The Coming Global Warming

The Coming Global Warming

 

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” – 2 Peter 3:10-12

There are three views of the end of the world.  First, there are those that believe we are going to cause it, and issues of Global Warming flood their heart with worries.  The ice caps are going to melt, and the environment as we know it will change.  Well, warming will occur, per God’s word, but Global warming is not on my list of worries and concerns that I have with this world.  The whole idea that we can somehow change how we live, use less fuel, decrease emissions, prevent toxic gasses, and God would decide not to destroy the world is nothing more than a lie.  We do not control the end of the world.  God created it, and in His perfect timing, He will destroy it. That’s not my take on the end of the world, but Bible…God’s irrefutable truth.

Peter says that the earth is now “preserved by the same word” that created it.  Yet God proved in the flood of Noah’s day that He has power to destroy the world, to redeem a select group of people who believe in Him, and to build it again.  Peter says in 2 Peter 3:5-7 says that they “willfully forget” that God spoke the world into existence, flooded it, and that it is “reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men”. It’s what God is doing – not what we do – that destroys the earth.

The second view of the end of the world is that it isn’t going to happen.  After waiting hundreds of years for Jesus to return, many just stopped believing He will.  In 2 Peter 3, Peter talks of the end of the world.  He speaks to Christians who have grown weary in waiting for Jesus return, and warns of those that don’t believe the end is coming.  In 2 Peter 2:4 he tells us we will hear those that don’t believe Jesus is coming say “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”  But we have confidence in His return, for Jesus said “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:3). This is a promise from our Savior, and He keeps His promises!

Many will doubt the return of Christ because world has become so very evil.  They grow impatient and believe that He has given up on us.  But He is longsuffering toward us so that we all have a chance at repentance.  2 Peter 3:9 says that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” He waits to destroy the world, waiting for the last soul to be saved.  This is mercy, that God will endure our sins and evil when in His hands are power to destroy the entire world. 

The third group is those of us that believe that God meant what He said, and the Jesus would return to get His people.  On that day, 2 Peter 3:10-13 says no one will know or expect the end.  This is the verse that laughs at those who project the exact day of His return.  It will come “as a thief in the night”.  There will be a great noise and the skies and atmosphere above us will melt and be destroyed with heat, the earth will burn and everything in it dissolved to ashes.  Yes, there will be global warming, but it will be at the hands of God – not ours.

For this reason we run the race that is set before us.  We continue to serve Him, read His word and learn of Him, work to lead others to Him, and wait on Him. Peter says we should “be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless”, and “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ", having pursued holiness through sanctification. 

While others will mock our conduct, and our belief in the end of the worlds and Jesus’ second coming, we have an answer we can give them for His delay.  When asked “then why has God not sent Jesus back to get the Christians after hundreds of years?” we can reply “because He’s waiting for YOU to be saved”. 

Yes, there will be scientist and ‘educated’ people to stand and project the end of the earth according to our actions toward the environment.  There will be others to proclaim that the earth is constantly regenerating itself and will never be destroyed by global warming or any other natural disaster.  But God has said differently! This is His world – not ours – to do with as He pleases.

“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” – Revelation 15:16