DID GOD CREATE EVIL?

Friday 13th June

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create EVIL: I the Lord do all these things. Isaiah 45:7 (KJV)

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by EVIL, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. James 1:13 (NKJV)

Have you ever read the Bible and saw one thing in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament and wondered why they seemed to say the exact opposite? Let me reassure you you’re not alone. I’m sure we all have experienced this at one time or another. The truth of the matter though is there are absolutely NO contradictions about Him only misunderstandings. There are two major factors that can cause confusion.

Firstly, there can be translational, syntax errors that hinder us from understanding what the original text was communicating. This happens from time to time in scripture. The most probable cause however is the lack of explanation or exegesis to shed light on what seems to be contradictory at first glance due to assumptions and sin consciousness.

Take our opening scripture for example. Isaiah presumably speaking for God says ‘I create evil’. Now this is truly stated but is it a statement of truth? Let’s find out. We’ll break down the whole verse.

‘I form the light’ God said ‘let there be light’ which was spiritual light. and He made the sun, moon and stars to give the earth light.

‘I create darkness’. It does say God separated the light from the darkness which was spiritual darkness. It is also true that physical darkness is not a creation within itself but merely the absence of physical light.

‘I make peace’ Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and the angels sang ‘peace and goodwill toward men’ at his arrival.

You will find confirmations in the gospels and the epistles to establish truth. Remember the New Testament reveals the Old Testament. The Old is the mystery and the New is the revelation; all centred around Christ. We must learn to seperate the assumptions of men from the reality of Christ

‘And (I) create evil’… So the question remains; does God create evil?

James 1:13 says God cannot be tempted by evil or tempts anyone with evil. The inference here is that God does not use evil because He is not evil. This doesn’t answer the question though does it.

To get the definitive answer for our question we have to ask another question. Where did evil originate from?

Romans 5:13a says ‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin’…

Sin is another way of saying evil. So sin entered into the world through Adam. So who created sin or evil? Adam; which simply means man. Incidentally, Satan was also indirectly created by man as a result.

‘Eisechomai’ is the Greek word for ENTERED here. A foreign object. Sin didn’t exist in the world before Adam’s disobedience. Notice that the Bible says the WORLD. It means time, age or activity. So sin entered into time, and therefore INTO the activities of mankind. How does sin operate? Primarily through the activities of men.

Notice it doesn’t say the earth. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says Satan is the god of this world, not this EARTH. That’s why the Bible says God has given the earth to the sons of men.

So why did Isaiah think that God created evil? In short; Ignorance and sin consciousness because the law is also a creation of sin. We’ll come to that later. It is proof that even those who spoke on behalf of God made certain assumptions about the nature and character of God in the Bible.

This is why we must seperate the law from Christ or we will take these same assumptions into our Christian experience. God is not someone with a multiple personalities of both good and evil. He has no dualism.

1 John 1:5 settles the matter.

‘This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.’

Mark my words. God is only light, only good, only righteous. He never created evil. There is no variableness or shadow of turning with Him. He proved it by dying for OUR sin in Jesus Christ.

‘For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’ 2 Corinthians 5:21

APPLICATION

Look at the nature and character of Jesus in the gospels and you will understand what God is truly like. Remember He is the same yesterday, today and forever.