THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

If God is just and holy and good, why did He create evil? That is the question philosophers wrestle with, atheists use to justify unbelief, and Christians struggle to answer.  

Let's look at 'the problem of evil' ... 

First ... it only exists in relationship to that which is 'good'. So evil is best defined as the 'absence of goodness'. 

Evil was not 'created' in the same way darkness was not 'created'. God did create light, and 'darkness' is the word we use to describe the absence of it. Evil is therefore a 'non-entity' in and of itself; it is just a term of deprivation: the absence of something else.

The word 'evil' certainly has meaning and use ... but it is not a tangible, created thing. It is a relative term that means anything that deviates from the will or moral perfection of God. 

When we understand this concept, any premise that says God created, formed, or generated evil is immediately invalidated. It is true that God 'allowed' it when He formed mankind with 'free will' though. Sin became the source of our suffering and the Gospel of Jesus Christ became the solution. 

For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Claiming God cannot exist or be 'good' unless He agrees with your moral preferences is to say: “I am morally perfect, so if God and I differ ... the only possible reason is that He is flawed.” 

To sum it up, our Lord is not the author of 'evil'. It is His holiness that defines it. As believers, we are to walk according to this command: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) 

Our heavenly home is where evil will be vanquished once and for all.