God created the ideal environment for humanity, with light, water, vegetation, celestial bodies, animals and the Sabbath. Sin corrupted the environment, bringing thorns, thistles, disease, death and deterioration. The environment has continued to decline through pollution, deforestation, species loss and more. Christians are called to care for the environment by reducing waste, using energy efficiently, recycling and choosing sustainable options to honor God as creator.

1. THEENVIRONMENTLesson 5

2. How did our environment arise?The Bible says that God created everything around us as the ideal environment, so that we could have full life.The theory of evolution says that our environment is the result of a series of coincidences, without any sense or purpose.

3. God created the ideal environment for man.Light

4. LightWater

5. LightWaterVegetation

6. LightWaterVegetationSun, moon and stars

7. LightWaterVegetationSun, moon and starsBirds and fishes

8. LightWaterVegetationSun, moon and starsBirds and fishesLandanimals

9. LightWaterVegetationSun, moon and starsBirds and fishesLandanimalsSabbath

10. SABBATH AND ENVIRONMENTGod ended His creative work by giving us the gift of Sabbath. During its sacred hours, we can rest and enjoy our relationship with Him, our Creator.

11. “In the minds of the children the very thought of the Sabbath should be bound up with the beauty of natural things... Happy the father and mother who can teach their children God's written word with illustrations from the open pages of the book of nature; who can gather under the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, to study the Word and to sing the praise of the Father above.In pleasant weather let parents walk with their children in the fields and groves. Amid the beautiful things of nature tell them the reason for the institution of the Sabbath. Describe to them God's great work of creation. Tell them that when the earth came from His hand, it was holy and beautiful. Every flower, every shrub, every tree, answered the purpose of its Creator... Show that it was sin which marred God's perfect work; that thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death, are all the result of disobedience to God. Bid them see how the earth, though marred with the curse of sin, still reveals God's goodness”E.G.W. (The faith I live by, September 25)

12. THE DECLINE OF THE ENVIRONMENTMan started to dominate the creation in a despotic way.Sin affected the environment, and it started to deteriorate. Thorns and thistles grew.Death appeared among animals and vegetation, not only among men.

13. THE DECLINE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

14. THE DECLINE OF THE ENVIRONMENTThe changes the sin introduced have become worse through our history.Nowadays we can see the terrible effects of the deterioration of the environment.Atmosphericpollution.

15. Destruction of the ozone layer.

16. Exhaustion of fresh water and acidification of water.

17. Water and landpollution.

18. New and fearfulillnesses.

19. Climaticchanges.

20. Deforestation and desertification.

21. General deterioration due to toxic industrial and nuclear waste.