CMSSS Galatians Highlights
CATHEDRAL NEWSLETTER - 12 January 2024
Friends in Christ,
I'm jusst back from a wonderful CMS Summer School at Katoomba. There were over 20 Cathedral members in attendance. What an excellent way to start the year it was. Ed Loane, the Master of St Paul's College, at the University of Sydney, took us through the book of Galatians and his preaching was so edifying. I will try and give you the link to the sermons if and when they become available.
Here are several parts of Scripture that struck me from Galatians... Three times in one verse, Paul states the principle that we are saved by faith in Christ, not by works!
‘We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Gal 2:15-16)
This does not mean we are lawless! Rather, our freedom in Christ (from the law's condemnation) is freedom to serve others in love...
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ (Gal 5:14)
Ed's final part of his final sermon really majored on this critical concluding summary verse of Galatians, which helps us with idolatry, pride, and the ever-present temptation to be comparing yourself to others.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal 6:14)
Each day we were encouraged that - having heard God's word read and preached - it is always wise to reflect on how to respond. One day we were challeged to write a brief note to ourselves to read in a year's time. Mine was along the lines of this:
Always tell others the truth, especially about the gospel, whether or not it is popular or acceptable with others.
A personal highlight was having 15 Cathedral guests cram into the cottage we were staying in to meet Gillian Akers, our new CMS Associate Link Missionary. I've already shared that Gillian was our Cathedral Chapter secretary for a year or so.
But something we discovered is that her Cathedral link goes back to her Confirmation some decades ago as a teenager. She had belatedly memorised her catechism so missed the local Confirmation and instead came to the Cathedral for it. Then while she was waiting on the day of the service itself, she read the program and realised that she better actually mean it when she said she was trusting Christ and promising to follow him for the rest of her life. So Gillian actually became a Christian at the Cathedral just prior to her confirmation!
Now she is going to serve as a volunteer in a local church in France, as a self-funded retiree missionary associate! You can see and hear her explain it here in less than three minutes!
Warmly in Christ
Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney