God’s creation is superb. God’s creation is vaster than we could ever comprehend, it is intricate, it is ordered, it is infinitely varied, it is full of energy, it is profuse with life, and it is magnificently beautiful.

The splendours of this created universe reflect the much greater glory of its sublime Creator. Human awe for creation can lead to awe of the living God who made it all: ‘since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made’ (Rom. 1:9).

God’s creation established his complete and unchallengeable authority over everything and everyone that exists. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it’ (Ps. 24:1). That means this is God’s world, not ours.

The whole Bible, from Genesis 1: 1 onwards, gives testimony to God’s absolute delight in his creation. The Creator gazed upon his completed creation, and saw that it was ‘very good’ (Gen. 1:31). God continues to actively watch over his creation, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Heb. 1:3). If God loves his creation so much, so should we!

Humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creation, created to fellowship with God, and also set among the rest of God’s created order to enjoy and care for it (Gen. 2:15).

The bad news. Because of humanity’s waywardness towards God, creation has been placed under a deep shadow of brokenness, suffering, and death, and it groans as it awaits the day of salvation (Rom. 8: 18-22).

The good news. The Cross of Jesus is at the centre of God’s plan of salvation, reconciling us to God. But Cross also looks forward to the liberation and restoration of God’s creation, at the coming of the Lord (Col. 1:20; Rom. 8: 21; Eph. 1:10; Rev.21:1-4).

Some reasons why Christians should care for God’s creation…

1. We should love what God loves: his creation.
2. We should honour God by respecting what he has given us.
3. God asked humanity to care for creation (Gen. 2:15): to benefit from it, and work it, but not to exploit it relentlessly or junk it.
4. We should remember that while God’s humanity is central to God’s creation, we are all dependent on the rest of creation for our own human health and flourishing. Human greed, selfishness and apathy is now putting God’s creation under serious strain.
5. Caring for creation is not at the centre of the Gospel. But that does not mean it is not important, or that we can ignore it.
6. It is the poorest people and the poorest nations who are the worst affected by pollution, famine, and climate change: the Bible consistently urges believers to show both justice and mercy, and to live others as ourselves (Mt. 25:37-40). This applies globally.
7. Yes, the believer’s future is secure in God, and we look forward to the Lord’s return, but we do not know when that will be.
8. Christians currently have a great opportunity to give a good example in these matters, and to let the light of Christ shine.

Author: Dr Stuart Lange

Dr Stuart Lange is the National Director of the NZCN and is a Senior Research Fellow at Laidlaw College, where he was formerly Vice Principal. Stuart wrote and presented the historical DVD documentary Te Rongopai: 200 years of the Gospel in New Zealand, 1814-2014.