Evil itself

I read an article that stated that God created evil to teach mankind a lesson. A key point in understanding the question is evil is to recognize that God did not create a wicked world.

He created the first human couple perfect, without sin. It was his purpose for Adam and Eve to extend Eden earth wide and to populate it with happy people under the protection of his loving sovereignty.

Evil began with Satan but Satan himself wasn't always evil. Before he became Satan or called Satan he was faithful to God. We don't know what his name was before he became Satan. The bible doesn't say but we do know that he was originally faithful to God.

But he developed a desire to be worshiped. He influenced the first human couple to join him in his opposition to God. Instead of submitting to God's clear instruction not to eat or touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge, Adam and Eve took and ate.

In doing so, they not only disobeyed God but also showed that they desired independence from him. That Event raised a moral issue, a challenge of universal importance.

Did the creator have the right to require full obedience from humankind? God handled this challenge to his rulership in a way that demonstrated his perfect balance of love, justice, wisdom, and power. He could have crushed the rebellion immediately.

But it left that question of independence open. Should humans rule themselves without God? Satan claimed that humans would be better off ruling themselves. God allowed humans to go their own way for a time. Even though this meant permitting evil to remain temporarily, humans have thus had the opportunity to show whether they can successfully rule themselves independent of God, living by their own standards of right and wrong.

What has history shown? Human history has consistently been characterized by war, injustice, oppression, and suffering. What do we see today? God knew it would end up like this so he provided his son to die on our behalf so we can obtain what was lost in the Garden of Eden.

There is a difference between creating Evil and permitting Evil. With Evil things God cannot be tried. James 1:13 says: When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.

Notice what Job 34:10 says: Therefore, YOU men of heart, listen to me. Far be it from the true God to act wickedly, And the Almighty to act unjustly!

So it's easy to point the finger toward God and even reason by saying he created Evil but notice also what 1st John 5:19 says: We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.

So if the world, the same world and kingdoms that were offered to Jesus by Satan is lying in his power, the power of the wicked one, doesn't it make sense that the world is the way it is because Satan himself is in control? Permitting and creating is two different things.

Remember Satan mentioned that man didn't need God and wanted worship for himself. Well, he got it and the result is what you see today.