Unbreakable Joy: Christ-Centeredness

Showing posts with label Christ-Centeredness. Show all posts

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Appropriate Obsession

A great many obsessions permeate our world. People obsessed with one thing are usually fairly easy to spot. These are people who orchestrate their lives around one central theme or event. Olympians are obsessed with the pursuit of gold. Professional sports figures with their particular sport and the related work outs. Some are obsessed with financial gain and center their lives around money and endeavors to gain more. Some cannot get enough of learning, some cannot get enough of shopping, for some its a hobby, for others it is relationships, and the list could continue. The bottom line is this, we are a people easily obsessed.

Could it be, however, that there is an appropriate obsession? Paul, the author of the of numerous books in the New Testament, would no doubt say yes. His writings regularly demonstrate his obsession but especially so in his letter to the Ephesians. A friend of mine recently pointed this out to me, but consider Paul's obsession in the first chapter of Ephesians (though this continues throughout the book): 45 times in the 23 verses of the first chapter Paul either mentions Jesus Christ specifically or refers directly to him (ie. He, Him, His).

A Christ-centered letter from a Christ-centered man to a people who are to be likewise Christ-centered.

What's your obsession?

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Christ-Centeredness

Christ is the central figure and the central focus of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. He ought also to be the central figure and the central focus of our lives. To live otherwise and to call oneself a Christian is to be a living contradiction.

John the Baptist said it well, (John 3:30) "He must increase but I must decrease."

He must become increasingly more central in every area of my life, but I must become increasingly more peripheral in every area of my life.

Christ-Centeredness in life causes us to behold the glory of Christ, and in so doing to be changed into His likeness in ever-increasing degrees of glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Christ-Centeredness in marriage enables husbands to love their wives as Christ has loved the church, and enables wives to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22-26)

Christ-Centeredness in relationships enables us to love each other as Christ has loved us. (John 13:34)

Christ-Centeredness in the workplace enables us to do everything in the name of the Lord. (Colossians 3:17)

Christ-Centeredness in joy enables us to be completely filled with the very joy of Christ Himself, and in so doing to become increasingly freed from the poisonous pleasures of this world. (John 15:11)

Christ-Centeredness = Unbreakable Joy (Psalm 73:25, 27:4, 1 Peter 1:8-9)

Noteworthy Quotes

Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly so worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.
- George Mueller

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
- C.S. Lewis

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, a spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
- A. W. Tozer

Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.
- Augustine

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
- Blaise Pascal

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C. S. Lewis

He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.
- Augustine

The men of this world are children. Offer a child an apple or a bank note, and he will doubtless choose the apple.
- John Newton

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience.
- John Piper

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Him, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
- C.S. Lewis

It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the Godly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.
- A.W. Tozer

If God contains the fullness of all good things in Himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness.
- John Calvin

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- John Piper

God glorifies Himself toward the creature in two ways; by appearing to their understanding, and in communicating Himself to thief hearts and their rejoicing in and delighting in Him, and enjoying manifestations He makes of Himself. God is Glorified not only by His glories being seen, but by it’s being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that he might communicate and the creature receive His glory, and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies His idea of God’s glory doesn’t glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
- Jonathan Edwards