Yesterday was Earth Day. It seems all the world is now bowing before the god of “environmentalism” and worshipping the creature more than the Creator. PBS this week had several programs explaining that the greatest crisis facing humanity is the environmental destruction of the earth. A sincere seeker of truth has only to pick up a Bible and read the first seven chapters of the book of Romans to truly see the greatest crisis facing humanity.
However, rather than throw my hat in the ring of public debate on global warming, carbon emissions, green initiatives, alternative energy, and the like I would rather address the extreme views that some Christians hold that since the earth is going to burn up in a fervent heat anyway (2 Pet. 3:10,12) we might as well pillage the land and make the most of it for human consumption. I believe this view ignores the responsibility given to us by God to be good stewards of His creation.
I am an unashamed nature-lover that cares for the environment. I’m certainly not against industrial advancements but it shouldn’t be at the expense of clean air, water, and land, etc. Traveling on deputation has given us opportunity to enjoy God’s creation and praise Him for His handiwork. We’ve romped through forests, enjoyed walks along beaches on both coasts, sat in wonder as we watched the sunset in the desert, and breathed clean mountain air while taking in the beautiful vistas from such elevated heights. We’re told in Revelation 4:11 that all things were created by God for His pleasure, not mankind’s unrestrained use.
Dr. Jeff Adams, pastor of Kansas City Baptist Temple, enumerated some good principles regarding our God-given natural resources in his blog from Earth Day of last year…
The earth belongs to God (Psalm 24:1; 89:11; 1Corinthians 10:26).
God’s creation has been terribly twisted by sin and is presently “groaning” awaiting the fullness of redemption at the establishment of God’s Kingdom upon the appearing of our risen Savior (Romans 8:19-25).
God’s original commission to man was to have dominion over creation as a responsible steward (Genesis 1:28). It would seem logical that even in our fallen condition we would have some responsibility to exercise stewardship over God’s earth, especially those of us who claim to have eternal life.
The redemption realized through the finished work of Jesus Christ includes more than our souls; it includes all creation (Colossians 1:19-20).
We are still expected to be faithful stewards (1Corinthians 4:2) of anything and everything that belongs to God – our time, our talent, our treasure, our natural resources.
“The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Psalm 24:1
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