At The Cross

What's defines me? I've been asking myself this question a lot lately. More than that realizing what doesn't define me. All my life I thought I had this real grip on the gospel and all that it is.....but lately I am realizing just how little I've really understood it down to the depths of my soul. I love Jesus, love him so much and I really seek to glorify Him with my life. But, the gospel...the gospel has been changing me. As I've struggled with sin issues and really been asking God to help "kill" those things in me, something in my soul has shifted. I've gone from beating myself up over sin, to seeing my Lord step into the gap every time and remind me, "Child, I died for that." I am so affected by His great sacrifice....more than I ever have been in my 28 years. His perfect love, taking on the wrath of God....so that I might live in eternity. One day, all who believe in Christ will stand before the throne and hear "this one's mine." Can you even try to wrap your mind around that without tears streaming down your face? It's only by His sacrifice and not by my deeds or faith, or rather lack there of.

Isaiah 51:17 talks about the "cup of wrath" that God was giving to his own Son, referring to it as the "cup of staggering."

In his book "The Cross Centered Life", CJ Mahaney discusses the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane.

"Listen again to the precious and powerful words we hear Him repeat to His Father:

'Not my will, but your will.'

Jesus is saying, 'Father, I willingly drink this cup by your command---I'll drink it all.'

And He will. He'll drink all of it, leaving not a drop. Not only will He leave nothing in that cup of wrath for us to drink....but today you and I will find ourselves with another cup in our hands. It's the cup of salvation. From this precious new cup we find ourselves drinking and drinking--drinking consistently, drinking endlessly, drinking eternally...for the cup of salvation is always full and overflowing. We can drink from this cup only because Jesus spoke those words about the other cup: 'Yet not what I will, but what you will.'

I will drink it all."

Oh what love my friends. It is the cross which defines me, defines you. The gospel. It is Christ.