UK Summer Retreat 2018 Concludes Focusing On God’s Amazing Love

London Summer Retreat 2018 took place in August and saw many attendees travel from far to attend, with UK churchgoers being blessed with the chance to unite with church members from Croatia, Sweden, Portugal, Czech Republic, India, South Korea and the USA.

The UK Summer Retreat took place over two days and saw dozens gather to study the first three chapters of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Attendees were able to learn about context in which the letter was written and the relevance of the book of Romans throughout church history in finding and affirming the orthodox truth, and saving faith in times where the church had gone astray and become weak and corrupted. Those gathered were challenged not to be ashamed of the gospel that is the power of salvation for everyone who believes.

The retreat also featured a beautiful performance from Emmanuel Church’s children’s choir, who delivered a beautiful version of ‘A Heart of Worship’.

Attendees were able to meditate on Apostle Paul’s exhortations that we must realise first that we are all sinners; that there is not one who can go before God and call himself righteous by their own deeds. Apostle Paul described man being under the “curse of the law” – only being able to come to know sin through the law, but never being able to overcome or wash away those sins with the law or by our own efforts or deeds.

However, through Jesus Christ, and the cross of love, there is now a new righteousness that has appeared. It is something that has come only by grace, and can be received only by faith, and is available to all mankind, no matter our past deeds or sins.

Realising and accepting this unconditional love that was revealed by God giving his one and only son for us is something that can only truly be accepted by faith. The illogical cross, which saw God trade His own son’s life for our dirty robes and sin, is not something that can be understood by any human means or knowledge. But can only be truly received when you realise this was the extent of God’s love for us, and was given to us not because of anything any of us have done, but only by grace.