The Question of Evil

1. Why is evil in this world?

A. The problem of evil.

This has been historically the greatest argument of the atheist- If God exists, why does evil exist?

If God is all powerful, why does He not destroy/prevent evil? (why do we see suffering, poverty, disaster)

If God is good, why does He allow evil to exist?

This isn’t just a problem for the Christian. This is a problem for everyone. The existence of evil is an attack on evolution.

If evolution is true then why are we not evolving morally? People are evil and are becoming more evil. The survival of the fittest often involves the destruction of the weaker.

In fact, the existence of evil is an argument in favor of the existence of God.

How do we know what evil is? Why do people universally accept the idea that there is evil? In order for there to be evil there must be good. In order for there to be good there must be an ultimate source of the good. What are we measuring good and evil by? Where does that come from?

Evil is the absence of that which is good. Think about it. How does the Bible describe evil?

Unrighteousness

Ungodliness

Injustice

Evil is the absence of what is good, but where does the idea of good come from? It comes from the conscience. The conscience comes from God. All humans have an understanding of morality, that which is good.

The existence of evil itself does not disprove the existence of God. It actually helps to prove God does exist.

B. God does not explain to us the origin of evil.

We know that evil is not eternal. Everything God created was good. Evil is not an eternal force that exists alongside God. There was a time when there was no evil.

We know that evil is not a thing. Evil doesn’t have substance. Things can become evil. But evil itself is not a thing. Evil is an action of something that is a thing.

Many of you are probably thinking the origin of evil is free will.

So, are you blaming God for evil then? If God gave you a free will and your free will is what led to evil is that not indirectly blaming God.

I don’t want to lose you this morning. I don’t want to get too deep. But I do want to make you think.

In a minute I’ll explain how Satan fits into all of this. But let’s think about sin. Jesus taught us that sin is not just the action. Jesus taught us that sin includes the desire to commit the offense.

If you lust in your heart to commit adultery, you’ve already sinned.

The lust to sin always exists before the sin is committed.

Temptation is not sin. But temptation and lust are not the same thing. Lust is the desire to do it. Before every sin you commit the lust to sin is present. Most sin therefore includes the heart and the hand. The sin is committed in the heart before it’s committed with the hand.

The question that arises is: Where did the desire for Satan to sin come from? Satan was the first sinner. For Adam and Eve, it came from Satan. Satan is the first sinner. How was he tempted?

That’s the hard question to answer. I doubt I will ever answer it. That’s ok. The Bible says the secret things belong to the Lord (Deut. 29:29).

C. God does explain to us how evil was introduced to this world.

I’m going to be pulling from Isa. 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-19.

Satan was an angelic being created by God. He was beautiful. He was created in perfection. Then it says unrighteousness was found in him. Doesn’t say how it got there. Just says it was found in him.

He was lifted up with pride

He corrupted his wisdom

He sought to elevate himself above God

He was cast from heaven to the earth.

Revelation 12 says a third of the angels followed him in rebellion and were cast down with him.

All of this happened after God created heaven and the earth. Because the Bible says everything God created was good. So, sometime after the creation of heaven and earth Satan fell. He and the fallen angels were cast down to earth.

Satan is the first sinner. The Bible calls him the father of lies and says he was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

Why is evil in this world? Evil is in this world because God cast evil beings out of heaven and onto this earth.

Why did He do that? Doesn’t sound like a good idea to us!

Grace. He could have sent them to hell immediately.

He has a plan. Romans 8:28. God is going to use evil to glorify Himself. As hard as that is for us to understand, that’s exactly what He’s going to do.

2. Why do we do evil things? (1-7)

A. God tested Adam and Eve (1-3).

Its clear God tests them. Look back at 2:15-17.

God told Adam he could eat of every tree in the garden except one: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Eve wasn’t present, but Adam had shared this information with her (2-3).

It was in the middle of the garden, very obvious.

It was only one tree, God gave them more than they needed.

It was a good tree. It was not evil itself.

The fruit wasn’t evil. The action of eating from it was evil. This was God’s tree. They were not to eat from it. Two things would happen if they ate from this tree:

They would become sinners: knowing good and evil.

God would punish them.

B. Satan convinced Eve to disobey God.

We know the serpent in verse 1 is Satan. Revelation 12:9 calls Satan the serpent. Ezekiel 28:13 says he was in the garden.

Some of you are thinking “How can a snake talk?”. Snakes can’t talk. Two possibilities here:

1) Satan transformed himself into the appearance of a serpent 2 Cor. 11:14 says he can transform himself into an angel of light. He can transform himself into the appearance of other things.

2) He possessed the body of some sort of snake. Do you remember when the demons had possessed the herd of swine? Jesus came to cast them out and the demons spoke to them. It was the pigs talking, it was the demons talking through the pigs.

We see that strategy Satan uses with Eve.

He questions the Word of God “Did God really say that?” (1)

He contradicts the Word of God (4). God will not judge you for this.

He attacks the character of God (5) God isn’t telling you the truth. He doesn’t want you to have what He has.

You might wonder why Eve would be talking to this animal.

First, she didn’t know all the animals. She wasn’t there when Adam named them. It was evidently not odd that animal would appear to talk. Perhaps she thought this was a creature she’d never encountered.

Second, she had no reason to think something bad would happen. Nothing bad had ever happened.

Eve looked at the tree.

She desired the tree.

She ate from the tree.

She convinced Adam to eat from it as well

C. The Bible teaches that we sin because we inherited a sinful nature from Adam.

Look at how quickly the sin nature kicks in.

They experience guilt and shame. They knew they were naked.

When God asks Adam why he is hiding he says because he is naked. What God says is kind of funny. He says “Who told you you were naked?” (11)

They were the only people there. There was reason to feel shame or guilt.

Their conscience told them they were naked. Their minds were filled with ungodly thoughts and ideas. Shame was the result of these thoughts.

They attempt to hide what they have done rather than confess. They sew fig leaves together, as if God isn’t going to recognize what they’ve done.

Adam blames Eve, and God (12).

Eve blames Satan (13).

All of these things are the result of the sin nature: Guilt, shame, ungodly thoughts, covering up our sin, blaming others.

Adam and Eve experienced these things immediately.

God puts on His judge’s robe.

He cursed Satan.

The woman would have increased pain in childbirth

The ground would bring forth thorns.

Work would be burdensome.

They would die.

They started dying that die. They died spiritually. They were cut off from God. They were kicked out of Eden. They began the process of dying spiritually.

The Bible teaches the sin nature they inherited is passed on to all of their descendants (Romans 5:12).

We do evil things because we inherit a sin nature from Adam. All people sin. There is no questioning that. You may question why, but you will not question they all do. The Bible says they do because of what happened in the garden.

3. Will there be an end to evil?

A. What good has come from evil?

Evil has opened the door for us to see the mercy of God.

If you’ve never read the story before you might wonder how God will react. Let’s look at two surprising things God does:

1) He covers Adam and Eve. In verse 21 He kills animals and covers and uses their hides to make clothing for Adam and Eve.

This shows He loves Adam and Eve more than He loves the animals.

This shows He is concerned about the shame they feel.

This shows that God will not simply overlook their sin. They didn’t immediately physically die, but something died in their place.

2) He promises to destroy Satan. In verse15 He says a child will be born that will crush the head of the serpent. This is prophetic of Christ who will destroy the devil and the works of the devil.

What has evil allowed us to see in God?

The grace of God- God’s love is granted, not deserved.

The love of God- God’s love is greater than we could imagine.

The mercy of God- God not only loves, He forgives.

You remember the story of Joseph. His brother sold him into slavery. They hated him. God rescued Joseph and exalted him in Egypt. When his brothers realized Joseph was alive and they were at his mercy they were afraid. Joseph said, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”

We are also able to love God in a deeper way because sin entered the world. Jesus said the one who has been forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:47).

Because of evil God’s love is magnified and our love for Him is multiplied.

B. Christ will destroy evil.

The Bible begins with evil entering the world. It ends with evil being destroyed.

Revelation 20:10 says:

and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Paul said the last enemy to be destroyed will be death itself (1 Cor. 15:26).

What do we see in Genesis 3? We see the devil and death. They are both destroyed.

1 John 3:8 says Jesus will destroy the works of the devil.

Everything Satan introduced to this world will be destroyed. It will be eternally removed.

C. The believer will experience a paradise greater than Eden.

There are two eternal destinations.

In Hell there is nothing good. Everything is evil.

In heaven there is nothing evil, everything is good.

Eden was great, but it had a devil.

Some wonder if angels sinned against God in the past, can they sin now.

They also wonder if we could sin in heaven and get kicked out.

Angels cannot sin in heaven. The ones who did not follow Satan are called “the elect angels”. (1 Timothy 5:21).

People cannot sin in heaven. How do we know this. 1 John 3:2 says when we see Christ we will be like Him. Jesus did not have a sin nature. In heaven we will not have a sin nature.

There will not be a devil or an unelect angel in heaven therefore there will be no one to tempt us from the outside.

There will be no sin nature within us so we cannot be tempted from the inside.

Rev. 1:27 says “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

God allowed evil to enter this world. It has served its purpose. God will not allow it again.

For the believer there will be an end to evil. For the unbeliever there will not be an end to it. Jesus taught us to pray “Deliver us from evil.” He is the only One who can give us that deliverance. Trust Him.