Climate Change

Primarily we need to honour our Creator, the One who made and sustains every living biosphere

dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com

‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?’ God questioned Job (Job 38:4). Yet man’s arrogance persists.

Climate change and its effects are currently high on the political agenda. Many organisations signed up to the Climate Coalition in an attempt to effectively lobby COP26 delegates. Amongst them are various Christian groups and church denominations. Apparently the generally accepted view by Christians seems to conform to that portrayed by the media; namely that human activity is causing global temperatures to rise, and that the planet is doomed unless we humans reduce our exploitation of natural resources. The assumption is that a global problem caused by humans can therefore be solved by human action. If you hold to humanist or animist philosophy then post COP26 you will be either depressed or frustrated. The oft mentioned ‘hope’ in this context is of the wishful and wistful order. Furthermore some of the solutions proposed, should they be carried through, could be more damaging to impoverished communities than the degree or so rise in temperature. Worse still the urgent measures called for could become yet another tool for wielding power and subjugating populations. However, let us turn from conspiracy theory and media hype to a more secure information source – the Bible.

Jesus warned of the increase in wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions – ‘great distress upon the earth’ (Luke 21:23).  In the gospels (Matthew 24, Luke 21) and in Revelation (6-18) we are clearly told in the words of Jesus that there is cosmic trouble on the horizon.  Scripture is also explicit that the world as we know it will one day end, not by the hand of man but at the command of God himself (2 Peter 3).  According to Peter the end of the world is not a bad thing because we expect God to replace the old with new heavens and a new earth where everything will finally be made right (2 Peter 3:13).

Does this mean we don’t care if the earth becomes polluted? Of course not. From the beginning we were made stewards of God’s wonderful creation, ‘to work it and keep it’ (Genesis 2:15). And after all God ‘will destroy the destroyers of the earth.’ (Revelation 11:18) Genuine hope is fixed on Jesus’ return and His reign, while daily working out our responsibilities to care for and to nurture both people and planet.

Here is today’s question: what are the reasons for global warming, with its consequent carbon release, ice melt, floods, fires, famines and damage to ecosystems and life cycles? Activists would have us ‘follow the science’, deifying science along with ‘mother’ earth, idols which have proved as fickle as any other false gods worshipped through the ages. No, these unfolding disasters are just symptoms of a deeper driver. The monumental problem is intrinsically moral rather than material.  

thewarehouse.blog

Isaiah 24 speaks of God’s judgement on the earth, and gives us the reason that ‘the world languishes and withers’ (v4). The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants because they have transgressed God’s laws, violated His statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant (v5). And so the earth is devoured by a curse and its inhabitants are suffering for our guilt. (v6).  So whilst it may be excellent and honourable to move towards renewable energy, to clean up our act on pollution, to protect our forests and to produce our food sustainably, primarily we need to honour our Creator, the One who made and sustains every living biosphere.  

In all of this it is we Christians who carry first responsibility. It is the believer who perceives God through the things that have been made (Romans 1:20) and can therefore pray for those misled into worshipping things created rather than the Creator himself. May we be led by the Word of God, not panicked by the world’s agenda, but seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Author: John Plumb

May God bless and enrich your life

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and other