Living the Cross Centered Life

Book Review: C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life

Reviewed by: Mike Walters

There is no question about what the “main thing” in CJ Mahaney’s life is. It is the cross. The gospel of Jesus Christ crucified for the salvation of sinners.

CJ Mahaney is relentless in his focus on the cross. This book will encourage you to be as well. In a fast moving, direct, but gracious style CJ will take you into the heart of the mystery of Calvary. He will remind you of the horror of sin, the justice of God, and the suffering of Jesus as your substitute. His chapters on Gethsemane and Calvary present truths we are often too familiar with in an unforgettable way. As I read this book, I was continually impacted by the horror of my own sin and the tremendous love of God as expressed in the death and resurrection of Jesus on my behalf.

CJ performs another valuable service to us all in teaching us to deal with the temptations of subjectivism, legalism and condemnation. He also gives sound advice on how to construct a cross-centered day and ultimately a cross-centered life. I encourage you to pay particular attention to Chapters 2, 11, 12 and 13 if you struggle with emotions, performance, or guilt. God wants you to experience freedom and joy in Christ and CJ will help guide you through the Scriptures to find them.

As you can probably guess, I highly recommend reading this book. It is short and easy to read. But, it contains truth that will radically impact your relationship with God and understanding of the gospel. You should know that this book combines two older books:

Christ our Mediator and The Cross Centered Life, but if you don’t have them, I would recommend getting this one.

You may purchase the book by clicking here Living the Cross Centered Life