Saving People, not the Planet
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
In this verse, the term “the world” does not refer to the physical planet, but to the people on it. The planet itself will end one day. 2 Peter 3:5-7 says,
“…by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
The phrase about earth “being overflowed with water, perished:” refers to the great flood in Genesis 7. It does not mean the planet dissolved and broke apart. The planet was still there, but the people on it all died in the flood, except for Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives, and the animals in the ark.
The passage also says that “…the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store,” This means God sustains the earth. Yet 2 Peter 3:10 also says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
This verse is not about climate change. Whatever you may believe about saving earth from the effects of climate change, the word of God says clearly that the world will end one day; not because of climate change, but because of God’s “…judgment and perdition [eternal damnation] of ungodly men.”
Knowing this will happen, then, what should we do? Our next two verses tell us: “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:11-12)
This passage is for those who know Jesus as their personal Saviour. God tells us to live godly, knowing the urgency of the hour, and to tell others about Jesus so they will receive Him as Saviour as well. We do not know when Jesus will return, but He will. He does not lie: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3)
We should be concerned about the environment, but given the fact that people are God’s main concern, any mitigation measures should be tempered with common sense and concern for people. They should not impose undue financial burdens, further weaken the economy (America’s national debt is currently $34 trillion, per fiscaldata.treasury.gov), or make us more vulnerable to attacks from hostile nations or actors. Electric power is great, but it is not a cure-all. Electric power grids can malfunction and be sabotaged.
Most importantly, Jesus did not die for sins and rise again to save the planet, but to forgive people for their sins and save them from eternal hell. Earthly life will end for all of us one day. What a sad waste it would be to spend your life trying to save the world from something God has said would happen. A far worse tragedy would be to die lost because you never turned to the Lord Jesus who came to save you.
The Bible tells us how we can have forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. If you want to know more, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 4/22/2024