If you watch TV at all, you may have noticed that there are a couple of things that have recently moved to the forefront of people's minds: the environment and the end of the world. I don't think it's possible to be breathing and not to be well aware of the global warming debate - is it true or isn't it; is it as bad as they say or isn't it? And "end of the world "(or at least mankind) movies seem to be popping up everywhere from Hollywood to made for TV. So after a little nudge from the message I heard at my church this morning (entitled "The Majesty and Splendor of God; 8/9/09) http://www.lincolnberean.org/resources/sermons/ ) I decided maybe a post about the environment and our God-given role in it might be appropriate.There seem to be tw
o extremes when it comes to the environment and our responsibilities towards it: 1) Humans are destroying it and are going to be the instruments of our own demise if we don't get it together and turn things around, and 2) God is going to destroy it all in the end anyway, so what's the problem? Why worry ourselves about it?
o extremes when it comes to the environment and our responsibilities towards it: 1) Humans are destroying it and are going to be the instruments of our own demise if we don't get it together and turn things around, and 2) God is going to destroy it all in the end anyway, so what's the problem? Why worry ourselves about it? Neither of these extremes is a good biblical response to environmental concerns.
As m
y church's pastor pointed out in his message this morning, the first extreme is wrong because it requires a small view of God - a view that says WE can actually destroy what God is sustaining. This is God's world. He created it. He set it in motion. We cannot stop it. It is arrogant of us to think we can. That is NOT to say we should not be responsible for caring for our world. God entrusted it to us and gave us dominion over it and everything in it...He expects and requires us to be good stewards of our planet- to take good care of it.
y church's pastor pointed out in his message this morning, the first extreme is wrong because it requires a small view of God - a view that says WE can actually destroy what God is sustaining. This is God's world. He created it. He set it in motion. We cannot stop it. It is arrogant of us to think we can. That is NOT to say we should not be responsible for caring for our world. God entrusted it to us and gave us dominion over it and everything in it...He expects and requires us to be good stewards of our planet- to take good care of it. 
There are lots of ways we can do this. My family recycles. We collect pop cans and give them to our school for the teachers to turn in for extra classroom money. This helps the environment and our school in a small way at the same time. Perhaps a program like this would benefit your school (or the school your kids attend). We also use a city recycling program for other recycleables we have. Some people help care for our world by being involved in beautification programs or animal rescue programs. Many try to be more "green" by driving more fuel efficient vehicles and energy efficient appliances. These and many other examples are great ways to care for the world God has given us. What's important to remember, though, is that we are not saving the world for our own sakes and our own glory. We are taking care of it for God's glory and because as Christians, we are given the mission of bringing a little bit of God's Kingdom to earth until the day He brings it in full.
The other extreme of not taking care of our environment because God will destroy it one day anyway is not only selfish but unbiblical. God created the earth and said it was good. The only reason He would have to destroy it is if evil had so corrupted it that God could no longer do anything with it, and that would mean evil had won; God has to scrap the whole project and start over. But we know that's not the case. Instead God will redeem, or restore the earth back to the way He always intended it to be. Acts 3:21 teaches that Christ "must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." (emphasis mine)
There you have it. God will not destroy the earth and start from scratch, He will redeem it and make it the paradise He has always intended it to be. So the Christian respon
se to environmental concerns is to be good stewards by doing what we can to care for our earth. We don't do this because we're going to destroy the earth if we don't. God created it and He can run it in spite of us, thank you very much! But that's not how He wants it. He wants us to have a part in caring for His creation. Many believe that everything we have done on this earth for God and His glory will remain after God redeems the earth. What a privilege!!
se to environmental concerns is to be good stewards by doing what we can to care for our earth. We don't do this because we're going to destroy the earth if we don't. God created it and He can run it in spite of us, thank you very much! But that's not how He wants it. He wants us to have a part in caring for His creation. Many believe that everything we have done on this earth for God and His glory will remain after God redeems the earth. What a privilege!! So take care of our planet any way you can. It's God's gift to us and it will be our eternal home in its redeemed form with all its majesty and splendor bringing Him glory forever!
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