What is a Christ-centred life?

Had a really interesting conversation today that's got me thinking about the church and the state of discipleship in the 21st century. I think the first thing I'd want to say is that I'm not so sure that discipleship was any better in previous generations than it is now. People may have read their Bibles more often, they may have understood intercessory prayer more deeply and they may have demonstrated greater commitment through greater attendance. But were they any more Christ-centred?

I'm not so sure. I've had my fair share of conversations with Christians from previous generations who know a lot, but apply very little.  The key is not to mistake knowledge for Christ-centred living.

So what is a Christ-centred life? Answers on a postcard to... The problem is that as we try to define it, we will inevitably define in terms of what fits for us. But let's run the risk, and try to offer at least some sort of framework.

I think a Christ-centred life has to be built on a firm foundation of a solid understanding of the core beliefs, values and practices of following Jesus. In other words, it has to have a foundation of sound doctrine. Now how you define sound doctrine is yet another thorny question, but the basics have to be place and I suspect that under the banner of evangelical, the foundational stuff is not that difficult to define.

But knowledge is not the end of the story. 

I preached recently about Jesus as the New Passover (John 6) and made the point that the Passover only works for those who participate, and so you must participate in Christ (the whole point of the eat my body, drink my blood metaphor) in order to receive the benefit of being in Christ. So we must add to our knowledge some experience. Experience without knowledge leads us down a dangerous path of doing what feels right to us without any checks and balances. But without experience, knowledge dessicates the soul.

Perhaps then, a Christ-centred life needs to be an active life, actively pursuing the goal of becoming more like Christ in action and in word. It's an incarnational life. Maybe we ought also to describe it as a purposeful life that honours God, is being transformed into the image of Jesus, involved in mission and ministry and part of the family.

The importance of answering this question is not just in order that we might better follow Christ, although that is clearly very important, but more a matter of fulfilling Christ's purposes for the church. If he has chosen to reach the world through the church, then this will only happen through people who are no longer centred on themselves but who are fully centred on Christ. People who are determined to live for his glory not just sing about it.