The Bible tells us, in Genesis, that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” and that God called the earth “very good”. Psalm 24:1 reaffirms God’s ownership of the earth: “the earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness.”
God made the heavens and earth, in part to inspire worship of the Creator. Psalms 19 says, “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork” and Romans 1:20 says that God’s power and divine nature are revealed through creation.
Isaiah tells us that God formed the world, “to be inhabited” (45:18) and these inhabitants are people, which God created “in His image, male and female, He created them” (Genesis 1:27). Furthermore, God gave His creatures a mandate: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (1:28)
From this we can see the foundation of a Christian teaching on the environment.
1. God is the creator and owner of the earth. He sets the parameters for how the earth is to be treated and we are responsible to Him for our actions.
2. God created humans to take charge of the earth.
a. Humans are permitted to multiply. Humans are not viruses or parasites. We are God’s special creation and the multiplication of our life is viewed as good. The Earth is not overpopulated with humans – God knew what the earth’s carrying capacity is when He created it and he created the earth to be robust enough to house us.
b. Humans are permitted to subdue the earth. This carries the idea of turning something towards one’s own use and benefit. Breaking up land to create a field for sowing; extracting minerals and oil; harnessing wind and water; yoking oxen to pull a plow or saddling a horse to carry a rider are all examples of subduing the earth. This is considered good.
c. Humans have dominion of the earth. This carries the idea of having responsibility. We have the ability and authority to create civilizations which are consistent with God’s character: we are to imitate God’s love, mercy, wisdom, ingenuity etc. in our management of the earth. This is considered good.
However, our understanding of the environment includes other elements.
3. God cursed the earth in response to Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:17) resulting in localized instability (earthquakes, volcanos, tornados, tsunamis etc.) and a general tendency that is hostile to humanity’s attempts to subdue it; our ability to have harmony with nature is limited and one day each one of we who do not remain until the Lord returns will return to the earth from which we were taken.
4. God cleansed the earth via flood at the time of Noah. Genesis 6:17: “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.” This cleansing was due to the abundant, unchecked wickedness of humans and animals up to that point: “and the earth was corrupt…the earth was filled with violence” Genesis 6:11 5.
After the flood, God promised the earth, on a whole, would remain stable throughout its lifetime saying “while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). Christ also spoke of a stable earth when he spoke of his return to earth for judgment, saying that people would be going about their normal affairs just like people did before the flood (Matthew 24:38,39).
6. God is the one who will bring the present state of creation to an end: 2 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” We may understand this destruction as comparable to that of the flood – a worldwide cleansing of evil from God’s good creation; the creation will be restored to its original perfection when God removes the curse he placed on it in response to Adam’s sin and it will serve as our home for eternity.
From this we can see that God ultimately controls the earth. Its fate is in His hands. He created it, He sustains it, He destroys it. Worldwide catastrophes are the work of God not of humanity.
Taking all this together, we can see that the Bible gives a good deal of information regarding how we are to treat the environment. Our role is as stewards. The earth is our home and we are permitted to make ourselves at home here, using the earth for our own advancement and comfort. Yet this work must always be done in accordance with God’s character of love, kindness, and generosity for we are not the owners of earth, God is, and we will be held accountable for how we used it.
Our involvement in the modern environmental movement should be guided by this information. Does the particular activity of a group show proper respect for humans in its pursuit of conservation? Does the group take a negative view of general human development of the earth? Does it justify its activity or views through an evolutionary lens which assumes the earth’s is the result of chance processes and is consequently fragile and vulnerable? Our efforts to steward the earth should not be shadowed by the fear that humans are ruining the earth and are on the verge of destroying it.
Yet concern for the environment should never eclipse the primary problem we face which is whether or not people will submit to Christ’s lordship. Our primary duty is to proclaim the gospel and help people to know God and to order our lives in ways that please Him during the time He gives us.
God made the heavens and earth, in part to inspire worship of the Creator. Psalms 19 says, “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork” and Romans 1:20 says that God’s power and divine nature are revealed through creation.
Isaiah tells us that God formed the world, “to be inhabited” (45:18) and these inhabitants are people, which God created “in His image, male and female, He created them” (Genesis 1:27). Furthermore, God gave His creatures a mandate: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (1:28)
From this we can see the foundation of a Christian teaching on the environment.
1. God is the creator and owner of the earth. He sets the parameters for how the earth is to be treated and we are responsible to Him for our actions.
2. God created humans to take charge of the earth.
a. Humans are permitted to multiply. Humans are not viruses or parasites. We are God’s special creation and the multiplication of our life is viewed as good. The Earth is not overpopulated with humans – God knew what the earth’s carrying capacity is when He created it and he created the earth to be robust enough to house us.
b. Humans are permitted to subdue the earth. This carries the idea of turning something towards one’s own use and benefit. Breaking up land to create a field for sowing; extracting minerals and oil; harnessing wind and water; yoking oxen to pull a plow or saddling a horse to carry a rider are all examples of subduing the earth. This is considered good.
c. Humans have dominion of the earth. This carries the idea of having responsibility. We have the ability and authority to create civilizations which are consistent with God’s character: we are to imitate God’s love, mercy, wisdom, ingenuity etc. in our management of the earth. This is considered good.
However, our understanding of the environment includes other elements.
3. God cursed the earth in response to Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:17) resulting in localized instability (earthquakes, volcanos, tornados, tsunamis etc.) and a general tendency that is hostile to humanity’s attempts to subdue it; our ability to have harmony with nature is limited and one day each one of we who do not remain until the Lord returns will return to the earth from which we were taken.
4. God cleansed the earth via flood at the time of Noah. Genesis 6:17: “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.” This cleansing was due to the abundant, unchecked wickedness of humans and animals up to that point: “and the earth was corrupt…the earth was filled with violence” Genesis 6:11 5.
After the flood, God promised the earth, on a whole, would remain stable throughout its lifetime saying “while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). Christ also spoke of a stable earth when he spoke of his return to earth for judgment, saying that people would be going about their normal affairs just like people did before the flood (Matthew 24:38,39).
6. God is the one who will bring the present state of creation to an end: 2 Peter 3:10 says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” We may understand this destruction as comparable to that of the flood – a worldwide cleansing of evil from God’s good creation; the creation will be restored to its original perfection when God removes the curse he placed on it in response to Adam’s sin and it will serve as our home for eternity.
From this we can see that God ultimately controls the earth. Its fate is in His hands. He created it, He sustains it, He destroys it. Worldwide catastrophes are the work of God not of humanity.
Taking all this together, we can see that the Bible gives a good deal of information regarding how we are to treat the environment. Our role is as stewards. The earth is our home and we are permitted to make ourselves at home here, using the earth for our own advancement and comfort. Yet this work must always be done in accordance with God’s character of love, kindness, and generosity for we are not the owners of earth, God is, and we will be held accountable for how we used it.
Our involvement in the modern environmental movement should be guided by this information. Does the particular activity of a group show proper respect for humans in its pursuit of conservation? Does the group take a negative view of general human development of the earth? Does it justify its activity or views through an evolutionary lens which assumes the earth’s is the result of chance processes and is consequently fragile and vulnerable? Our efforts to steward the earth should not be shadowed by the fear that humans are ruining the earth and are on the verge of destroying it.
Yet concern for the environment should never eclipse the primary problem we face which is whether or not people will submit to Christ’s lordship. Our primary duty is to proclaim the gospel and help people to know God and to order our lives in ways that please Him during the time He gives us.
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