“COMING WORLD RELIGION”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 183, 5 August 1933, Page 12

“COMING WORLD RELIGION”

SERMON AT ARAMOHO. Last Sunday evening in St. Lawrence ’s Church, Aramoho. Canon W. G. Williams continued his service of prophetical subjects on future and presentday happenings as foretold by the Scriptures. He based his sermon on ‘‘The Coming World Religion’ 1 as symbolised by the second beast seen by John and recorded in Revelation Chapter XIII, verse 11. The preacher reiterated his statements concerning the coming great federation of the United States of Europe, »n which the industry, trade, commerce, and finances of the world would be controlled by a council comprising the heads of the ten leading States. The council, he said, would be presided over by a world distator who would be aided in t his dominion by one great apostate anti-Christian religion which Mould embrace all creeds, sects and divisions of men. “As Nebuchadnezzar, the first world ruler of the ‘times of the Gentiles’ set up a great golden image, and commanded and enforced the worship of it upon ‘all peoples, nation-, and languages’ for the purpose of holding the allegiance of his subjects, so this coming world ruler, by a cruel and relentless tyranny, and fear of persecution—the great rod of discipline of all apostate religions—will enforce upon the adherents of this false religion the glorification of man. and his wonderful powers as expressed and taught in modern socialism, psychology, and theology,” said Canon Williams. “What a dazzling picture it will present, io those souls not enlightened by the Spirit of God. What a splendid achievement it will be of man’s power! How easily the masses bf apostate Christendom, will be deceived by the Satanic counterfeit with the ‘two horns like a lamb’ and which ‘spake as a dragon!’ “The deification of man will be an accomplished fact, and the human race will at last have reached the grand goal in its onward march of material and religious evolution and the gospel of salvation through the death of a crucified Jew will have been completely abandoned, as one of the childish beliefs of a half civilised age. Man from the earliest times has sought to satisfy half-conscious craving of the spiritual side of hig nature, by doing something to earn his righteousness with God. “In the Hindoo and Mohammedan, that craving has demanded his observance of set religious rites, practices, and ceremonies. In the average man of ti e world to-day it is the popular doctrine of believing that by living a decent life, and doing a good turn to others less fortunate, he will merit eternal salvation. “The general attitude of the natu’n] man is shown in pnmity towards God, as opposed to God’s method through the divinely appointed symbol of a life sacrificed for sin, in the first recorded religious service. Cain brought an offering ‘of the fruits of the ground,’ something he had been instrumental in growing himself. Abel brought the true offering, a life sacrificed for him. ‘By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.’ The distinction between the natural and spiritual man can be observed throughout Scripture, and when a man realises the futility of the first and thankfully accepts the second, he is born of the Spirit of God. and •we call it conversion. That was the gieat change that took place in the life of the religious pharisee, Saul of Tarsus, and turned him into Paul rhe Christian. ‘But what things were gam to me, those I counted loss for Christ.’ “The natural man has never had his soul illumined and renewed by the quickening power of the Spirit of GoJ and, consequent!v is unable to appreciate spiritual truth, and carry out the will of God. The spiritual man has been made a ‘new creation’ in Christ Jesus. He has a new grasp of spiritual things, and a new experience of what religion ig in the true church, born of *’oe Spirit, united by the Spirit, in the >ne body of Christ and united with Christ in the Heavenlv places. This Ts the simple message of salvation and redemption, through the death or Jesus Christ and is the only escape from all false religions, and counter leifs. ‘Unto them that look for Him, shall He appear the second time without sin, unto salvation.’ ’’