Ask a Pastor Column

Q: If God created everything, doesn’t that mean he created evil?

A: That would be a logical thought, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, logical conclusions can still be wrong if they are based on faulty or limited information. The thinking behind this question would look something like this: God created everything; evil is a thing; therefore God created evil. However, when we draw our information from God’s perfect Word, we reach a different conclusion. It is correct to say that God created everything (Genesis 1:1). However, the Bible tells us clearly that God did not create evil, and that he is too holy to even look upon it (Psalm 5:4). Which then leads to an interesting conclusion: evil must not be a thing.

This is a conclusion which is borne out by Scripture. Just like darkness has no physical form (there are light particles but no dark particles; darkness is just the absence of light), evil is described as any departure or deviation from God’s perfect goodness (See John 3:19; 1 John 1:5; ect.). Evil is even called ungodliness or the absence of God (Romans 1:18). Evil is also compared to brokenness (the absence of function or wholeness; Jeremiah 2:13), sickness (the absence of well-being or health; Isaiah 1:4-5), and unrighteousness (the lack of perfect character; Romans 1:18).

This question illustrates the importance of using all the tools available to us when seeking to understand our world. Both God and Scripture encourage us to use the logic and reason we’ve been given to try and understand what is true, real, and good (Isaiah 1:18). However, we’ve also been given the authoritative word of God to guide us in our reasoning (John 17:17). This provides an important check to our thinking, ensuring that we don’t get too far off track when seeking the right understanding. Pastors and teachers can also help us to check our conclusions.

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