Today’s devotional: is God the author of evil?

If God is a loving and all-powerful God, why does He allow evil and suffering to exist? And if evil exists, where did it come from—is it possible that God Himself is the author of evil?

People have probably been asking these questions since the moment Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden. And despite the countless philosophers and theologians who have tried to sort them out, each new generation asks these questions anew. Fortunately, Christians do have an answer to the “problem of evil,” as today’s Hard Saying of the Day explains:

Christianity has more than answered the problem of the presence of evil (for that is the whole message of the cross) and the problem of the outcome of evil (for Christ’s resurrection demonstrates that God can beat out even the last enemy and greatest evil, death itself). But Christianity’s most difficult question is the origin of evil. Why did God ever allow “that stuff” in the first place?

Augustine taught that evil is not a substance. It is, as it were, a byproduct of our freedom, and especially of our sin. The effects of that sin did not fall solely on the world of humans. Its debilitating effects hit the whole natural world as well. Nevertheless, it is not as if God can do nothing or that he is just as surprised as we are by natural evil. Any disaster must fall within the sovereign will of God, even though God is not the sponsor or author of that evil. When we attempt to harmonize these statements we begin to invade the realms of divine mystery.

What we can be sure of, however, is the fact that God is never, ever, the originator and author of evil. It would be contrary to his whole nature and being as consistently revealed in Scripture.

You may be facing terrible trials in your life—the loss of a loved one, a major personal setback, or another form of suffering. But it’s important that, even in the midst of suffering, you see God for who He truly is: a help and support during your hour of need; and not the author of your troubles.

2 Responses to “Today’s devotional: is God the author of evil?”

  • justmeint says:

    As a Christian I am often challenged on why “Your Good God causes bad things to happen to people?”

    It’s all well and good for me to right now feel assured that it is not God who is causing these things to happen. My faith is strong today. That might sound very strange limiting “strong faith” to ‘today’ – what about tomorrow, next week, five years from now?

    http://justmeintchristian.blogspot.com/2010/07/can-god-do-away-with-evil.html

  • Eric says:

    GOD IS LOVE AND THERE IS NO DARKNESS IN HIM. BUT, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HE CREATED ALL THINGS, SATAN BEING ONE THING THAT HE CREATED, ALL THE WHILE KNOWING SATAN’S FUTURE. THEREFORE, THOUGH GOD HIMSELF IS NOT EVIL, HE DID CREATE EVIL, HOW WOULD WE KNOW GOOD IF THERE WERE NO EVIL. IN ORDER FOR SOMETHING TO BE EVIDENT, THERE HAS TO BE A CONTRAST. THERE WOULD BE NO SUCH THING AS DARKNESS IF THERE WAS NO LIGHT, NO SUCH THING AS LOVE IF THERE WAS NO HATE, AND NO SUCH THING AS GOOD IF THERE WERE NO EVIL, THEREFORE, GOD DID IN FACT CREATE EVIL.