From Decay to Deliverance
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Jun 7, 2023
- 2 min read
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (Romans 8:21-22)
Notice two words that Paul used in Romans 8:21-22: bondage and corruption. The earth itself is travailing. The earth is groaning, and it’s not just from the effects of climate change or human activity.
The earth is aging, and the closer it gets to the return of Jesus, the more it will convulse and travail in pain. These are the same terms we use regarding a mother having a child. She travails and has pressure and pain the closer she gets to birth.
Jesus warned of these birthing pains the world would experience. He said they would manifest as natural weather issues like earthquakes. He explained that those would be signs of the end times. It’s not just the effects of ozone depletion or shifting plates or any natural occurrences that are causing these phenomena. If you are discerning, you would realize that many of those theories are just political talking points used to get people to vote or become emotionally heightened about hot-button issues.
The earth is currently suffering the effects of its decay and corruption because of Adam’s sin in the garden. Even if the world stops burning oil, the corruption of the earth will not stop. Banning hair spray will not change the trajectory of the world. It will all get fixed when God fixes it. The planet's issues will be fixed when this earth passes away and New Heaven and New Earth are created.
That doesn’t mean we live in fear of natural disasters! We can trust that God is in control, even when the world seems chaotic or out of control.
Practical Application
Be mindful of God’s Word when you hear the news or reports of climate change or any environmental propaganda that would cause you to fear or move you away from believing God's Word. Listen to, obey, and follow God’s Word ONLY and allow it to be the deciding factor for your life.
