There’s a movement today toward going green. It says our environment is polluted and we need to preserve the earth for future generations. We all need to make a concerted effort to avoid blatant consumerism that would jeopardize our planet’s health. We need to take practical steps to recycle and be careful about wasting energy, so we can help renew the earth. Should Christians be concerned about such environmental matters? Is ecology the new theology that fails to take into account the Creation story? What does the Bible say about going green?
Reading the first chapter of Genesis speaks of God creating the earth. He made it beautiful, so we could enjoy our surroundings and He made it productive, so we could gain sustenance from it. He took six days to create the world and when all was finished it says: (Gen 1:31) Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good . . .
But then the fall came, and man became selfish. Instead of just using the environment mankind began to abuse it. It finally began to catch up with us beginning with the Industrial Revolution and accelerating to our current day. When God gives us a gift we are supposed to take care of it. (1 Cor 4:2) Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. Like taking care of your body . . . your house . . . your car. (Luke 12:48) . . . For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. It’s our way of being grateful for the gifts we have received.
Mankind will be held accountable for misusing any divine gift. It says in Revelation 11:18 that God will destroy those who destroy the earth. Jesus taught . . . (Mat 25:29) 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. Remember not taking care of our things growing up and how our parents had to teach us a lesson by taking them away?
So yes, we should do our part in conservation and help keep our planet green. But let’s not make ecology the new theology. We worship Father Creator . . . not mother nature!! (Rom 1:25) . . . and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator . . . God sent His Son down to earth to solve the issues of the fall. And the top issue is to be reconnected to our Creator by the work that Jesus did on the cross for our sins. I guess I could explain it like this:
GREEN . . . God created the earth and placed man on it for fellowship with Him. BLACK . . . Man chose to rebel against God and introduced sin into the universe. RED . . . Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins. WHITE . . . Now our sins can be as white as snow!
Will our world last forever? No, but don’t be sad because the Bible says . . . we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Pet 3:13)
Louie