DID GOD CREATE EVIL?

Let’s Explore The Answer

When looking up the definition of evil, we read this description: morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. Some would argue that there’s no true standard of morality, therefore what some call evil isn’t evil at all. But turn on any news headline and there’s no doubt that evil things are happening all over the world. And despite our desire for peace, evil seems to be increasing day by day.

So where did evil come from? How did it start? It’s a human tendency to want to place blame for bad things that happen. So who is to blame for evil? God? The devil? Mankind?

First, let’s look at the opinions of both skeptics and atheists. Then, we’ll examine what the Bible says about the creation of evil…

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What Skeptics & Atheists Say

In the skeptic’s view of evil, they struggle to connect an all-knowing God to the blatant wrong-doings in society. According to the world of philosophy, this dilemma is known as “the problem of evil.” While they admit that evil is harmful and inexplicable, they tend to categorize it into various degrees of offenses that occur without explanation or reason.

For the atheist, the problem of evil seems to affirm their belief that no God or deity exists. After all, if a higher being was in control, he wouldn’t permit evil to continue. This leads many atheists to the idea that while evil is a terrible misfortune, there’s no higher being that’s going to solve the problem. Some atheists have even gone so far as to question the validity of evil saying, “If there’s no God to dictate right or wrong, what makes evil so evil?”

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What The Bible Says

In 1 John 1:5, the Bible says, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” While evil does exist, the inherent character of God suggests He did not create it. In fact, when He finished creating the world and everything in it, Genesis 1:31 tells us that “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
While God did not create evil, He did create angels and humans with the ability to choose right from wrong. Unfortunately, many of those choices turned out to be wicked and grievous.

However, one Bible passage indicates that God can use what’s meant for evil and turn it into something good. The Old Testament story tells of a man named Joseph who was sold by his brothers into slavery. Years later, Joseph said this about the wrong that was done to him: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20)

So, while evil is prevalent all over the world today, there’s comfort in knowing there’s a loving God who can take what’s meant for evil and use it for our good.

What would happen if you embraced the possibility that the God of the Bible really did create the world and really does care for you?

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Pascal’s Wager

In the seventeenth century, a famous philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, encouraged people to make a wager when it came to belief in God. If a person chose to believe in God and God did exist, that person would gain everything (eternal life). If a person chose to believe in God and God did not exist, that person would lose nothing. On the other hand, if a person chose not to believe in God and he was right, he would lose nothing. But if that person did not believe in God and he was wrong- he would lose everything (lose eternal life).

This wager can be said another way:

Based on this logic, Pascal suggested the rational person would choose to believe in God as believing offers a person everything (eternal life) while losing nothing. Wherever you are in your faith journey, would you consider taking Pascal’s wager? If the good God of the Bible exists, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by believing in Him today.

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