THE VOICES OF GOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 291, 9 December 1933, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE VOICES OF GOD.

LIFE'S OBJECT AND PURPOSE? The following are notes of a recent sermon by Dr. Winnington-Ingram, Bishop of London:— If you turn from those -who think they have a caso against God having p[token in Nature, to the naturalist, to tho one who really knows what goes on in Nature, ho will tell you that the animal creation is a happy one. The rabbit in. the field, the bird in the air, iiro perfectly happy; they are unconscious of the coming of death, and they enjoy their brief existence to the end.

Think of the regularity with which the seasons come round. It is God who sends the bright sunshine to cheer us. It was He who placed this little earth of ours near enough to the sun to be warmed, and yet not too near to be scorched. When the soft breezes and ilie bright sunshine played their part in bringing back to me health and healing, I was right in believing that these gifts were from God. What about the happiness of life? Who-was it who thought out the great idea of the family—father and mother, brothers and sisters? Who was it who planned the friendships of life? There is only one answer, God did. I feel strongly, and more than ever to-day, how guilty we are of ingratitude 'in regard to these ordinary blessings of life. Wβ so often just take them for granted, and never say "Thank vou" to God.

Working of Conscience. More people are persuaded to believe in God becauso of the existence of conscience than in any other way. ' Men have tried to explain away conscience. I remember when I was at Oxford one writer said conscience was due to the association of certain acts with punishment through the long centuries that made the human race think that certain things were wrong. Slavery was abolished years ago, but those who owned llio slaves would have continued in the traffic if they had had their way; it was the people outside whose consciences would not allow it to continue, and who forced themselves' against it. Conscience is a thing you cannot explain away. Conscience is a very uncomfortable thing to have inside you; it will not be eilenced too easily. Conscience is the voice of God in the soul of man; and that is the best definition of conscience that I know. I have no knowledge whether you are obeying your conscience or not, but I know that something may be saying to you this morning: "That friendship is wrong." "Your temper is upsetting your home life." '•You ought to do this." My dear people, always remember that conscience is the voice of God speaking to you. Of all the verses in the Bible, this is one of the most stately and beautiful: "God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son."

God did not leave His people without witness in those early days; He spoke tli rough the conscience and through the message of the prophets. But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son. Is the Incarnation more credible, or less credible than it was 50 years ago? I say, without doubt, it w more credible. What is the purpose and object of life? God must have a purpose, and there is no purpose you can think of except this, that He might have someone whom He could love, and someone who could love Him.

Glory of Incarnation. But how could man love God if he had never seen Him? How could man believe that God loved him at all if He had stood on /the hills careless of mankind? Therefore, to my mind the Incarnation is not only more glorious, but more credible to-day. God appeared in the Person of His Son. If that is true, then every word the Son of God eaid the mighty God must have spoken. What an impressive thought that is! -He certainly did say that God is love. It may be difficult to believe that when one thinks of all the terrible things that arc. happening in the world to-day, yet behind all these happenings God is ruling, and all things are working together for good to those that love love God. What science calls the unii'ormity of Nature, faith calls the fidelity of God.

There is another life after death. It is , an immense comfort to me to be able to tell bereaved people that. That w.'i-s one of the truths Christ came to proclaim. "In My Father's house are many mansions," He said. "He that bclieveth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." We have-got some absolute certainties because God has spoken through His Son. He speaks 'also to us through His Holy Spirit.' I .am perfectly sure He has spoken to you by His Spirit. I feel sure He has spoken to me by His Spirit, for I am just an ordinary person among you. The Holy Spirit takes of the things of -Christ, and shows them to us. He cries: "Abba, Father" in pur hearts. Let us take these four messages. Let us obey Him., Let us take home this Gospel to our hearts, this Gospel that I would call Good News from God.