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The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel The Main Thing

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I'll start out by telling you what this book isn't. This book isn't an academic treatise on the cross. It isn't meant to thoroughly dissect the doctrines of sanctification and justification and their relation to the cross. It wasn't intended to exegetically prove anything.

What is was designed to do was to RADICALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE GETTING YOUR MIND FOCUSSED ON THE CROSS and what Christ accomplished there. I know that the book achieved its goal because it has had a profound effect on me. There are very few books which so vividly stand out in my mind as tools that God has used to mold me into the image of His Son.

So often as we progress in the Christian life, we think that we must "move on" to the "deeper" things of the faith. We begin to prioritize Bible study, then prayer, and maybe fasting. We begin to serve in the church, and we develop doctrinal bases for doing all this. Then maybe we begin to develop systematic theologies that define the way that we live encorporating everything from creationism to eschatology. Then finally as "mature" Christians having spent tons of time thinking about the difficult and mind-stretching things of faith, we wonder where all of our growth is. We aren't really much more useful than we were when we began, and we might long for the joy that was ours when we first repented and saw God's glory, grace, and grandeur. What CJ points out is that so often we so distracted by important, but not central, points of the faith. WE FORGET THE CROSS.

CJ Mahaney spends about 100 very small, very easy-to-read pages painting the picture (See Galatians 3:1) of Christ on the Cross and the consequences of that scene in the lives of God's elect. This book walks us through the completeness and finality of justification, onto the continuing work of sanctification, and on into how all of these should effect our everyday lives.

This book stands in my lives in the ranks of Desiring God (John Piper) and The Enemy Within (Kris Lundgaard) as one of the three books that have most impacted me (aside from the Bible). It isn't a book that is going to impress your friends by making them think that you're really smart, but through the Spirit's work in your heart, it will daily bring you to knees in repentence and to your feet in rejoicing. Thanks CJ.

How does the church overcome the problems of all the extremes we see in the Western Church today? We have worshiping churches, praying churches, preaching churches, charismatic and non-charismatic churches, emotional churches, liturgical churches, discipling churches but how many can say they belong to a crucified church? The need for the cross, that symbol of death to sin and faith in Christ, needs to be made once again the sign of true Christians. Once we begin to live out the gospel in our daily lives then we will see the glory of God once again manifested in the Church.

The book is easy to read and grasp. C.J. Mahaney is not writing a purely theological study of the cross but rather a devotional look at the finished work of Christ that so often we miss in our pursuit for everything else when in reality nothing will satisfy like knowing God is satisfied with Jesus' finished work of atonement. Praise be to God for His wonderful Son!

This little book packs more life-changing truth between its covers than whole shelves full of Christian "best-sellers" I have read. I was hooked on the first page, and it just kept getting better!

I have the advantage of being a member of CJ Mahaney's church, and my whole family has benefited from his Cross-centered, Gospel-saturated ministry. As I read through "The Cross-Centered Life" in one (short) sitting this morning, I met one old friend after another: each one a powerful insight that has transformed my life, my family, and our entire church. There was the "plate spinner" from the old Ed Sullivan show, who showed us such a perfect picture of the legalistic life. There was Jerry Bridges' exhortation to "preach the Gospel to yourself every day." There was CJ's wonderful list of ways to make the Cross the center of every single day.

If you have ever met CJ Mahaney, you already know that you have to read this book. If you haven't met him in person, you will feel like you know him through "The Cross-Centered Life." His writing is clear and personal. When he talks about sin, he talks about HIS sin; when he talks about salvation, he talks about the wonderful grace of God upon HIS life. By the time you finish the book, you can practically hear his voice urging you on to keep the Gospel at the center of your life.

Get this book for the people you love, and give them a priceless gift this Christmas: good news for EVERY day of the Christian life. Get it for yourself, and hear CJ's call to center your life on the Cross: the one thing that NEVER changes and ALWAYS satisfies.

I had been waiting with anticipation for this book from the moment I know it was being written.

The teaching of Mr. Mahaney over the years has changed my life, and this book has done it again.

I am not a member of a Sovereign Grace Church, the name given to the family of churches C. J. oversees, but I have pursued his teaching over the years and God has used his message of the cross and his passion for Jesus Christ to overwhelm my life with a fresh desire for God, time and time again.

This book is fantastic, it is easy to read, does not beat about the bush, gives you practical help in living a cross centred life and leaves you with the desire to live the Christian life to the max.

Get this book and read it ! It is not expensive but it's content is priceless !

Thank you C. J. for helping us keep the main thing the main thing.

I absolutely detest the throngs of "McBooks" that have been coming into the market lately. I must admit that this book has changed my attitude. It may even cause me to have to read a few more!

Mahaney lays it out simply! Its all about the cross dude!

"God is glorified when we believe with all our hearts that those who trust in Christ can never be condemned. It's only when we receive his free gift of grace and live in the good of total forgiveness that we're able to turn from old, sinful ways of living and walk in grace-motivated obedience"

Mahaney gives a few great tips for making sure we keep the main thing the main thing in our lives...

Memorize the Gospel
Pray the Gospel
Sing the Gospel
Review how the Gospel has changed you
Study the Gospel

I know you are reading this and thinking that you've "got" the Gospel already...you may be missing out...read and see...the true impact of the Cross is amazing!

I have the profound blessing of serving in this pastor's church and have heard many of the things written in this book preached from the stage on a Sunday morning. What C.J. writes in this book is not bumper-sticker doctrine, it is not bland "warm-fuzzy" Christianity. It is the plain and simple truth of our existence: we are broken sinners saved by the soverign grace of God revealed in the amazing, obedient sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and for no other reason than God loves us. It is the core of every message that is preached at Covenant Life Church because the pastors and members always seek to set the cross firmly at the center of everything they do. It is a glorious and wondrous thing, the cross is, and this book will give anyone a vital passion for celebrating that cross

If you ever struggle with how to keep God in your daily life, how to overcome the desire to "work for your salvation" rather than "work out your salvation," this is the book for you. If you want to know how to describe the gospel in a way that you and your unbelieving friends and family can not just grasp but revel in, this is the book for you. If you are a new believer seeking to live a Christ-like life or a life-long believer who wants the amazing grace of God to be a fresh taste on your tongue, this is the book for you.

I speak so strongly of this book because I get to see the evidence of it in the author and the model of it in his church, which, for me, is the dearest place on earth. There is no better Christmas present than this book which celebrates Christ in his most gracious moment.

Buying books is becoming a lot like buying CD's. Wandering through the CD aisle, you're bound to find a new release by someone you enjoy. Their last disc wsn't too good, though. Should you buy another? Will it be a waste of money? Book-buying has become a similar journey of trepidation. Oh, so this author put out another book? Did he put any thought or research into it, considering he just put out a book three months ago???

Enter into this Christian media mass-production C.J. Mahaney and his little book The Cross Centered Life. As far as I've been able to research, it's his first book. And it is a fantastic voyage into the gospel, our hangups about salvation and sanctification, and living a life centered firmly in the gospel. I bought six copies for my friends and begged them to read it.

Mahaney's book is simple, yet incredibly profound in its implications. It goes beyond "four points" or alliteration that most Christian authors try to force in order to make their point and not the Bible's. He addresses the subjectivity of our feelings with regard to salvation. Who hasn't sinned and then felt like maybe they weren't saved? Mahaney does a great job with this, and I am very grateful for the truth he presents so skillfully.

I hope C.J. Mahaney writes more books about the gospel. His book was a refreshing read in a sea of recycled ideas and questionable opinions.

Sometimes as we get wrapped up in the latest movement, the new "fresh word", our spiritual gifts, and our denominational doctrines, we tend to forget the most important thing, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead for our sins. This is the only thing that has the power to save us. Every now and then I love to just revisit and be reminded of the core priniciples of my faith. This book does that, and it has made the simple but powerful gospel more relevant to my everyday life.

I have had the mixed blessing of reading several of the titles in the LifeChange series. Some have been good, some have been awful. But I guess that is to be expected when the authors represented range from C.J. Mahaney to Pat Robertson; from John Piper to Bill Gothard. Of the titles I have read, none has been better than The Cross Centered Life.

In his book The Discipline of Grace Jerry Bridges wrote, "The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the joy of living by it" (The Discipline of Grace, page 46). C.J. Mahaney would have us remember that sometimes the most obvious truths are the very ones we need to be reminded of the most. The Cross Centered Life is just such a reminder.

This is a small book, weighing in at a mere 89 pages. But its small stature is no indication of the weighty content inside. Throughout the book Mahaney calls the Christian to look only and always at the cross, and to find there the power to live a life that is pleasing to God. He reminds us of the great truths of the Christian faith: the truths of the objective nature of justification and the ongoing responsibility for our sanctification. He provides practical guidance on living each day so that it is centered on the cross. He tells us to memorize the gospel, to pray it, sing it, to review its power in our lives and to study it, that our understanding may foster greater passion for it.

Mahaney's love for the cross shines through on each page. His passion is contagious, leading the reader to rejoice in the completed work of the Savior and to depend on His power in every area of life. "Name the area of the Christian life that you want to learn about or that you want to grow in. The Old Testament? The end times? Do you want to grow in holiness or the practice of prayer? To become a better husband, wife, or parent? None of these can be rightly understood apart from God's grace through Jesus' death. They, and indeed all topics, should be studied through the lens of the gospel" (page 76).

A book that seems poised, and rightly so, to become a defining point in Mahaney's ministry, The Cross Centered Life is a wonderful, challenging little book that I am glad to recommend. It will do exactly what Mahaney wanted it to do: help you keep the gospel the main thing.

The Gospel: it's not just for breakfast anymore. I used to think that the message of the Cross was something that we gave to unbelievers, then we moved on to more mature things. However, I thought that, ironically enough, when I was immature.

Since then, I've learned of the sanctifying, purifying, humbling truth of the Gospel in a believer's life from the moment of regeneration throughout eternity. We will never stop praising God for the Cross of Jesus Christ! Why do you think that Christ exhibited the scars in his *glorified* body? Because those scars are glorious reminders of the incredible love of God shown us in Jesus.

That's what this book is about-- the Gospel. If you know anything about CJ Mahaney, his life and ministry, you know that he's all about "keeping the main thing the main thing." And the main thing is The Cross. We can never move on from the marvelous place of grace that is Calvary.

I love this book. My wife and I went through it together, and we've obtained several more copies through the generosity of Sovereign Grace Ministries at their conferences. I want to come back to this little, powerful book again and again. Very deep, and very practical.