The Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen has urged Christians to use their freedom to serve God and turn away from self-centred behaviour such as smoking and drinking.
In a talk given to over 200 Ministry Training Strategy (MTS) trainers and trainees at an MTS Training Day yesterday, Dean Jensen warned against Christians using their freedom in Christ as an excuse to sin.
"Because we are sinful, when we hear of Christian freedom, our sinfulness rises up," he says.
"We become tempted within ourselves to use our freedom for self-centred behaviour."
Speaking from 1 Corinthians chapter 8-10, Dean Jensen says the Bible's teaching on Christian freedom is quite different to what some Christians practice.
"Most people talk about freedom from the law as an excuse to do anything and it becomes a freedom to licentiousness," he says.
"But we should be giving up things to reach others. Paul's rights are about self-restriction. In 1 Corinthians Paul says, "I enslave my body'.
"Paul uses his freedom for self restriction and sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ used his freedom to go to the cross," Dean Jensen says.
Dean Jensen says Christians mustn't use this passage to rationalise self-centredness as "the passage is actually teaching the exact opposite'.
"You can't really say, I want to evangelise the millionaire yacht owning community, so I will work to buy an expensive yacht," he says.
Encouraging Growth
Dean Jensen says he is encouraged by the large turnout of MTS trainers and trainees to the first of four MTS training days to be held this year.
"The health and growth of Christianity in Sydney is terrific and you see it nowhere more than when people are willing to put their hands up for Christian leadership," he says.
Dean Jensen says he sees no sign of this growth slowing down.
"Every time you get a chance to see growth like at the ordination a couple of weeks ago or at this meeting today, it fills you with encouragement, pleasure and excitement about what the future holds."
Dean Jensen was referring to the largest Anglican ordination in Sydney’s history, which was held earlier this month. Forty-seven people were ordained at St Andrew’s Cathedral.
