Who created evil?

[Christ's Free Servant]

I have asked this question in response to several posts, but no one has answered. There is the question out there about whether or not God created Satan, but I think the question is really "who created evil?" We know God created Lucifer as an angel, so he was a creation of God, so when you ask "who created Satan?" you are really asking "who created evil?" are you not since Satan as Lucifer already existed.

The Bible says that nothing was made but that God created it and that all things have as their origin God, so did God create evil? And, if your answer is "no," then who did? Remember evil had to come before Lucifer turned to Satan or he would not have changed. And, does Satan have the power to create anything? Could an angel of God create his own evil or did evil exist and therefore Satan succumbed to the evil?

And, if God is all knowing, which he is, and is Sovereign over all and knows the end from the beginning, then don't you think he had the ability to stop evil? Of course he did. But, again, this really goes back to "where did evil come from in the first place?" Can anyone answer that question?

[yomotalking]

Satan did.

[M45510G1C]

Evil is the absence of good, not a thing that can be created.

[yomotalking]

Evil is the absence of good.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Since God is good, he can't CREATE evil, can he?

[Ovedya]

I thought that I had answered that question, CFS.

The Bible is not absolutely concrete on the idea, but here is what I believe:

"Evil" is a concept, like "cold," "darkness," or "lawlessness." "Cold" is a term that we use to describe the absence of heat. When something is "cold" it is so because heat has been removed from it. "Darkness" is the absence of light, and "lawlessness" is the absence of the law.

"Evil" is a concept that describes the absence of absolute good. God Himself is the source of all things good and pure; He is the standard. But where God is removed or excused from something, his abssence creates a "vaccum." That "vacuum" is what we call "evil."

In the garden of eden man partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Whether you believe that that tree was a metaphore, or a literal representation of good and evil, one thing is for certain: Man did something that was apart from, independent of, God. It was also willful disobedience of God's commandment. Therefore, that independence became a stronghold in man's soul.

This independence actually has its source in the evil one, Satan. Satan's "fall from grace" was of the same type that Adam's was. Satan desired for himself independence from God, and even exaltation over God. Therefore, He is called teh evil one. He is even typified as the source of evil and rebellion. Satan is totally and completely apart from God. He is without God willingly. Therfore, he is completely evil in all of his ways; a liar and a murderer from the beginning.

Sin, wickedness, perversions, and every negative thing in the world are the "produce" of the evil tree. They are the result of Adam's decision to be apart from God's way.

[Keith]

There must be good and evil for there to be free will and choice. God wanted to create people who CHOSE to serve Him. For there to be choice, there has to be something to choose between.

As it was already stated, evil is just the absence of good. It's not a thing. Just like cold is the absence of heat and darkness is the absence of light. Evil is the absence of good.

God didn't create evil, He allows it.

My pastor did a service on this about three weeks ago and it was really very good. It helped people to understand a LOT. It shows how we can't blame Satan for everything that goes wrong. WE have to take the blame for the decisions we make and the consequences they bring. If we make a decision to gossip, it's the absence of good, and we are making the decision to do this. It's like a hole in the dirt. The hole is there due to the absence of dirt. You can't take the hole out of the dirt. The hole is a result, not a thing. Likewise with evil.

This is why God gave us CHOICE. Without it, we would just be mindless robots who love God because we were created with that already inside us, not knowing the freedom of choosing to love God or not. If you had the ability to create a little race of people who lived quite happily in an aquarium, wouldn't it mean more to you if they recognized you and chose to love you as their creator rather than just creating them to automatically love you? Of course!

So, with this choice, naturally comes the opposite of good... evil.

[Nanners]

There must be good and evil for there to be free will and choice.  God wanted to create people who CHOSE to serve Him.  For there to be choice, there has to be something to choose between. 

As it was already stated, evil is just the absence of good.  It's not a thing.  Just like cold is the absence of heat and darkness is the absence of light.  Evil is the absence of good.

God didn't create evil, He allows it. 

My pastor did a service on this about three weeks ago and it was really very good.  It helped people to understand a LOT.  It shows how we can't blame Satan for everything that goes wrong.  WE have to take the blame for the decisions we make and the consequences they bring.  If we make a decision to gossip, it's the absence of good, and we are making the decision to do this.  It's like a hole in the dirt.  The hole is there due to the absence of dirt.  You can't take the hole out of the dirt.  The hole is a result, not a thing.  Likewise with evil.

This is why God gave us CHOICE.  Without it, we would just be mindless robots who love God because we were created with that already inside us, not knowing the freedom of choosing to love God or not.  If you had the ability to create a little race of people who lived quite happily in an aquarium, wouldn't it mean more to you if they recognized  you and chose to love you as their creator rather than just creating them to automatically love you?  Of course! 

So, with this choice, naturally comes the opposite of good... evil.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Keith I think that sums it up and you answered quite eloquently. Thank you God for not being a dictactor but allowing CHOICE

[seraph]

imho, evil is a departure from what God created as good. it's an 'act' not a 'thing.'

[Christ's Free Servant]

Keith and Oveyda,

Thanks so much! Those were really good answers. I know God, and I know that God is good and that everything he made is good, but I also know that he has given man a free will to choose between good and evil and he created the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which I believe was a real tree, and I know he is Sovereign and that he had everything planned out even before he created the angels or the world or us, and I know he allows evil, but I could not come up with an explanation for how evil exists. You both gave very good answers to that. And, I think this also answers the question of whether or not God created Satan. He created an angel with a free will to choose between good and evil and that angel chose evil to the point, like you said, to where he became evil itself. But, God knew all this even before he created all of us, so it is God's will that we have that choice. So, I've always wondered just what God's role was in how evil came into being. And, where does this fit with predestination? And God's Sovereignty.

Can you explain this passage in light of this discussion? I understand it in light of salvation for the Jews and Gentiles, but I'd like your insight on how you think this relates to God's Sovereign will with regard to our choices. For instance, if he has mercy on whom he will have mercy and he hardens the hearts of those he will harden and if he chooses some for good purposes and others not, what ultimately is his role in the whole choice of good and evil?

Romans 9

"I speak the truth in Christ