Did God Create Evil? By Bruce W. Robida January 1, 2020

 

Did God create evil?

The short answer is, no. God did not create good, nor did He create evil. Good and evil are byproducts of the actions of others, specifically, God, angels, and mankind.

 

Of course, All of God’s actions were and are, good. God has never done anything that is evil. In fact, in the account of the creation, we see that everything God created was good, including Satan.

…You were blameless in your ways
     from the day you were created
     till wickedness was found in you. Ezekiel 28:15

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

To say that God created evil, is to contradict Genesis 1:31. Evil came first as the result of Satan’s pride and his desire to be like God.

 

…you were filled with violence,
     and you sinned. Ezekiel 28:16

…Your heart became proud
     on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
     because of your splendor. Ezekiel 28:17

… By your many sins and dishonest trade
     you have desecrated your sanctuaries. Ezekiel 28:18

 

Evil was a byproduct of Satan’s own desires. Satan’s desires were the first cause of evil. Remember, everything that God created was good, including Satan. But Satan corrupted himself because God gave him the ability to do so. This is known as, free will.

Likewise, evil was the byproduct of Eve’s desires when she was tempted in the Garden of Eden. She desired the fruit that God told her not to eat, but she too was given the ability to choose to obey God or not. Eve’s decision to eat the fruit was mankind’s first act of evil. Remember, everything that God created was good, including Eve.

So what is the cause of evil if it was not created by God?

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15

 

The obvious answer here is, desire. Our own desires lead us to act and sometimes those actions can be evil. God didn’t create evil, neither did Satan and neither did humans. Evil is a byproduct of our desires to do anything that is contrary to the will of God.

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