My Earth Day Post

The apostle Paul in Romans 8:19 writes:

"For the anxious longing of the creation awaits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God."

Creation is good. The earth is good. It is so because it was created by God. However, the earth, Romans 8 tells us, has been "subjected to futility" by God. It is enslaved with corruption. It has been cursed because the sin of the first man, Adam (Gen. 3:17). Therefore the earth is "groaning" and suffering "the pains of childbirth" (Ro. 8:22), yet is does so "in hope" (Ro. 8:20).

The subjection of the earth is not unto futility forever. It was subjected by God "in hope." Hope is carrying the whole cosmos, because one Day it will be free from corruption and decay. The earth is longing for that Day.

Therefore today isn't really earth day. There is a much better one coming.

The earth, in fact all of creation, as commentator Douglas Moo points out, is "craning" its "neck to see what is coming" (The Epistle to the Romans, 513). The earth, as it were, holds it breath in eager expectation and "anxious longing" for the revealing of God's sons (Ro. 8:19). When the sons of God are revealed the earth will be transformed and renewed. What was distorted and damaged and destroyed because of the sin of humankind and the judgment of God against that sin will be renewed and restored and redeemed. This Day that is coming is the Day when God's sons will be revealed.

Who are these sons? They are those whose condemnation because of sin has been removed because they are "in Christ" (Ro. 8:1). They are those who are trusting Jesus, and thus have the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, dwelling within them (Ro. 8:9). Sons of God is not a general term for all humanity. The sons of God are those who trust the Son of God, who was God incarnate--Jesus--who died for sinners. The creation, the earth, awaits the day when God restores the "glory of the children of God." On this coming Day God will fully conform those who are trusting Jesus, the Son of God, into the very "image of [God's] Son," Jesus (Ro. 8:29).

On this Day, the glory will be restored and the curse will be removed and sin will be banished from all creation. The creation will then experience the glory that it has hoped for. Groaning will be gone. God will renew and remake creation into the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells.

Earth Day rather then simply a human striving to making the earth better (which of course is a very good thing) should be done in the hope of the Day that God transforms creation and reveals His sons. Therefore humanity, especially those who are the sons of God--that claim a relationship with Jesus--should treat the earth well and seek its restoration. However it will not be human striving that ever fulfills the longing and the glory of the earth.

It will be God, the One who subjected the earth to futility in hope of the revealing of the sons of God and the renewal of all creation that follows. This earth day is a day of expectation for a much more glorious Day to come.