The whole concept of global warming (climate change) is at the least, very controversial.  Not only is it a concern to many, it has become a political issue.  I’m no scientist or meteorologist so I cannot give an accurate description about what is happening with our weather.  It’s often confusing to hear the different arguments about whether global warming is a true threat or not.  As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, there are things we can do to help preserve our planet, which is part of God’s creation.

Let’s begin by reading Genesis 1:27-28, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and REPLINISH THE EARTH, AND SUBDUE IT: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”  Man is the greatest of all of God’s creation.  He was given dominance over all the creatures.  He was told to fill the earth and to take control over it.  This shows us that the Lord gave us the earth to take possession of, and to make use of it.  We read in verse 29, “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”  The vegetation in the world is given for us to eat.  It was meant for nourishment for mankind.  The Lord later declared in Genesis 9:3, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.”  The animals were given to us for our food.  The Lord has given us what we need to survive physically on the earth. 

With all this supply and privilege, there comes responsibility to take care of what the Lord has given us.  We read in Exodus 23:10-11, “And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.”  The Lord directed His people to let their farmland rest every seven years so that the minerals of the land might be replenished.  In the sixth year, the Lord caused the crops to increase greatly so that there would be food for them during the seventh year.  “Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.” (Leviticus 25:21).  We see how the people were instructed in the way of preserving the earth and allowing rest so that the land could continue to produce food plentifully.

It is good to remember that we live on God’s earth.  Psalm 24:1 tells us, “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”  All belongs to the Lord and we have certain obligation to take care of what the Lord has created and allowed us to dwell upon.  Even in the beginning, Adam was given the responsibility to take care of the Garden of Eden, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Genesis 2:15). 

While seeking to maintain the health of God’s creation, we need to be careful that we do not put more emphasis on God’s creation than God Himself.  In Romans 1:25 we read of those who, “worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.”  In acknowledging the Lord as creator, we should seek to take good care of His creature as those who love and seek to please the Lord and to maintain what He has given us to enjoy.

The Bible does speak of a future day of global warming of which we should be aware.  We read in Revelation 16:8-9, “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.”  After the rapture of the church, when all Christians are taken out of the earth, the Lord will begin to judge those who had refused to bow their knee to Him.  One of the judgments is that He will bring great heat upon the earth.  Sadly, instead of bowing to Him, men will curse Him for His judgment.  While we can do nothing to prevent this ‘global warming’ of judgment, we can avoid this judgment for ourselves by putting our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Then, when the Lord comes to rapture His church, we will be taken out and will not endure this judgment.  As we read in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation (judgment) to them which are in Christ Jesus…”  (390.4)