Conflict With Nature.
Our conflict with nature is a result of the fall of mankind. However, can we have hope for nature? Is restoration possible?
A Day When Nothing Goes Right
Have you ever had one of those really discouraging days when nothing goes right? It can easily start with sleeping through your alarm. At breakfast your cat knocks your morning coffee off the kitchen table. You open the garage door noticing your rear tire is flat. After changing over to a spare, you are on your way! You’re almost there, when a police officer pulls you over for speeding, lacking compassion he hands you a ticket. Finally, you arrive to work late. When you get out of your car, it’s raining a monsoon…
This is a very exaggerated scenario, but nevertheless, there can be times when we think everything is working against us and nothing appears to be working on our side. The fact is nature itself does confront us with great conflict at times.
Is Nature Angry?
Every day on the news we hear of natural disasters that claim people’s lives; they happen unexpectedly and beyond our control. Disease and illnesses fill our hospitals and are no respecter of persons, effecting newborns to the aged. Our planet is constantly reeling with storms, earthquakes, floods, and famines… is nature angry at us?
In Romans 8 the Apostle Paul describes the creation as “groaning,” referring to it as birthing labor, as it expects deliverance from the corruption it has had to endure for a long time. Against its will, all creation was subjected to sin’s curse. This is referring to Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Sin entered the world causing a negative ripple effect upon nature. Man’s disobedience against God was a declaration of his desire to be independent of God. The first curse was the pain of childbirth.
Next, the earth would continue to supply food but instead of man taking freely from it without effort, there would now be resistance. In verses 17 to 19 it says
Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil, you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
Genesis 3:17-19
The harmony and peace Adam and Eve had with God and His creation ended. The world and man became corrupted with death through sin.
Hope For Our World
This is the reason why there is pain and suffering in our world. But God has not left us without hope.
God loved the world so much that He planned a rescue mission; sending His Son Jesus into our damaged world. In the book of Isaiah, it was foretold of His coming, calling Him “Immanuel,” which is an expression of who He is; it means, “God with us.” He came born into this world, like all of us, but He was holy, blameless, pure, separate from sin; there was no sin nature in Him. He understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testing’s we do, yet he did not sin. His goal was to remove our sin by His own death as a sacrifice.
He took upon Himself all the curses Adam and Eve brought upon the earth; sweat drops fell from His forehead to the ground (Luke 22:43), and a crown of thorns was placed upon His head (Mark 15:17).
Jesus’ Death Foretold
The prophet Isaiah foretold the event of Jesus death, giving us insight of what He endured for our sake; it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore. Our pains that He carried; He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; His punishment was for our well-being, and by His wounds we are healed.
He endured the pain knowing that out of it would come spiritual children (of God); “when His life is made a sacrifice for sin, He will have many descendants.”
In Deuteronomy 21 God declared a law that criminals are to be put to death by being hung on a tree and God’s curse is against them; so, Jesus died like a criminal on a wooden cross which was a form of Roman execution at that time.
Galatians 3:13 …Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
The Sacrifice of Jesus
As you can see, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was a fully completed work, with the purpose of overcoming everything that was set against humanity. He bore it all, for us. So that whoever believes in Him will not suffer as He suffered against the wrath of God. Adam’s failure became Christ’s victory!
1 Corinthians 15:22 says,
Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
1 Corinthians 15:22
What a blessed hope the believer in Christ has! Being a child of God, given “new life.” On that fateful day, when Adam and Eve turned from God, they died spiritually. Believing on Jesus, means spiritual re-birth, as a result of His death and resurrection from the grave. As you were born naturally into this world from the womb of your mother, so you must be “born again” spiritually into the family of God.
Jesus and Nicodemus
Jesus discussed this with a religious leader named Nicodemus. Although Nicodemus knew a lot about God and the scriptures, he did not understand this very important aspect of salvation. Jesus said to him; “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus was confused by this statement and asked, “What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus responded; “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’”
Share the Divine Nature
What a profound truth! The new life available in Christ is spiritual life! As God is spirit, we can connect with Him spiritually, as His child.
In 1 Peter 1:4 we learn that he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
The nature of God is then integrated into our being, extending past this world into eternity, empowering us to defeat the sin and corruption that bombards us every day from within and without. Although believers in Christ still strive against their sin nature, they look forward to a future day when they will be like their Savior, without sin.
The promise has been foretold in the book of Revelation 22:3, that the curse will be gone. Strife and conflict will be no more.
In the meantime, natural laws within and without will work against us, but may we hold onto the promise – despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”
What do you think is the future of this world of nature we live in? Is there is any hope for the world? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
The Complete Conquering Conflict Series Links
Mark Hillis
Mark lives rural in Fenwick, Ontario with his wife Michelle and three boys.
He joined the FBH International team in February 2022, coming from the business world with a design and art background.
Mark is particularly interested in seeing people come to Christ and grow in their faith. He recently produced the series entitled: Sow to Grow.
Mark serves as an elder at Brockview Bible Chapel in St.Catharines , Ontario.
Visit Mark’s contributor’s page here.
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Images Courtesy of:
Butterfiles – ROverhate
Waterfall – Darkmoon_Art
Crosses –dfbailey
Baby – sanjasy
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