In the book called THE CROSS – God’s Way of Salvation, written by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, I am not only reading right at the beginning about the centre and the heart of the message of the Apostles, but also about the imitation of the Lord Jesus Christ, his teaching (Sermon on the mount, ethical teaching) and his example.

I am especially interested in the imitation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because not long ago I bought the book called The imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis second-hand here at the Salvation Army store in Kaitaia for a Dollar and I thought it would be good to add the book to my small library. I have not read it yet. (The Penguin Classics)

The book reminds me also of the verse in the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul says in First Corinthians 11:1, “FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE, AS I FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST.”

But what is now the centre of the Christian message? What is the heart of the Christian message?

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out that the Christian message is not primarily the teaching, example and imitation of Christ, but the PREACHING OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST, the death upon the cross of the Lord. And of course the meaning of it all.