This week we look at ch.8 v.18-21 – In a world where the two major concerns seem to be suffering and the planet – Jesus gives us an astonishing answer. And the real reason to hope. What is the most important thing we can do for both ourselves and the planet.
‘This is the way to deal with climate change. All this creation is not waiting for humanity to come & save it. We can’t. But this creation is waiting for humanity to be saved… The most important thing that any Christian can ever do to save the planet is to tell the gospel…'”
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You can tell this is an issue that burns in your soul David.
It is so ironic how the world reacts to these real issues, but they do so without acknowledging the truth that actually makes them issues.
To quote CS Lewis, ‘My argument against God was that the universe seems cruel and unjust, but how had I got this idea or cruel and unjust. A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line…….’
There in lays the issue. Why does climate change matter? Why should we do something? Why is it wrong for the earth to be damaged?
There is only one basis for a straight line for our world. You mentioned it many times, Creation. But this is a truth the world is not accepting, and needs to change its mind about.
If the earth and universe is not created, then there is no argument for the earth suffering, or what it happening as being crooked. We have to acknowledge the truth of creation first, otherwise the worlds appeal to preserve the earth is baseless.
But isn’t that simply Satan’s tactic as ever? The cause is back in Romans 1, exchanging the truth for a lie. Worship of (surrender to) the creation, not (surrender to) the creator.
This is why we have creation (naturalists, environmentalists, climate activists) who give their lives to the creation, but not the creator.
They need to repent (change their mind) on this issue, serve the creator, not creation.
Amen and thank you David. We have a hope that is steadfast and certain in the Lord Jesus Christ and the living Word of God.
Thank you so much for this; so beautifully and concisely explained. It is so sad to see folk at church buying the save the environment / world thing – not that we should be irresponsible or careless but it has become the ‘thing’ of the moment. I have seen the irreversible destruction of the Indonesian rain forests (oil palm plantations) and the desertifcation of parts of Chile (lithium mining).
Is there any prospect of these studies being put into print?
Derek
PS – love the bottle brush tree in the background. I bought a sapling some years ago and await its flowering . . . and wait . . . and wait.
@Dave
Excellent points. I would add the following comments.
“Why does climate change matter? Why should we do something?”
Climate change over time. It fluctuates. In the past, climate had been colder than now. At other times, it has been warmer than now. If a simple and cheap way for humans to cause or to prevent climate change was invented, there would remain the value-question – about what is good versus what is evil – at what optimal setting we wanted the thermostat set. If you ask climate alarmists what is the optimum climate we ought to strive to maintain permanently if we can, and why that is the optimum climate, they don’t have answers to both those questions. But, unless they can explain what outcome they are trying to achieve, and why that outcome is the most desirable outcome of all, all their alarmist propaganda, asserting a need to procure this or that optimum outcome, is just hot air.
“Why is it wrong for the earth to be damaged?”
Implicit in the tagging of this question onto the end of the other two, is a huge assumption that few seem to notice when they engage in that sort of rhetoric themselves. I am referring to the doctrine that this or that possible future climate (e.g. a climate that is no more than a degree-and-a-half warmer than at present on average) amounts to “damage” of the earth, and should therefore be avoided artificially, at all costs, provided we have the technology to affect climate by human effort. Even, that is, if the future climate dreaded is merely the repetition of a past climate that the world has already survived unscathed. And especially if part of the cause of the warming of the climate over the past 150 years or so has been human activity (a sin-like doctrine that enables the young to blame the old for alleged impending disaster).
Call me old-fashioned if you like, but if there were four political parties at a future election, and the only difference amongst them was that one party promised warmer weather at a certain cost, another promised colder weather at a certain cost, another promised a continuation of the same sort of weather we’ve been having all my life at a certain cost, and the fourth party promised not to waste any money at all trying to manipulate the weather, instead entrusting the weather to God as we always have in the past, I’d vote for the last-mentioned party.
That the climate does not remain static and changes occur is evident.
But what is NOT settled is the cause. The politico-science alliance has an agenda to promote ‘green’ values and those involved in renewable solutions which generate tons of greenbacks – purely coincidental of course – will not allow hard facts and evidence to get in the way.
Those who haven’t closed their minds on the topic will want to check out what former board member, Professor Judith Curry, of the IPCC has to say about her former fellow members, and this issue of AGW.
http://www.judithcurry.com
Thank you very much for this post. I say the issue is not about climate change as such as the earth self-regulates itself. However what is of grave concern is the awful pollution and desecration of the earth which humans are guilty of perpetrating. I include myself in this.
It includes of course the slaughter of trees and desertification as Derek Foster has mentioned.
We must not forget plastics which are poisonous to the environment and exist broken down into minuscule pieces throughout the environment.
Crude oil and its component parts are a major problem when converted into plastics and fuel for vehicles. Too many Christians are in love with their cars rather than God. I have used my bicycle for many years and will continue to do so as long as possible, but drive a car when it is not practical for various reasons.
The command given to Adam was to fill the earth and subdue it, more strictly to order it and organise it. We must always fight to do this, Jesus himself said ‘I have come that you might have life and have it to the full’ and ‘I am the way the truth and the life’.
This means all truth and Christians must tell all the truth. Jesus used all sorts of illustrations from what is created, and these contain eternal truths about the way the earth and the heavens work.
We work hand-in-hand with God to look after the earth, from which our bodies are made. Our spirits come from God, the heavenly Father, and to ignore the latter as atheists do is fundamentally flawed as without the Father’s guidance we will get things wrong.
Jesus came to show us the Father, so pointing people to Jesus as the way to the Father makes sense.