Pr Joshua Yong

Romans 8:22 – “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

On the 10^th February 2021, the Singapore Government unveiled the “Singapore Green Plan 2030” which is a nation-wide movement to advance Singapore’s goal towards being a “sustainable, resource-efficient and climate resilient” country. Why are Singapore and so many other countries undertaking these steps to tackle environmental issues?

The issues facing our environment are well documented. Some of the key environmental issues include industrial pollution, global warming, deforestation, waste disposal, and closer to home are limited freshwater resources and the haze resulting from forest fires in neighbouring countries. Scientists and experts are very fearful of these environmental issues. They have warned that the way we are using our resources is not sustainable. Some scientists fear that if the world’s economy and population continue to grow at their current pace, natural resources will run out by 2040; some have even gone so far as to say that earth will “expire” by 2050.

What is the world’s solution to these environmental problems? The UN, in 2016, established the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda which set forth various global goals which are “designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” In 2015 various countries negotiated and adopted the Paris Agreement where they pledge to address the impact of climate change. Various countries have pledged to make substantial changes to meet these agreements.

Are these measures really enough? How should a Christian view and respond to these environmental issues?

1) The Earth is God’s Creation

When God created all of creation, He made all things very good (Gen 1:31). In the very beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, God created them perfect. There was no imperfection or disharmony in God’s creation. Nothing was out of place; everything operated in perfect balance and harmony. There was no need to worry over waste, decay, or the exhausting of resources. Everything was in perfect order.

If God has created all things very good, and if God continues to sustain everything in His creation, then why do we see imperfections in this world? We see thorns and thistles; we see decay and deterioration; we see resources depleting; we witness natural disasters; and we see all sorts of environmental issues all over the world and in Singapore.

The reason is because since the fall of mankind, the world has been affected by the curse of sin. Romans 8:22 tells us that “… the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” What this means is that the whole creation is “grieving together” because of a common calamity. The word “travaileth” is used to describe the pain which a mother experiences in giving birth. It describes intense pain. The Bible is describing how the whole of creation is currently suffering and grieving together. The reason for this grieving and suffering is because of the fall of man. As a result of the fall of man, the whole of creation suffers.

The solutions proposed by man will not be enough as they have missed the whole issue to begin with. The cause of all these environmental problems is sin. God cursed the earth with thorns and thistles in order to remind man that this world is a temporal place; that this world is not meant to be our eternal home.

2) Man Cannot Save the Earth

After God created the heavens and the earth, God entrusted it to Adam and Eve, giving them dominion over this world (Gen 1:26-28). They were to be good stewards of this world that God has given to them. But after the fall, man became so sinful, that in the days of Noah God had to destroy the world with a global flood (Gen 6:11-13). Man became destroyers, not stewards. God used the global flood to destroy the earth to wipe away the wickedness (Gen 6:11-13). God gave man a new beginning after the flood. The world that we are living in today is a world of this new beginning that God has given to man. But the problem of the sinfulness of man has not changed. And because of the sinfulness of man, God says that one day He will destroy this world with fire. 2 Peter 3:7 tells us that the heavens and the earth are “reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” One day, the earth as we know it today will be completely destroyed and God will create a New Heaven and New Earth.

The reason why that has not happened yet is because God “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

In view of these things, we must realise that trying to “save the earth” or trying to solve these problems in the environment is really a lost cause. The earth will be destroyed once God determines that the sinfulness of this earth is full like in the days of Noah!

3) Souls Must be Saved

These environmental issues that we are facing today, therefore, ought to humble man. It shows us how helpless and powerless we are. It must also cause man to see what the effects and consequences of sin are. These problems ought to cause man to turn back unto their Creator.

Romans 8:23 tells us that not only is creation groaning, but that we ourselves are also groaning within ourselves. We continue to experience the infirmity, limitations and weaknesses of this body. The time when we will be delivered from this groaning is when the “redemption of our body comes.” That is when we will be glorified and that is when the Lord Jesus Christ comes again. That time is soon.

As Christians, when we see these things unfolding, it should not trouble us. We are reminded that God is still on the throne and He will fulfil His purpose in His time. But we must have a sense of urgency for the souls that are still outside of God’s kingdom. We must go forth and tell the world of their need of the Saviour. We must call upon men to repent of their sins and to turn to God in Christ for salvation. Instead of striving to save the earth, the Christian must seek to save the lost by turning them to Christ. One day God will create a New Heaven and New Earth, but until then, the urgent need is for souls to be saved, not to save the world.