Note: You are reading this message either because you did not load our stylesheets, or you are not using a standards-compliant browser. Please consider using one of these browsers to view this web site: Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, or Safari (Mac).

The Cross Centered Day

September 17th, 30e by Brett Wagner

[taken from “The Cross Centered Life” by C.J. Mahaney]

“We are creatures of habit, arn’t we?  And our habits reflect our true selves - we all build are daily lives around our priorities and passions…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 principal to understand as we seek to build our lives around the gospel.  Do you want a cross centered life? A cros centered life is made up of cross centered days.

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 trugh of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day…But lets be practical.  It’s one thing to get excited when you hear an inspiring sermon or read a book.  How do you maintain your cross centeredness in the midst of a busy schedule  amid the demands of work and family?

John Stott, author and pastor, compares the cross to a blazing bonfire.  If we want the flame in our heart to be kept alive, we have to keep coming back to the source.  ‘The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love his kindled,’ he writes, ‘but we have to get near enough to it for its sparks to fall on us.’

How do you keep the flame of the gospel passion burning brightly in the drizzle of real life?

1) Memorize the gospel - the Bible refers to memorizing Scripture as storing up His word in our hearts. God has given us passages to help us preach to ourselves.  Determine to memorize passages such as Isaiah 53:3-6, Romans 3;23-26, Romans 5:5-11, Romans 8:32-39.

2) Pray the gospel - there is nothing complicated about this.  To pray the gospel, simply begin by thankign God for the blessings of eternal life, purchased through the death of His Son.  Acknowledge that Christ’s work on the cross is what makes your very prayer possible.

3) Sing the gospel - this is another opportunity to be strategic.  Not all worship songs are created equal.  Many are man centered not cross centered.  They focus more on what we need, or what we want God to do, than on what Jesus has already done.

4) Review how the gospel has changed you - many people want to forget the past.  The mistakes they have made and the sins they have committed arn’t subjects they would like to revisit.  But for Christians, one of the best ways we can draw near the blazing fire of the cross is to remember the past.  It should remind us of how marvelous God’s salvation really is. (1 Timothy 1:13)

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.  Camp out in the books of Romans or Galatians.  Don’t be afriad of theological technical terms.  Take the time to learn the meaning of such words as atonement, substitution, propitiation, justification and salvation.  Listen to cross centered preaching.  Read your Bible with your eyes peeled for the gospel.

IMPORTANT: As we think about all these activites, it’s vital to remember that we can’t do this on our own.  We need God’s Spirit to light the truths of the cross within our hearts

Leave a Reply