A troubled earth posted by jwatson on Apr 22, 2013

Our earth is in trouble.  It is, however, not the kind of trouble that you will likely hear about on television news or the major newspapers or news sites.

The problem is almost as old as creation itself.  The earth is subject to the curse of the Fall.  When Adam and Eve transgressed God’s law, they introduced sin not just to themselves, but to the entire earth.  “Their choice was to disregard God’s instructions, an act of willful rebellion that has terrible consequences for the whole of creation. As a result, God’s creation is thrown into disorder, with chaotic effects that result from the disruption of all the harmonious relationships that God had previously established (ESV Study Bible note on Genesis 1-24).”

Sin is not just a personal decision that affects one man or one woman.  Sin has tentacles which reach out and ensnare everything and everyone.  Think of sin like cancer, starting small but growing and fatally infecting whatever comes into contact with it.

But the good news is that the atrophy of our earth will one day not just be stopped but actually restored to its original state of pristine beauty.  God is restoring not just human souls through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but all of creation – including our physical earth.  That is what we desire and long for.

Here’s another way to say it:  “The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.”

The remedy for the earth is the same as for humans:  redemption found in Jesus Christ.  God has promised a new earth, new heavens, and a restoration of all things.  One day, the earth will be the way it was created to be.  We will be the way that God intended us to be.

That is the day we should be looking to and working towards.

Let’s be busy knowing and sharing about the God Who is restoring the earth to Himself, and join Him in the effort.