Question from a WordTruth.Com friend:

>> God is the creator of all things. Before anything existed, God was, is and always will be!
In the beginning was God. and nothing existed that does exist except it came from Him.
If this statement is true, then evil was also created by God. God created a tree in the midst
of the garden. The Tree of (good) and (evil). Both arena's were created within this tree by God.  If God
created good and evil, how are we to overcome evil with good?
 

WordTruth.Com Response:

The question of God's holiness and the existence of evil has been a subject of much debate and misunderstanding for many people.  On the one hand, one can accept the revelation in God's word that He is "holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3, NKJV).  On the other hand, when one faces evil in the form of personal tragedy it is harder to understand how a holy God could allow such evil.  I understand the dilemma.  So let us examine what God's word says about this issue you raise:

>>> God is the creator of all things. Before anything existed, God was, is and always will be!
In the beginning was God. and nothing existed that does exist except it came from Him.
>>>

Scripture confirms this in many places but the very first verse is very clear: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1, NKJV).  Also, speaking of the LORD Jesus Christ, Scripture says, "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:3, NKJV).  It is important to note that man was made "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27, NKJV).  The communicable aspects of God's nature -- mind to think, emotions to feel, a will to choose, an eternal soul -- were created in a physical being.  Obviously, God could not endow man with His incommunicable aspects such as omnipotence, omnipresence, etc.  But God did endow human beings with the ability to think, feel, and make independent choices.  

>>>If this statement is true, then evil was also created by God.God created a tree in the midst of the garden. The Tree of (good) and (evil). Both arena's were created within this tree by God.
>>>

First, look at what Scripture says about this particular part of creation:

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:15-17, NKJV)

So God did not create "evil" in the form of a tree but simply marked a tree in the garden as "off-limits" to Adam and Eve.  He graciously supplied everything they needed and gave them everything in the garden except for the fruit of this one tree.  There was nothing particularly significant about this tree -- it had no mystical qualities in and of itself.  It was just a tree.  But the fact that God gave instructions to Adam that he must not eat from that tree created a test.

If God had not created man "in His image" (Genesis 1:27, NKJV), but had created robots programmed to do certain things then your statement would be correct.  If we were automatons programmed to do certain things and did evil, then it would be correct to assign the blame to God.  But God created human beings with a will to choose.  This was necessary if we were to ever demonstrate love for God.  The risk is that one who can choose to love can also choose not to love.  God created human beings endowed with a will to make such choices.

It is an illogical step to say that since God created all things that He also created a future choice by a being with a will to make independent choices.  God is not the author of evil but is "holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3, NKJV), too pure to look upon evil (Habakkuk, 1:13), and "every word of God is pure" (Proverbs 30:5, NKVJ).  To attribute evil to God is to contradict the revelation given to us by God Himself in Scripture.

Evil then is a choice made by the will of man.  The LORD God spoke to Cain after he had committed the first murder: "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it" (Genesis 4:7, NKJV).  Clearly, man has the ability to make choices of good (to "do well") and evil (to "not do well").  When human beings make evil choices, the blame must be attributed to the individual rather than God.

>>>If God created good and evil, and we are to overcome evil with good, and nature's
laws state that in force an action is met with an equal and opposite reaction.
>>>

From the preceding explanation, this statement has no foundation.  God did not create evil.  Also, you cannot apply a law of physical science "each action is met with an equal and opposite reaction" to moral choices.  Although you can draw an analogy that there are certain consequences of our choices, good or bad (Galatians 6:7-8).

>>>What happens to the evil, and how is it overcome and held into
subjection by the good. Where in scripture does God give us this information?
>>>

Now we come to a critical issue as far as our daily living is concerned: How does a holy God allow evil in His creation?  While God is sovereign (He rules) over all creation (Gen. 15:2, Deuteronomy 3:24, Joshua 7:7, Psalm 71:16,99:1-2, and many others), He has allowed both human beings and angelic beings certain freedoms within His sovereign rule.  There is a tension between these two concepts of God's sovereignty and man's freedom that you and I will never be able to totally reconcile.  We are finite beings grappling with a concept of an infinite, transcendent God.  Nevertheless, we know both to be true from God's revelation about Himself and His creation in Scripture.

While God created a perfect environment with two innocent human beings, the first man and woman chose to disobey God (Genesis 3).  People have been making that choice ever since (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:10-18).  Obviously, God allows people to make choices independent of His good and perfect will.  The question is "why?"  

The answer is boils down to one of two possibilities. At the point of Adam and Eve's sin, God had two choices:  (1) destroy them and start over or (2) redeem them from their sin.  God would have been perfectly just to destroy them and start over.  After all, God had told Adam the penalty for his disobedience to the one specific command God gave him was death (Genesis 2:17).  Thankfully, God chose to redeem mankind instead.  The whole message of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is the theme of God's redemptive love for people revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ (Messiah).  Even when pronouncing judgment on the serpent, Adam and Eve, God told them that He would one day send a Deliverer to deal with the problem of sin:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15, NKJV).

This is the first reference to Messiah (Christ) who was to come into the world to deal a fatal blow to Satan's work ("bruise your head").  Messiah would suffer a significant blow ("bruise His heel") as He died on the cross at Calvary.  But His resurrection on the third day proved that He is the LORD, that your sins were atoned for on the cross, and that all who believe in Him do indeed have eternal life (John 8:23-24, 5:24, 3:16).  In the grand scheme of things, Messiah dealt with the cause of evil, sin, on the cross.  And because of the empty tomb, the whole world can experience a victory over sin through faith in Messiah.

There will never be peace among men until there is peace in the hearts of men.  There will never be peace in the hearts of men until the problem of sin is dealt a fatal blow.  That is why Jesus (Messiah/Christ) called out to people to believe in Him: 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17, NKJV). 

Trusting in Christ, your sin is forgiven -- past, present, and future.  You have an eternal relationship with God -- peace with God forever!  This relationship of love with the Creator is the only way for men to find peace within themselves and the opportunity to truly live in peace with one another.

>>> And how do the righteous deal with evil in God's Creation?
>>>

The righteous deal with evil in several ways.  The long-term strategy is for each believer to be a witness for Messiah.  As He commanded: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV).

In the short-term, each believer is called to love people sacrificially (John 13:34), pursue holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1) and continually be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).  Such believers will provide a startling example to the world.  Also, such a life will develop a moral force that will impact one's sphere of influence in a corrupt world.

Also, believers are called to stand for justice and confront evil.  "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good' (Romans 12:21, NKJV).  In fact, believers are to hate evil (Romans 12:9) yet not take matters into their own hands (Romans 12:17-19).  God has appointed governments to enact justice in the world and to keep the peace (Romans 13:1-7).  Believers should be in persistent prayer for their country and its leaders to govern righteously and enact justice (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

I hope this begins to answer your questions in this regard.  Please feel free to correspond with us -- our hope is that you will put your trust in Jesus (Messiah) and grow in the grace and knowledge of Him each day.

May the LORD Jesus Christ bless you with His wisdom and the courage to follow Him!

     Randy Lariscy :-)
     Director - WordTruth Ministries
 

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Copyright 6/29/2003, Randy Lariscy.