Environmental care is biblical. Prophets often tie damage to moral failure
The opening pages of Scripture tell a story that modern Christians know so well they may miss one of the most salient points. God created the Heavens and the earth. He called them “good.” And He placed humanity within that creation with an explicit charge. Before sin entered the world, before redemption became necessary, before the Church existed, God tasked humanity to “work the garden and to keep it.”
That mandate has never been revoked. In recent decades, conversations about environmental care have often been framed as political, ideological, or even suspiciously secular. As a result, many Christians have grown hesitant to engage the subject at all. Yet the biblical witness is unambiguous: Care for the earth is not a modern concern imposed upon Scripture; it is a biblical responsibility woven from the beginning into the story of creation, redemption, and restoration. From Genesis through Revelation, Scripture consistently affirms that the world belongs to God and that humanity is accountable for how it is treated.
The Bible opens with a declaration of ownership: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Creation is not self-originating, nor is it humanity’s possession. It belongs to God. After forming the world, God pronounces it “very good” (Gen. 1:31), revealing not only functional adequacy but moral value.
Humanity is then created in the image of God and placed within His good creation. Genesis 2:15 provides the clearest articulation of humanity’s role: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” The language here is significant. The Hebrew verbs imply service, protection, and responsibility — not exploitation or neglect. Humanity is entrusted with the care of something that ultimately belongs to Another.
Notably, this command is given before the Fall. Environmental stewardship is not a consequence of sin or a corrective measure for a broken world; it is part of God’s original design for human vocation. To care for creation is to live faithfully within the role God assigned from the beginning.
Some Christians have understood the command to “subdue” the earth (Gen. 1:28) as license for unrestricted use. Scripture itself corrects that reading. Biblical dominion is never autonomous power; it is delegated authority under God’s sovereignty. The earth remains the Lord’s, and human dominion is exercised as stewardship.
The Psalms repeatedly affirm this truth: “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it” (Ps. 24:1). Humanity’s role is derivative and accountable. When Scripture describes righteous leadership, it consistently portrays care for what has been entrusted. Proverbs teaches that “the righteous care for the needs of their animals” (Prov. 12:10), linking moral character with attentiveness to creation.
The Law reinforces this ethic through commands that protect land, animals, and future generations. Sabbath rest is extended not only to people but to the land itself (Lev. 25). Even in warfare, Israel is prohibited from destroying fruit-bearing trees (Deut. 20:19). These laws reveal a God who cares about restraint, sustainability, and continuity.
The prophets make explicit what the Law implies: environmental degradation is often tied to moral failure. Hosea describes a land that “mourns” because of human unfaithfulness, where animals perish and the sea suffers (Hos. 4:1–3). Jeremiah laments a desolate land resulting from covenant violation (Jer. 12:4).
These passages do not suggest that every environmental hardship is a direct punishment for specific sins. Rather, they reveal a theological principle: Human rebellion disrupts not only relationships with God and neighbor, but also the created order itself. Creation is affected by how humanity lives within God’s covenant.
This biblical pattern challenges the notion that environmental care is peripheral to faith. Scripture treats the condition of the land as spiritually significant, intertwined with obedience, justice, and worship.
The New Testament does not retreat from this vision of creation’s value; it deepens it. Jesus’ ministry is saturated with attention to the natural world. He teaches with images drawn from soil, seed, water, birds, weather, and trees — not as disposable metaphors, but as witnesses to God’s care and provision. “Consider the lilies of the field,” Jesus says, grounding trust in God’s faithfulness to creation itself (Matt. 6:28–30).
Jesus’ miracles frequently restore the physical world: calming storms, multiplying food, healing bodies. These acts are not merely demonstrations of divine power; they are signs of restoration. They reveal what God intends for creation when it is set right. The reign of God that Jesus proclaims is not abstract or disembodied — it touches land, water, bodies, and communities.
Paul echoes this vision in Romans 8, where he describes creation itself as “groaning” under the weight of human sin, awaiting liberation alongside humanity. Creation is not a disposable backdrop to salvation; it is a participant in God’s redemptive plan.
The Bible’s final book reinforces this accountability. Revelation 11:18 declares that God will judge “those who destroy the earth.” While Revelation is highly symbolic, this statement is unmistakably direct. Scripture does not envision the destruction of creation as morally neutral.
This passage challenges the assumption that the physical world is ultimately irrelevant because it will be replaced. Instead, Revelation culminates not in escape from the earth, but in its renewal: “Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1). God’s final act is restoration, not abandonment.
If God intends to redeem creation, then Christian neglect of it is not merely careless—it is contradictory to God’s purposes.
Environmental stewardship is inseparable from the biblical command to love one’s neighbor. Pollution, environmental degradation, and resource depletion disproportionately affect the poor, the vulnerable, and future generations. To poison water, degrade land, or exhaust resources without regard for others is to violate the command to love. Creation care is therefore not only about preserving beauty or biodiversity; it is about justice, compassion, and responsibility.
Christians do not believe the world can be saved by human effort alone. Ultimate restoration belongs to God. Yet Scripture has never used divine sovereignty as an excuse for human irresponsibility. Faithfulness has always meant obedience within the time and place God has given.
To care for creation is not to replace the Gospel; it is to live it. Stewardship reflects gratitude to the Creator, obedience to His commands, and hope in His promises. It is a witness that Christians take seriously the world God so loved.
From the garden of Eden to the new creation, Scripture presents a consistent vision: the earth is God’s, humanity is entrusted with its care, and accountability accompanies that trust. Environmental stewardship is not a modern addition to Christian faith, nor a distraction from spiritual concerns. It is a faithful response to Scripture’s call.
Protecting the Lord’s garden is an act of worship. It honors the creator, serves our neighbors, and anticipates the day when God will make all things new.
South Carolina is deeply embedded in the Bible Belt, and Christian leaders have demonstrated these biblical principles while dispelling the popular narrative that one must choose between economic and environmental sustainability. South Carolina is growing fast and at a pace among the country’s fastest-growing states. Christian leadership involves protecting the Lord’s garden today and for future generations while strengthening communities without sacrificing the land, water, air, and coast.
Genesis 2:15 grounds environmental stewardship in the duality Hebrew mandate to ʿābad (serve) and shāmar (guard) the garden, establishing humanity’s original vocation as one of cultivation and protection under God’s authority — a command given before the Fall and never revoked.
This is real Christian leadership and one that will provide for the protection of the Lord’s garden while also serving families, providing resources for their families.
Thomas Stowe Mullikin, PhD, serves as director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, a cabinet-level post and a state agency that employs more than 1,100 employees across all of South Carolina’s 46 counties. Dr. Mullikin is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, the USC School of Law, and Columbia International University (former Columbia Bible College).
