Monday, October 08, 2007

Never Moving On

There's a small, orange book in my closet that I've read at least four times now over the years. And it still wakes me up, every single time. In The Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing, C. J. Mahaney's message is a plea to remember what happened at Calvary... and then to live in it, every day.

No matter how familiar with the gospel we become, it should never cease to kindle a fresh wonder and joy in us. If we are to have any spiritual growth, the gospel must always be "the main thing" in our lives. It's a reminder that I need constantly. It's all too easy to forget the most important thing.

"I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you," Paul wrote. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins." (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3)

"One transcendent truth should define our lives. One simple truth should motivate our work and affect every part of who we are.

Christ died for our sins.

If there's anything in life that 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 it, dwelling on it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world. Only one thing can be of first importance to each of us. And only the gospel ought to be." (Page 21)
"You may forget this book and its author, but never let the message of the cross slide into second or third place in your life. Never lay it aside. Never move on." (Page 75)

Mahaney's words ring so true. When I'm lacking joy, passion, and intimacy with Christ, the root cause is always because I haven't been dwelling on the truth of the gospel. And when I do make the decision to deliberately saturate my mind with the gospel, the difference it produces is astounding.

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