What does it mean that creation is under constant duress?
The natural world groans and travails in pain because of the curse, not as God intended. Animals live in constant search for food and constant effort to avoid becoming food, an ecological struggle. This duress continues until the curse is lifted and Christ intervenes to set things straight.
Les explains from Romans 8 that the whole creation groans and travails in pain. He points to rocks, rivers, trees, birds, fish, and animals, along with believers, all looking forward to the day the curse is lifted. Using the cottontail as an illustration, he says most of creation is under constant duress—constantly searching for food and trying to protect itself from being food, which we call ecology. That is not how God intended it, so creation travails in pain together until now. Believers who have the firstfruits of the Spirit also await the Lord's coming, while unbelievers shrink from it. Les says Christ will intervene in human history and set things straight.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
More Questions
Why is creation under constant duress and pain?
Most of creation is under constant duress, constantly searching for food and trying to protect itself from being food, which is called ecology.
What does it mean that creation groans and travails in pain?
Creation's groaning and travailing in pain means most of creation is under constant duress — in constant search of food and constantly trying to protect itself from being food, which is what we call ecology.