We know that God is perfectly good and holy, and that there is no evil in him. There is the capacity for evil in us, however, as God created humanity with the freedom of choice. Evil comes from an abuse of good power called free will. God may be responsible for the possibility of evil existing in the world, but it was in exercising this free will that Adam and Eve made evil a reality in the world.
Of course, God could have created a world without free will. We could have been “programmed” to do good and worship him perfectly. How pleasant life would be! Yet in a world without choices, the true meaning of “I love you” would be lost. The ability to love others is void and meaningless without the power to choose. God wanted us to experience the reality of choosing to love him. Along with that gift, God knew the great risk was the possibility of evil. Our responsibility to act on that possibility rests with us, not God.
So God made evil possible, yet humans made it actual. Eve was given a good thing by God. She was given the power to choose between determining for herself what she considered right and wrong and allowing God to set those parameters. God was, and is, the Sovereign who decides right from wrong. Eve coveted God’s wisdom, and acted out of her belief that God was denying his human creation what was good. Eve likely did not realize the evil she was about to unleash, but you and I are well aware of it. And how we choose, on a daily basis, to surrender our free will determines our walk with God.
Question: It’s easy to judge Eve, but have you considered that you, too, may have decided that God was holding back on you?
Question: Do you appreciate the gift of free will, or do you wish everyone was born with a heart after God?
Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.
