The Sky is Falling!

There is a lot of hype about taking care of the earth because it is headed for destruction and life as we know it will end in 20 years if we don’t stop using oil, etc. The two options seem to be to stop using the earth’s resources entirely, or be the cause of the world coming to an end in the next decade. And while the idea of being good stewards of our resources is worth taking into consideration, there is a much deeper, more serious issue that everyone is failing to see.

Genesis 8:22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

This was a promise made by God after the flood when Noah and his family left the ark ready to make a new life. God commanded them to fill the earth and take care of it, as He had commanded Adam in the beginning. They were to wisely use the earth for what they needed, but not abuse it. The flood had come because of the extreme wickedness of mankind, yet God promised that that would not happen again.

No matter what the sins of man were, they would not be the cause of the earth’s destruction. We can take comfort in this promise that “life as we know it” will not end as some try to claim. The seasons of the earth will continue to the end of time regardless of what we do. While we should not take that as an excuse to abuse or neglect God’s creation, we can rest confident in the knowledge that God is in control and will not allow things to come to that extreme.

Until the end of time, that is. The greater, forthcoming catastrophe that everyone is missing is the fact that the world will come to an end one day, not as a result of pollution, but as the result of sin itself. One day, Jesus will return to judge all who have lived, heaven and earth will fall away and He will make them new for those who are “in” Him. That will be the end of the universe as we know it. The earth will be utterly destroyed, but not because humans have abused or polluted it. It is what all of creation has been waiting for, the day of the Lord when He judges sin and makes everything new.

Matthew 16:27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.

We do need to fear the end, not because the earth will be destroyed, but because we will be judged. If we are covered by Christ’s righteousness, then we will be acquitted and enter into eternal life. If we are not covered by Christ’s righteousness, then we will be condemned and spend eternity in hell. As harsh as that sounds, that is the truth. We all deserve hell. We have all sinned, committing spiritual treason against our holy God, a crime for which the penalty is death. That is where we are all headed unless and until we accept Christ’s punishment for our sins and give our lives to Christ, submitting to His authority and Kingship over our lives. Then we will be justified and covered by His righteousness. The end is our choice.

Romans 8:33-34 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

It is not the physical destruction of the earth that we need to fear, but the spiritual end of time when we will be judged according to our lives here on earth. We reap what we sow. What will your harvest be? What does your fruit say about your faith and life? Are you covered by the blood of Christ?