Inform Your Conscience 4 – Environment considers how a Christian should respond to some of the questions raised in the political debate. Are there too many people in the world? Are we smothering the planet with people? Is the earth our mother? What about global warming? Will the world end in just a few years because we’ve miss managed the environment?
Let’s consider over population to start. Are there too many people in the world? Our God did tell Adam and Eve to “fill the world” in the garden of Eden. The earth is not full yet. THIS article has an interesting comment on over population. There is plenty of room on the planet.
That same article is a little more alarmist on the topic of climate change. There are endless resources on the topic of the climate change – both sides? Every side! How much, who’s to blame, how do we fix it (if it even needs fixing). It is important to remember that our God is the one who created and controls all things for the good of his church. He promised Noah after the flood that seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter will not cease until he ends the world. That means that the Christian does not believe all the doomsday scenarios about the planet in regards to global warming or anything else in the environment. God won’t let that happen.
At the same time God gave Adam and Eve the charge to take care of the planet. We are stewards of all of God’s gifts to us. Responsible stewardship isn’t destructive and yet at the same time embraces the resources that God has left for us here. That puts us often on the same side as many environmentalists, but for different reasons. Have you ever heard this planet called Mother Earth? I suppose that this could be a benign comment about the planet we call home. However for many people it betrays and animism and worship of the creation. Christians want no part in the worship of creation, just good stewardship.
An incredible resource for the topic of the environment in the light of God’s word is a paper from our church body’s seminary essay file found HERE.
Please click HERE for the Bible class slides.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s study for election year 2024 Inform Your Conscience 4 – Environment.