Jesus Truly Saves  

Someone asked this important question: If god created evil and everything he created was good, does that mean God thinks evil is good?

Is God the author of evil? Did He sit back and devise evil plans for His creation, in order to bring suffering upon them? These questions and many others like them are echoed in the minds of those wanting to know the truth about God's nature, and omniscient involvement in creation. If God is not the author of evil, then why is there so much suffering, pain, disease, famines, etc. in the world? Many in their attempt to understand God, or explain Him, claim that yes He is the author of evil, and can do as He pleases with creation. Others, such as skeptics, say He is a cruel God, rejoicing in making people suffer, playing with mankind as pawns in a chess game. But are these accusations true? Is there any evidence in the Bible that refutes these false claims, or that sheds light on some of the answers to these desperate questions? What are some of the verses that people try to use to proclaim, 'Aha! See, He is the author of evil!' Let's begin by explaining God's character, His nature, and the attributes that make Him God that are revealed throughout the scriptures.

God is omniscient [all-knowing (1 John 3:20)], omnipresent [present everywhere simultaneously (1 Kings 8:27)], and omnipotent [all-powerful (Rev. 19:6)]. These are attributes that make Him alone God. No other creature in all creation has these attributes. They are preserved only for Him. If this is true, and He is all-knowing, how do we explain the fall, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden of Eden, or other events God allowed to happen which brought about the fall? He is a holy God, who cannot dwell in the presence of sin. He is full of love, compassion, mercy, understanding, and yet, also, a righteous God who judges according to His holy standards. But if He is such a God of love, how did the fall happen? How did His creation turn from Him and choose to sin? Did any of this happen without Him knowing? Did it take Him by surprise? Since God is all knowing, we can say with the utmost certainty that no, nothing happens in all creation that He is not aware of. So why put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of eden? First, before I answer this question, I want to share this nugget of truth about the greatest act of love. According to the Scriptures, the ultimate act of love is that one would lay down His life for His friends. We see this throughout the scriptures in passages such as, John 15:13,

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

If this is true, can you think of a better way in which God could prove to His creation this ultimate act of love for them? If they had no choice to serve Him, but were made robots, would that have been 'love'? Yet, God in His infinite wisdom provided a way of escape for mankind, ...and through this act that was intended for 'evil' by the tempter (Lucifer), God turned around for good. In His infinite wisdom, He saw beforehand what Adam and Eve would choose, and planned a way to reverse the effects of the fall. As He knew they would fall, He also decided before the foundation of the world that He would also be the solution to restore what was lost. That He Himself would take the penalty for our sin upon Himself, so that we might have life eternal with Him.  He chose to die for us, to restore us to a right relationship with Him. He chose to 'lay down His life for us' which demonstrates His ultimate love for mankind. When Adam and Eve sinned, they died a 'spiritual death.' Yet, it is in the 'spiritual realm' that we are capable of having a relationship with God, where we are God-conscience. But Adam and Eve's sin brought about the death that God said would befall them if they chose to disobey Him.

Genesis 2
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

And shortly after, we know the story. They chose to disobey, and the consequences of their disobedience affected all mankind, and even creation itself, from that point on. Why us too? Because we are all made in the image of our parents. Adam and Eve were the first 'parents' and everyone born after them, are created in their likeness... with a sin nature. But God, in His infinite love for His creation, did not leave us deserted, left destitute to ourselves, with no hope. In 1 Peter 1:20-21, we read about Jesus,

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

God in His great love for mankind, planned for the redemption of mankind from the very beginning, knowing what man would choose. In His great love, He gave them a choice to obey or not. They chose not to. So He provided a way of escape from the consequences that would follow. Creation itself is under a curse, and moans for the day when it also will be set free. In Romans 8, we read,

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

With the decay of creation, and sin entering the world, suffering, disease, famines, etc. are the result. We will not be delivered from this world of sin until God creates a new heaven, and a new earth, as described in 2 Peter,

2 Peter 3
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
             
And as for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, we will remain in these corruptible bodies, which are decaying with each day that passes, until we receive our glorified bodies. Until then, suffering, disease, pain, etc. are the consequence of the fall. But the good news is that Jesus came to set us free. Without Him, those who pass from this life will depart into a place of more severe punishment, suffering, grief, being totally separated from God throughout all eternity. God is a Holy God, and sin cannot dwell in His presence. But with Him, as our Lord and Savior, we can escape the corruption of sin in the world, and penalty for sin, when we enter into His presence, receiving complete restoration from the effects of sin.

With this brief introduction to the fall, it's effects, and God's great love for mankind, what can we say about God being the author of evil? Are there any scriptures that point to the contrary? Let's examine a few passages about the nature of God and His creation before the fall:

Genesis 1
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

James 1
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

1 John 1
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1 Corinthians 14
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

If this is true, then God truly cannot in any way be the 'author' of evil. To help us understand a little more, let's define what 'evil' is. According to the scriptures, evil is basically 'the absence of God's righteousness.'  It is not something that is 'created.' It is the 'want of moral perfection' in God's creation. But what about certain passages that seem to imply that God indeed is the author of evil? Let's examine a few of them:

Isaiah 45
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

This one is used probably more than any others to prove that God is the author of evil. But, unfortunately, this is a poor translation of the Hebrew word for evil, 'rah.' It can also be translated 'calamity' or 'destruction,' and is used this way in many other passages. Since we know that God cannot be the 'author' of evil based on the passages above, we know that the better rendering for this word would be 'calamity or destruction.' God indeed allows calamity or destruction to befall a city or people who have chosen to purposefully rebel against Him, trying to destroy His people, and His work. We've seen many examples of this in the Old Testament. Even though God is not the author of evil, He does allow calamity to come, in whatever form it takes, as a form of punishment. Also note that in this particular passage, the context of it is God allowing natural disasters, and distress to befall those in willful disobedience to His sovereignty.

Amos 3
6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

This passage also needs to be taken in it's context. Upon reading it we find that God brought calamity and distress upon this people as a form of judgement, and not any sort of 'moral evil.' Again, this is a poor choice of the Hebrew word for evil, 'rah,' which also means calamity or destruction, among many other things.

I would venture to say that there is nothing more that the enemy of God, Satan himself, would want more than to cause God's creation to think that He, God, is the author of evil. Or that God is responsible for tempting Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, predestining their response. But Scripture shows us otherwise. The Devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy anything that would lead us into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. As he cunningly deceived Eve in the garden, he continues to try and deceive all mankind, to lead them away from God. He seeks to destroy as many as he can before his time is up, to take them with him into the pits of hell. He would love for the focus of evil to be off of him, and cast unto our Holy, Righteous God. But what the devil intends for evil, God has turned around for good for those who choose Him, and receive His way of escape. Have you accepted the way of escape from eternal separation from God? It is only found in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

John 14
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.