must not forget. We need to follow Paul’s example. We can all say, “I was once a ________”and fill in the blank with an accurate description of our sinful past. And we don’t need a dramatic testimony to do so. . . .
Take time to think about all this. Reflect on it daily. I also encourage you to write out your testimony in a page or two. And don’t just write “I asked Jesus into my heart,” but really spell out the heart of the gospel and how the blood of Christ, shed for the sins of the world, came to apply to you personally. Be specific about the fact that God is holy and you were an object of His wrath. Identify the sin in which you were lost. Explain how God saved you and changed your life for His glory.
5. Study the Gospel
To grow in your passion for what Jesus has done, increase your understanding of what He has done.
Never be content with your current grasp of the gospel. The gospel is life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth. It has more facets than any diamond. We will never exhaust its depths. So let me share some practical recommendations for making the gospel an ongoing life-study:
1. Camp out in the books of Romans and Galatians. Author John Stott, among others, has written excellent commentaries on both to assist you in your study.
2. Don’t be afraid of technical theological terms. Take the time to learn the meanings of such words as atonement, substitution, propitiation, justification, redemption, reconciliation, and salvation. If you’re looking for a guide, The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges explains each of these words in detail. Understanding them will better help you appreciate and marvel at what God has done.
3. If you have a daily commute, or another regular time when you can listen to audio recordings, obtain cross centered sermons that you can hear and benefit from (you’ll find some at www.sovereigngraceministries.org).
4. Read your whole Bible with your eyes peeled for the gospel. It has been noted that every passage of Scripture—in both the Old and New Testaments—either predicts, prepares for, reflects, or results from the work of Christ. As you read Scripture in your daily devotions, identify how each passage relates to the cross. The Old Testament in particular will come alive as you see it pointing to the coming Savior. For discovering the story line of the gospel throughout Scripture, there is no better guide than the two volumes For the Love of God by D. A. Carson.
5. Finally, here’s a New Year’s resolution that’s truly worthwhile: Make it an annual goal to read or reread at least one book on the cross. The following list mentions some great books to start with.
The Cross of Christ by John Stott. A personal favorite.. . .This book won’t let you forget.
The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges.Another personal favorite. The first three chapters of this book in particular are worth reading and rereading for the rest of your life.
The Power of the Cross of Christ by Charles Spurgeon. My historical hero exhorts us to “abide hard by the cross and search the mystery of his wounds.” There’s no better human guide for this holy search.
The Cross and Christian Ministry by D. A. Carson. For pastors this is a must-read. I’m indebted to Dr. Carson for this book. It has defined effective pastoral ministry for me, and it will do the same for you.
Adapted from Living the Cross Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney. Copyright 2006 by Sovereign Grace Ministries. Used by permission of Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Excerpt may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
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