Does the Bible call for Environmental Responsibility? (cont.)
By Pastor Mike Freeman

GOD: THE ULTIMATE RECYCLER – Genesis 3:1 – 6:7

Some key observations from the account of man’s “fall” in the third chapter of Genesis:
Peace (God’s “shalom”) is primordial. Evil is an illegitimate, alien intruder into God’s good creation. Through the Fall, humanity lost touch with its Creator, with itself, and with the creation around it. Through the Fall, humanity lost sight of its original divine commission to “serve” and “protect” the garden of the earth.

Creation is groaning. All creation has been dramatically affected by the violence, oppression, and sin of humanity. “Creation was subjected to frustration…the whole creation has been groaning as if in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time…” (Romans 8:20, 22)

Creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay. The Snake (that Old Serpent, the Devil or Satan – see Revelation 12:9) has suffered a crushing defeat through the work of Jesus on the cross (see Genesis 3:16 and Hebrews 2:14-15). The redemptive work of Jesus through His death, burial and resurrection has impacted every level of creation, not merely humanity (see Colossians 1:15-23).

“Creation waits in eager anticipation for the sons of God to be revealed. For creation was subjected to frustration not by its own choice, but by the will of Him who subjected it – in hope that the creation itself would be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21).

We believe that as disciples of Jesus, we enter into this groaning with creation (see Romans 8:23) and enter now into His kingdom work by being agents of liberation in creation in anticipation of His final “making all things new” (see Revelation 21:5). We believe this hope and expectation is essential to effectively answering the divine call to responsible stewardship over creation which is upon this generation.