Gospel-centred life

Principle: The cross is the foundation and pattern of my life.

Consider this

'Gloomy Mondays.’ That’s what his wife called them. When Dave’s sermon had gone well he was still on a high the following morning. But when it hadn’t… that was a gloomy Monday.

Kate was bitter. She’d always done her best. Always served in the church. Always avoided unbelieving boyfriends. But still God hadn’t provided her with a husband. He hadn’t kept His side of the bargain. In truth, she was angry with God.

* What would you say to Dave and Kate?

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Suppose a new Christian asks you how much they should give to the church. How would you answer? ‘Ten percent because that’s what they did in the Old Testament’? This is what Paul said: ‘You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich’ (2 Corinthians 8.9). There’s the measure and the motive of our giving: the gift of Jesus.

Looking to the cross for our model

Everywhere we look in the New Testament, the cross is both the motive and the measure of our conduct. The cross is to shape our attitude to other Christians (Romans 15.7; Philippians 2.3-8), the opinion of unbelievers (Galatians 6.14), and opposition (1 Peter 4.12-14). It is to shape our approach to leadership (Mark 10.42-45) and marriage (Ephesians 5.25). It all goes back to the call of Jesus: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9.23). The sacrificial love, self-denial and service that we see in the cross are to shape our daily lives.

It’s a hard ask. It’s self-denial. But Jesus says this is how you truly gain life (Mark 8.34-38). The way of the cross is the way of blessing (John 13.17). After all, it’s the way of my Saviour.

Looking to the cross for our acceptance

The cross is our model, but it’s so much more than our model. It’s our hope, our salvation, our acceptance, our life. The path of the cross will crush you if you don’t also embrace the pardon of the cross. That’s why we need constantly to return to the cross to rediscover acceptance, pardon, forgiveness and grace. That’s why Jesus gave us the bread and wine.

In Romans 8.1 Paul says: ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. Our sins condemn us (Romans 1-3). There’s no denying it. But now there is no condemnation because Jesus Christ has redeemed us from sin and justified us before God (Romans 3.21-26). ‘For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man’ (Romans 8.3). There is condemnation. God doesn’t just sweep my sin under the carpet and pretend it’s not there. God has condemned my sin. But he condemned my sin on the cross. Jesus, the sinless one, became like a sinful one because he took my sin. He died my death. He paid my penalty.

There is condemnation for Christ Jesus. But as a result ‘there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’.

Many of us know this in our heads, but still our hearts urge us to prove ourselves. We can act as if we have a contract with God: he’ll bless us if we serve him. We’re not God’s employees. We’re God’s sons and daughters. Yes, we do serve God. But we don’t serve God to win his blessing. It’s the other way round: we’re saved so we can serve him (Ephesians 2.8-10). By grace we begin a relationship with our beautiful, glorious, loving heavenly Father. And as that happens, serving him becomes its own reward.

Biblical background: read Romans 8.28-39.

Questions for reflection

How are you following the way of the cross in the ordinary stuff of life? When the washing up needs doing at home? When the chairs need putting away at church? When someone needs a visit and you’re tired after a day’s work and it’s raining outside?

The Gospel-centred Life is published at £3.00 by The Good Book Company: http://www.thegoodbook.co.uk

Sixth of a series of extracts