The Bible is clear that we as humans have been given responsibility to care for the planet. In Genesis 2:15 we read that man’s first job was to tend and keep the garden of Eden. God gave Adam the responsibility of naming all the animals that God had created, and through this process he would undoubtedly have come to know and care for each creature. As descendants of Adam, we all have the ongoing privilege of caring for and protecting the world we have been entrusted with. We should take care not to waste the precious resources we have been given and should welcome new ways of reducing pollution.
However, caring for the environment is not the focus of the Bible, for we face a much greater crisis than climate change: a sin crisis. The Bible teaches that each of us has turned away from our loving Creator and is guilty of breaking His commands. Every individual on the planet faces God’s righteous judgment for their rebellion against Him. Pride, lust, selfishness and hatred rise as a murky, offensive smog from every corner of the globe, and we see the painful results in the news every day. Many of us comfort ourselves by thinking of all the good things we have done, and sincerely believe they will outweigh our sins. This is wishful thinking. One sin will keep us out of God’s perfect heaven. James 2:10 states: “whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all”.
The apostle Paul in Romans 2:5 warns us solemnly that, “in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God”. With each passing year God’s wrath against our sin grows. The Bible states that eventually the Lord Jesus will be “revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). The Lord Jesus warned the people of his day, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). This is the sin emergency that we face.
The good news of the Bible is that God has made a way for us to be saved from the eternal punishment that we are facing. God loves us deeply and sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. 1 John 4:14 (KJV) records that “the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world”. His rising again from the dead proves God really will save all who repent of their sins and put their trust in Him. Acts 16:31 gives us this clear promise: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved”.
Life is fragile and fleeting. We downplay our personal sin crisis to our peril. The Lord Jesus's death and resurrection has made forgiveness and salvation a possibility. Place your faith in Him alone and you will know it as a reality. There is no need for a global conference to find a solution to your sin emergency, for the Lord Jesus is all you need.
Image source: Callum Shaw, Unsplash
