Philosophers struggle to explain the origin of evil. One thing is certain:
God is not its author, creator, or efficient cause. Everything He created was
good. Evil was no part of His creation.
Who then created evil? No one. Evil is neither substance, being, spirit,
nor matter. It is not a created thing. It is simply a want of moral perfection in
moral agents who were originally created sinless. Evil has no existence apart
from fallen creatures.
How could creatures made sinless fall into sin? John Calvin dealt with
that very question:
The Lord had declared that "everything that he had made ... was
exceedingly good" [Gen. 1:31]. Whence, then comes this wickedness to
man, that he should fall away from his God? Lest we should think it
comes from creation, God had put His stamp of approval on what had
come forth from himself. By his own evil intention, then, man corrupted
the pure nature he had received from the Lord; and by his fall drew all
his posterity with him into destruction. Accordingly, we should. contemplate
the evident cause of condemnation in the corrupt nature of humanity which
is closer to us-rather than seek a hidden and utterly incomprehensible
cause in God's predestination.
God, although absolutely sovereign over all things, is not the author or
instigator of sin. He did not concoct sin, encourage it, sanction it, condone
it, approve it, or otherwise countenance it. But He created moral agents with
a capacity to make moral choices, and they fell (in Calvin's words) by their
own evil intention.
Although sin is no part of creation, neither is it something that sneaked
in and caught God by surprise. Sin was not something that thwarted the plan
of God; rather, it was part of God's plan from the beginning. He had a good
purpose in allowing it, but still He was neither the instigator nor the author
of His creatures' evil deeds. Rather, He made them moral agents and gave
them freedom to act, and they fell into sin by their own choice.
In other words, God is sovereign over all , and evil was in no sense a
breach of His absolute sovereignty. But He did not take the same active role
in the devising of evil that He did in the creation of good. Fallen creatures
themselves bear full responsibility for their sin. God's creation at its completion
was impeccably flawless. Evil spoiled its perfect goodness after God had
finished creating.
God's sovereign purpose from the beginning was to overrule His creatures'
evil deeds and destroy evil forever, restoring His creation to a glory that
surpasses even the glory and perfection of Eden.
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