Why Did God Create Evil?...

A Prevailing View

Have you ever heard the comment “Why does God allow all of the bad things in the world?” or “Why did the Lord allow this or that bad thing to happen?” In a since aren’t they asking “Why did God create Evil?”? I’ve been apart of conversations that run along these lines. As this world falls apart I hear the word evil more and more. People are starting to wonder and worry. They are starting to realize that things are not right and something bad is not that far away. I thought maybe we could explore this concept today for a bit.

A professor at the university asked his students the following question:- Everything that exists was created by God? One student bravely answered:- Yes, created by God.- Did God create everything? - a professor asked. “Yes, sir,” replied the student. The professor asked :- If God created everything, then God created evil, since it exists. And according to the principle that our deeds define ourselves, then God is evil. The student became silent after hearing such an answer. The professor was very pleased with himself. He boasted to students for proving once again that faith in God is a myth. Another student raised his hand and said:- Can I ask you a question, professor?" Of course," replied the professor

.A student got up and asked:- Professor, is cold a thing?- What kind of question? Of course it exists. Have you ever been cold? Students laughed at the professor’s question. The young man answered:- Actually, sir, cold doesn't exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is actually the absence of heat. A person or object can be studied on whether it has or transmits energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit) is a complete absence of heat. All matter becomes inert and unable to react at this temperature. Cold does not exist. We created this word to describe what we feel in the absence of heat. The student continued:- Professor, does darkness exist?— Of course it exists.- You're wrong again, sir. Darkness also does not exist. Darkness is actually the absence of light. We can study the light but not the darkness. We can use Newton's prism to spread white light across multiple colors and explore the different wavelengths of each color. You can't measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into the world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you tell how dark a certain space is? You measure how much light is presented. Isn't it so? Darkness is a term man uses to describe what happens in the absence of light. In the end, the young man asked the professor:- Sir, does evil exist? This time it was uncertain, the professor answered:- Of course, as I said before. We see him every day. Cruelty, numerous crimes and violence throughout the world. These examples are nothing but a manifestation of evil. To this, the student answered:- Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist for itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is like darkness and cold—a man-made word to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not faith or love, which exist as light and warmth. Evil is the result of the absence of Divine love in the human heart. It’s the kind of cold that comes when there is no heat, or the kind of darkness that comes when there’s no light. Evil is the absence of God and His Love.

Evil

What is Evil? In your frame of reference what is evil? Have you every tried to quantify the term? I heard many a person, a way of thinking, a movie character, or even an item or thing be declared as evil.

You know I use to think about the word evil. I’d read about it in the Bible and say “yup that’s evil” and leave it right there in the Bible and not think about it again. But if I spend anytime at all thinking about what’s going on in the world, I have a frame of reference now that is so blatantly obvious that I’m forced to come to a decision on it. Have you found yourself in that situation?

Webster states that evil is morally reprehensible (guilty, sinful, illegal, bad, reckless), and wicked. If you look up wicked it means morally very bad. A second definition: arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct.

The Hebrew word for evil is Ra it means bad, deadly, defect, displeasing, grievous, and harmful to name just a few. Another nuance of that word Ra is Roa which means badness, rottenness or ugliness.

The Greek word for evil is Kakous and it means mean and ugly, ill-born, cowardly, worthless and bad in all things.

Under these definitions: if something or someone is declared evil, it is the worst of the worst, especially in a Biblical sense.

The Origin of Evil

The Bible describes this event pretty clearly and we are not unacquainted with this event. It’s described it for us in Ezekiel 28: 12-19 and Isaiah 14 12-14. The name of the being, that introduced our plant to this idea of evil, was the “shining one” or the “brilliant one”. The KJV originally introduced this being as Lucifer and it is a Latin derivative of the Hebrew word Hillel. It means light bearer. Between Ezekiel and Isaiah we get a very vivid picture as to the place that this created being, as that is how he is described, held in Heaven.

Ezekiel 28:12–15 NLT

12 “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone— red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald— all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. 14 I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. 15 “You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.

Isaiah 14:12–14 NLT

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. 13 For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. 14 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’

Ezekiel 28:17 NLT

17 Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.

These verses have always made me stop and compare my existence with that of Lucifer’s. God describes him as a perfect being in every way, shape and form. The Bible describes as him leading the songs of praise that the angels sang to God. It describes his voice as amazing. He lived in a perfect reality and from the time of his creation, knew his exalted position that God had created him for. He was second only to Jesus Himself.

I wonder how long he existed before doubts and thoughts of self began to grow in his mind. When those thoughts began to take shape, evil and sin became a reality. This had never ever been a thing before. This thought process had never entered any other beings mind before this. I can fathom this happening to someone in the lower levels of the angelic host that might have thought that he deserved a higher place in the scheme of things, but to the second in command? With all of the knowledge that God had freely given him? It’s just unfathomable to me.

We all know that Lucifer now Satan was thrown out of Heaven and marooned on this planet so to speak. What happened after that we all know pretty well.

John 8:44 NKJV

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

You might ask yourself, why would God let this or how could this even happen?

Lets Look at how God in the Bible describes evil?

Genesis 6:5 NKJV

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The Hebrew word Ra is used here for evil.

Proverbs 6:12–19 NLT

12 What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, 13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. 14 Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. 15 But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. 16 There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

Mark 7:21–22 NLT

21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

It’s not a pretty picture is it? These are our plumb line to evaluate every person, every thought process and every action that we come across.

The Alternative

Now lets look a the character of the Omnipotent and why this idea of evil was allowed to take shape and progress. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this world was created by a wonderfully good God.

How then do we answer the question: If God is all powerful and was able to create this wonderful world, why does He let evil and the father of evil exist? Lets look at who God is.

God’s Character

1 John 4:8 ESV

8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

“God is love” it says. But God and love are not synonymous here (they are not identical). Instead this is the essential quality or attribute of God. He who does not love, does not understand the basic quality of God’s nature. To the nonbeliever, if there is a supreme deity He is a far-off being with little interest in His worshipers, whereas many malicious spirits in the form of people or things close at hand. So they ignore the God of heaven and seek to placate the devils in the form of clever self willed people. In certain Eastern religions, God is an all-pervading mind indifferent to human needs, and hope is centered upon man’s becoming a nothingness in universal nonbeing. The nominal Christian all too often sees God as an angry tyrant who needs to be placated by prayers and penances or the pleadings of His son. The Bible gives a completely different picture.

1 Peter 5:6–7 NKJV

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

If there is the belief in the Bible, can anyone say that God does not love. Of course, just like the love a spouse, you must become close enough to God to experience it otherwise this idea will make no sense to you. What are the other characteristics of God?

God is Omniscience (infinite awareness)

Hebrews 4:13 NKJV

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

God is Omnipresence (He’s everywhere at once)

Proverbs 15:3 NKJV

3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

God is Omnipotence (He’s all powerful)

Mark 10:27 NKJV

27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Luke 1:37 NKJV

37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

God is Benevolence (He has a desire to show His good will)

Micah 7:18–19 NKJV

18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

1 John 1:9 NKJV

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

With those passages in mind, is there any doubt that God has the best in mind for our lives? God does care very much about what happens to his created beings.

What is the missing caveat in our discussion so far? What’s missing? We’ve talked about Satan’s character now and we’ve talked about God’s character. Both are diametrically apposed. They are like trying to put the same poles of a magnet together. Have you ever tried that? I remember the first time Dan showed that to me. I was fascinated by it. I could not make them stay together.

Will

It’s a small word, but oh how it get’s us into trouble. Webster tells me that it’s used both as a verb and a noun and just the noun it’s self has 6 different usages. Something desired, the act or process of, mental power of, the power of control actions and emotions, and the deceleration of a person’s own wishes.

Is this really a thing, did it just happen, has it always been ours or was it granted us at creation.

The first thought process of will that we see in the Bible is

Genesis 2:16–17 NLT

16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

This of course was a command by God, but it was also given as information. Adam was given a choice. If you eat of these you will have a wonderful existence, but if you eat of this tree - you will die. God gave them and He gives us still the ability to have the will to make decisions for or self. Free will to choose

This free will is the human capacity to choose and to act responsibly. As such, it enables humans to respond to God’s word in obedience or disobedience. For the Christian, the will of man is a necessary presupposition for the doctrine of sin and of man’s responsibility for sin. It is only because humans have a will, because they are the author of their own actions, that they can be held responsible and can in fact sin. Abraham passed on the word of God to Isreal

Deuteronomy 30:15–18 NLT

15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. 17 “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

Question: Can you have Love without Freewill?

Consider the story of a father who allows his child to make choices, even when they might lead to mistakes. He does this not out of neglect but out of love, knowing that true love cannot be forced. Similarly, God gives us the gift of free will, inviting us into a relationship with Him rather than demanding obedience. In Deuteronomy 30:19, He urges us to choose life, emphasizing that our love for Him must be a choice from the heart, reflecting the essence of free will and love intertwined.

or

There was a musician who poured his heart into a love song, crafting each note to express his deepest emotions. Yet, he confronted a truth: while he could sing beautifully, he couldn’t force anyone to love him back. This is how God loves us—He has composed the symphony of grace, but the choice to respond rests with us. True love cannot exist without the freedom to choose it, reminding us that our relationship with God is rooted in love freely given and freely chosen.

Can we truly have a God filled marriage unless give our spouses to right to free will? If I don’t give Kathleen the right to make her own choices what kind of life would either one of us have. A miserable one that’s what.

God wanted and wants our love. He didn’t and doesn’t want slaves.

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 NLT

19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Evil’s Demise

We have already seen that if we choose a path other than directed by God, we will be following Satan. That path leads to death. We read that just a bit ago. So anything evil leads to death. Look what it says in Rev 20.

Revelation 20:14 NLT

14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.

You’ll remember that Satan’s last “resting place” is the lake of fire as well. He’s trying to get as many as he can to follow him. His plans haven’t changed from the day that God told Adam and Eve what would happen to him.

Evil will be destroyed forever.

Abraham implored his people to chose life. God implores us to choose life. It’s not a hard concept, we just have to accept God’s grace and ask for forgiveness and choose to let Him do the rest. This is were we stop making choices for ourselves and let him decide for us.

God’s response to Evil

Revelation 21:1–4 NET

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. 2 And I saw the holy city—the new Jerusalem—descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”

When Jesus returns a second time that will be the beginning of the end for all things evil. God will restore everything that Adam and Eve lost so long ago. What a glorious day that will be.

So Did God Create Evil?

When some mentions, why God is allowing all of this suffering, hate, murder, lying, greed and miss use of power? You can tell them, God did not create evil; evil is a result of us his created beings misusing the free will that God gave us. He has given us the free will to choose Him and His love.

God’s triumph over evil will very soon come to pass, let us pray that we will stand strong in Him until that day comes.