Meath Kevin - The cross centered life

THE CROSS CENTERED LIFE
published by Multnomah Books

2002 by Sovereign Grace Ministries

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from:
The Holy Bible, New International Version 1973, 1984 by International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House

Other Scripture quotations: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ( ESV ) 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

M ULTNOMAH and its mountain colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mahaney, C. J.
The cross-centered life / by C.J. Mahaney with Kevin Meath.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-56472-6
1. Christian life. I. Meath, Kevin. II. Title.
BV4501.3 .M24 2002
248.4dc21 2002007724

v3.1

To Carolyn

Apart from the Savior,
Ive received no greater gift from God than your love.
Behold, you are beautiful, my love,
behold, you are beautiful!
You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride.

S ONG OF S OLOMON 4:1, 9 (ESV)

TIMOTHYS HANDS TREMBLED as he read. He almost cradled the letter, as though his gentleness with the parchment would somehow be conveyed to its author, now chained in a cold Roman dungeon.

The letter came from the apostle Paul; it would be his last.

For years Timothy had pushed the thought of losing Paul out of his mind. Paul had been like a father. A friend and mentor who guided and instructed the young pastor. How could he minister without Pauls reassuring words, his confidence, his prayers? But now, Timothy knew Pauls death was imminent.

I am already being poured out like a drink offering, Paul wrote, and the time has come for my departure (2 Timothy 4:6).

Timothy read the closing lines of the letter through his tears. But then he stopped and pushed them away abruptly. How could he wallow in grief when his old friend faced death so boldly?

He could almost hear the voice of Paul through the words on the page: Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship discharge all the duties of your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

Now Timothy began to read the letter again. He read slowly, deliberately. His eyes bored into each word, each sentence. In the closing moments of Pauls life, would God give him a flash of insight that he would pass on to Timothy? Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, a man who had been swept up into heaven itself (see 2 Corinthians 12:24). What special insight, like a long forgotten key, would he now reveal?

As Timothy read, heart pounding, the truththe keyhit him with piercing clarity. He saw more clearly than ever what Paul had given his life toand for which Timothy, too, would spend himself.

The message of Pauls final letter revealed no new truth, no hidden knowledge, just one truth he had given his life to spread. The good news. The news of the cross.

And now the letter, which at first reading had been to Timothy the obituary of his dearest friend, became a joy-filled, bold restatement of all Paul had lived for, and all he would soon die for.

Of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed (2 Timothy 1:1112).

The words seemed to shout from the page: What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:13).

Timothy could almost see Pauls fiery eyes blazing into his own, feel his gnarled fingers gripping his arm. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to youguard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us (2 Timothy 1:14).

You dont need a new truth, he heard his old friend saying. Guard the one truth. Keep the one message.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel (2 Timothy 2:8).

The apostle Paul recognized the universal danger of forgetting what is most important. He refused to be pulled away from the gospel.

The cross was the centerpiece of Pauls theology. It wasnt merely one of Pauls messages; it was the message. He taught about other things as well, but whatever he taught was always derived from, and related to, the foundational reality that Jesus Christ died so that sinners would be reconciled to God and forgiven by God