Why are people freaking out about climate change?
Even Christians, or at least people who claim to be Christian, spend countless hours worried about the climate. I am old enough to remember when we worried about more sensible things like the O-zone layer disappearing and all of us being burned to death, or even the coming Ice Age that would occur and we would all freeze to death.
Yes, you might say I'm a sceptic about world-ending events.
But why, you might say.
My answer to you is that if you are a Christian, you know that the Bible teaches that we are not in charge of when the world ends. We've been promised that the world will not end until Jesus returns - and you can't hold off his return by putting in more solar-panels or wind turbines.
My biggest problem with all this is that Christians are joining in on the fear-fest.
Christians!
One of the most common commands in the Bible is fear not. Don't be afraid. Don't worry about tomorrow - that one comes from the Beatitudes - the very words of Jesus.
Listen, I'm all in favor of taking care of the environment so that it can be best used for human flourishing and reflecting God's glory. I am definitely in favor of clean water and clean air. But I am also completely in favor of protecting the life and health of people even more.
People are made in the image of God - not the planet. People are the most important - not animals.
That means we protect human flourishing while we attempt to find better ways to protect the environment - God's creation.
And until Jesus returns, we do not fear. God is in charge of all things. He has given us a command and if we are truly Christ's disciples, we should obey his commands.
Have faith - have love - have joy.
If you are a Christian, there is nothing to fear.
If you are not a Christian - you have everything to fear because one day you will die and stand before the judgement seat of God. If you have never placed your faith and trust in Christ, you will stand condemned before the court from which there is no appeal.
This is Pastor John
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