Earth, Our Home?

An issue that keeps coming back to irritate me like the proverbial “bad penny” is the notion that earth is our home.

Now this is of course a pagan notion. Non-Christians (including the Jewish people) have basically always believed this assumption (but ironically have rarely acted accordingly). Christians on the other hand, have been taught by the Bible that the earth is not their home. In 1 Peter 2:11 we are called “strangers and pilgrims” (AV); “aliens and strangers” (NASB); “sojourners and pilgrims” (NKJV). We are—that is God’s elect—told that the Kingdom for which we long and which has been promised us, is not of this world (John 18:36).

To care for the world as it is is not of primary concern—or at least should not be—for the Christian. This, of course, is an idea that runs completely counter to the prevailing non-Christian world view, but so it is.

Another related idea that runs against the underlying beliefs of the “green generation” is the idea of the creation ordinance of dominance. We are told in the bible to dominate the life around us in the world (Gen. 1:26-28 for instance). And the Hebrew words used for dominance make it very plain what is intended (subjugate, rule, tread down, make subservient, bring into bondage). There is no idea of a coddling stewardship here. Why? Because this earth was never intended by God as our final home! We have a new earth and a new City to look forward to. We have no interest in the current earth. Our home awaits us yet.

Does this give us a licence to flagrantly mistreat this earth? I would say no, but nevertheless we must guard ourselves against a maudlin attachment to this world, with the false notion that the earth itself constitutes our salvation and reward, instead of an all-sufficient Saviour, in Whom we must put our entire hope and faith.

Soli Deo Gloria