The latest fad religion of our day is a color-green. Going green is intended to prevent man-induced global warming. Christians certainly should be interested in conserving and being good stewards of the world we live in. We used to call it ‘conservation.' There is presently a gradual warming trend on the earth. These have come in past years as well. How did the glaciers, that are said to have once covered the northern states, melt before the days of aerosol hair spray, SUV's, etc?
I have no ax to grind with those who may see a slight rise in temperatures, but the question of whether it is primarily caused by man is another issue. The cycles of warming and cooling in the world come from God who holds the world in His hands. The reason that men are so intent on blaming man for what is a warming trend is that many of these same people scoff at the idea of the sovereign control of God over His creation. The humanist sees everything in his own hands and dependent on himself. There is religious fervor-the planet is in peril! He must save the world, so it can exist forever. They see no end-judgment and destruction to this sin-cursed world with the return of Jesus Christ. They are too busy trying to save it.
The problem we ought to be most concerned about is "global cooling." Not so many years ago the theory to frighten and control man was "global freezing." But that's history. To speak of another form of global cooling will probably not win a Nobel Prize. But it is happening at an alarming rate, and it is man-made. It is environmental - it is all around us and within us. It is a global problem that begins in the heart.
There is more to life than the air we breathe and the water we drink, as significant as these are. The greatest pollution that we see today is moral-the defiling and corrupting of the heart and mind by overtly sinful practices worldwide. Ask young people what's "cool" and precious few will point you to God's Word. Just take a look at the cultural decay in music, literature, marriage and the family, medicine, politics, or worship. We have become so accustomed to these, that we don't even blush. It's happened before. "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down, says the Lord." (Jer. 6:15) The Bible becomes an Inconvenient Truth, but Christians are going to have to declare it. Just don't expect an Oscar.
There is certainly a cooling when it comes to the acceptance of real, biblical Christianity. To use the name of Christ as the only Savior is deemed hate speech by some. Even among those who profess to be Christians, the call is for compromise, contextualization, and concession. Opinions based on feelings and fads have replaced doctrine and dogma. How many church members are fluent and staunch on the creeds of the church? There is a cooling in attitude about the authority of the Bible, as well as any other authority over us. In speaking of the future, our Lords says, "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." (Matt. 24:11, 12) Warn the world of global heat when the world is consumed by the wrath of God (see II Pet. 3:12; Rev. 16:9).
The real inconvenient truth for this world is found in the Bible. Is it possible that our desire to teach, defend and promote it may have grown cold? Our forefathers would have given life and limb to oppose a lot less than we see today. How many of us would be willing to be imprisoned or burned at the stake in order to maintain that Christ alone is our Mediator? Or, that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone? Or, how much would you suffer for just reading your Bible? Where is this fire? I fear we have cooled off.
The solution to this global cooling is not by calculating your carbon footprint. It is going to be found by you as a Christian following Christ's footsteps and making a Christian imprint. Christians must burn with a desire to embrace, declare, and live by the living Truth. The world will find this inconvenient. God will find it glorifying.
