Is God Responsible for Evil?
November 6th, 2006
(By John MacArthur)
If God is sovereign, is He responsible for evil?
No. Scripture says that when God finished His creation, He saw everything and declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Many Scriptures affirm that God is not the author of evil: “God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone” (James 1:13). “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33)–and if that is true, He cannot in any way be the author of evil.
Occasionally someone will quote Isaiah 45:7 (KJV) and claim it proves God made evil as a part of His creation: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (emphasis added).
But the New American Standard Bible gives the sense of Isaiah 45:6-7 more clearly: “There is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” In other words, God devises calamity as a judgment for the wicked. But in no sense is He the author of evil.
Evil originates not from God but from the fallen creature. I agree with John Calvin, who wrote,
. . . 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. [Institutes, 3:23:8]
It is helpful, I think, to understand that sin is not itself a thing created. Sin is neither substance, being, spirit, nor matter. So it is technically not proper to think of sin as something that was created. Sin is simply a lack of moral perfection in a fallen creature. Fallen creatures themselves bear full responsibility for their sin. And all evil in the universe emanates from the sins of fallen creatures.
For example, Romans 5:12 says that death entered the world because of sin. Death, pain, disease, stress, exhaustion, calamity, and all the bad things that happen came as a result of the entrance of sin into the universe (see Genesis 3:14-24). All those evil effects of sin continue to work in the world and will be with us as long as sin is.
First Corinthians 10:13 promises us that God will not permit a greater trial than we can bear. And James 1:13 tells us that God will not tempt us with evil.
God is certainly sovereign over evil. There’s a sense in which it is proper even to say that evil is part of His eternal decree. He planned for it. It did not take Him by surprise. It is not an interruption of His eternal plan. He declared the end from the beginning, and He is still working all things for His good pleasure (Isaiah 46:9-10).
But God’s role with regard to evil is never as its author. He simply permits evil agents to work, then overrules evil for His own wise and holy ends. Ultimately He is able to make all things–including all the fruits of all the evil of all time–work together for a greater good (Romans 8:28).
Hi John,
This is an excellent post you have given. I too affirm what you affirm here. This is certainly a deep subject that I have never seen a satisfactory arminian treatment on.
In short, excellent post.
Robert
I certainly agree that God is not the author of evil, but what is your response to the concept of chance? If it is true that God knows the end from the beginning, (and we know He does), then it follows that He orders all events to happen in such a way that the end come to be. Would you agree with that statement?
If I understand you right, you affirm that God has ordained evil when you state, “There’s a sense in which it is proper even to say that evil is part of His eternal decree.” The opposite view would be open theism which is certainly not very comforting. In many places the Bible tells us that God is sovereign such as:
Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
God is good. And everything God does is always good. He is a good God.
Thanks for the excellent teaching. It’s a lesson that has a missing link for us finite beings, and we need not go further into such a deep subject methinks. The secret things are for the infinnite mind of the Lord, and the manifested things for us finite humans.
Well said, as usual. God is not the AUTHOR of evil, but it was part of his perfect plan from eternity past. The bible is:
a. Clear on that.
b. Unwaivering on it’s declarations of God’s perfect knowledge and sovereignty, and if God got “caught off guard” in any way, as them Boyds and Pinnocks suggest, then there’s a hole in his sovereignty AND knowledge.
Honest textual question about sin though, brother Nate:
– I’ve often read and “liked” the “Sin is simply a lack of moral perfection in a fallen creature” definition of sin. But in the past, when I’ve tossed that out, I’ve had people ask me about the passages of scripture where Sin was spoken of as being “active”; passages like:
– But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. – Genesis 4:7
– But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. – Romans 7:8
– For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. – Rom 7:11
Now, if sin has “desire” and can “deceive”, do we understand these passages as:
1. Simply being examples of personification?
2. Being a synechdoche (sp); using “sin” to speak of the “sinful nature”?
3. Teaching that “sin” isn’t just a “moral fallenness” but instead also has some sort of “active component” that moves against believers?
Now, admittedly in the past I’ve used the first answer and replied that the Romans passage is part of a large illustration and figures of speach abound there, but the Genesis passage would then be the only passage that would insinuate any sort of “active component” to sin. (Though I recognize the “sinful nature” is VERY active, but we’re talking about Sin itself here…)
In the light of the rest of scripture though, I’m starting to lean toward the second option. That also seems to make a lot of sense. Either way, thoughts on that? Is there a fourth (or more) option that I haven’t entertained? Blessings! Good to be back in the game baby!
Today was “needless quotationg marks” day. Just so you know…lol
“God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone”
What does this have to do with being the author of evil? It only says God does not tempt. It says nothing about Him being the metaphysical author.
“God is not the author of confusion”
I think you’re equivocating confusion and evil here. God confused the enemies of the Israelites and that was good. Plus author is not even there in the Greek.
“God is certainly sovereign over evil. There’s a sense in which it is proper even to say that evil is part of His eternal decree. He planned for it. It did not take Him by surprise.”
He not only planned for it, He planned it. (Acts 2:23, Acts 4:28).
“He simply permits evil agents to work,”
What do you mean by “permit”? What does it mean for an all-Sovereign God to “permit” something?
More thoughts:
God is omniscient so that He knows in His mind the evil thoughts of men (otherwise how could he judge them for their evil thoughts). Therefore God ‘has’ evil thoughts but He is not tempted by these evil thoughts so that His holiness is maintained.
He also turns the hearts (minds) of men wherever he pleases (Proverbs 21:1). If every intention of the heart of men is only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5) and God is absolutely sovereign, then God must be turning their hearts in an evil direction all the time. But then, the Bible never says that it is wrong for God to do this.
Furthermore, God will never be called to account for his actions so in that sense He is not responsible.
Sincerely,
Andrew Wheatley
London, Ontario
“God must be turning their hearts in an evil direction all the time”
I don’t belive the Lord does this. He surely does harden hearts. God is sovereign, and yet men are rebels all by themselves. God doesn’t make them rebels.
Men’s hearts are desperately wicked from conception.
The Lord says:
“Behold, all souls are mine; … The soul that sins, it shall die.
But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statues, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? …
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, says the Lord God: wherefore turn, and live.” Ezk. 18:4,21,23,31-32
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones them who are sent to you; how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, and you would not! …
And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it,
Saying, If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things needed for peace! but now they are hid from your eyes.” Luke 13:34; 19:41-42
Our Lord weeps over these, who are going to be judged. And yet the Lord is sovereign over every heart, and He opens the heart with His mercy and grace to the truth. He could open their hearts, but He doesn’t. He owes us nothing. But He is grieved when we don’t come to Him.
This is a mystery to me. As I said in my earlier comment. The secret things belong to God.
“God doesn’t make them rebels. Men’s hearts are desperately wicked from conception.”
Who creates men that way? Men don’t create themselves so they can’t create themselves with an inclination to wickedness. They’re certainly not sovereign over their own hearts; hearts that are sustained by God’s sovereign power.
Men do not need any sort of freedom from God to be responsible/accountable to God. They just need a God to be accountable to.
Andrew,
Thanks for your comments.
I think the issue begins with the question, “What is sin/evil?” John MacArthur defined it as a lack of moral perfection in a fallen creature. To say this another way, as the apostle John said it in 1 John 3:4, sin is lawlessness. It is that which violates the perfect law of God.
The moral law of God, of course, is such because it originates from and perfectly reflects God’s character, essence, and being. So sin then is that which goes contrary to God’s character, essence, and being.
God, of course, cannot do that which is contrary to Himself. That is why we assert that God is not the author of evil.
The fact that He uses moral agents for His own glory despite their proactive rebellion against Him does not make God a co-participant in their rebellion. Nor does His omniscience mean that He shares or partakes in their rebellious thoughts. His sovereign working and omniscient awareness in no way make Him culpable for the rebellion of fallen angels and men. Scripture is clear: sinners are without excuse.
There are numerous theories on why Satan, the first sinner, fell. We know that pride was at the heart of it (1 Tim. 3:6). Beyond that, the Bible is not explicit (though some believe implicit details are included in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). Somehow in his own created magnificence, Satan began to think of himself as greater than his creator. As a result, he rebelled. To say, however, that it was God who tempted Satan is to go against James 1:13, for God does not tempt anyone.
Hope that helps,
NB
Hi Nate B:
I was not trying to imply that God was rebelling against Himself or that He was culpable for rebellion. Only that He is the first cause of all things.
“Somehow in his own created magnificence, Satan began to think of himself as greater than his creator. As a result, he rebelled. To say, however, that it was God who tempted Satan is to go against James 1:13, for God does not tempt anyone.”
But God would not need to tempt Satan to do evil. God would only need to change Satan’s nature (inclinations) from a nature of obedience to a nature of rebellion. Even if God could tempt someone, which He cannot, the temptation on it’s own should not change the nature of an obedient creature since an obedient creature would always obey.
Sincerely,
Andrew
I must say at the outset – that I do agree theologically with Dr. MacArthur and the historical reformed position. It goes against the grain of my understanding of God’s Holiness. However, I must admit, exegetically I am sometimes torn to say, in like manner of MacArthur: “There’s a sense in which it is proper even to say that evil is part of His eternal decree. And thus, evil is decreed by God.
I say this, one, on the basis of Romans 9:14-23 – particularly Paul’s argument in 22-23 of God’s prerogative to make the clay as he wishes and then the desiring to display his wrath and power in those “prepared for destruction”. Prov 16:4 seems to agree and suggest that “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.” If I take this plainly and not read into it from whatever theological bent, then it says what it says – in some “sense” it is proper to say that God has ordained, decreed, initiated, authored, etc. evil.
However, to make an important connection and observation – Romans 1 shows us that sin becomes pervasive because God gives man over to his lusts (which would agree with Andrews point – God can withhold evil or allow it – e.g. – the “he who letteth will let” of 2 Thess); but essentially, this “decree” is judicial and not malicious (even in 2 Thess 2) – and therefore perfect and not unjust or sinful. The point of Paul’s argument in Romans 9. God’s wrath is always just not arbitrary.
So, again, I am torn to say and not say that “in some sense” God has ordained evil – but as Andrew so well put it: “the Bible never says that it is wrong for God to do this.”
I haven’t figured it out – but as of now – in my mind it is like election and responsibility: paradoxal.
Q
“Who creates men that way?”
Adam chose to disobey the Lord God’s one command. And sin enetered the world from this Federal Head. All humans are evil; they are born, and even conceived, in sin. We sin because we are sinners, and we are under the curse of Adam’s fall. No escape. We, all humans, are hostile to God intrinsically.
Except One. Jesus was the Man who had no sin, and who never sinned. He was tempted, but He obeyed His Father faithfully.
The first Adam caused a curse. The next Adam, Jesus Christ, became a curse on the Cross for His people, who were without hope and cursed. He is making all things new, and one day the curse will be completely obliterated.
All things will be righteous and pure.
That’s as far as my thinking takes me.
It is wise to remember that the Old Testament folks were in need of a Savior (Jesus)as their words often were infected with human attributes (Jesus inferred this when He spoke of Moses being pressured by hard hearted people to create laws that God never intended to express His will or love for mankind). The Bible is a story of a God who acknowledges the truth of man’s ways and invites us into His way. Yes, there is evil, which people get infected with and no, God is not going to tolerate our destruction of one another forever (which is loving of Him). Anyone who embraces murder and hatred and evil as a means of relating to those who mistreat us, will not be comfortable in heaven where that is not allowed – do you believe that Hitler will be comfortable if he sees those he murdered in heaven? do you think he would want to spend eternity in intimate relationship with those he hates? On the other hand, on judgement day, who will be more guilty? Hitler or the community who helped create him? We ought to humbly consider the importance of loving even our enemies in our everyday lives!
Hitler said, “How fortunate for the government when the masses don’t think for themselves”.
Hitler was very charasmatic, but truly stupid. He could of taken Stalingrad but he wouldn’t listen to his generals.
Acts 17v26…..And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.
Job 14v5…..Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.
Adam chose to disobey the Lord God’s one command.
This begs the question. Did Adam choose to disobey apart from God’s decretive will (decree) or sustaining power?
Adam is a story from the old testament – savior needed! As in, see Jesus. And as far as Hitler being “stupid”, he was infected with pride and hatred – a trap we all too easily fit into when we begin to critique the lives of others.
“apart from God’s decree”
Now we’re getting quite close to the infinite mind and understanding of the Almighty and All-knowing Lord God. And to understand this, we would have to be infinite, which we are not.
That said, I believe God decreed that the Lamb of God would be slain, even before the foundation of the world, knowing of Adam’s sin.
God told Adam to not eat. “If you eat you shall die”. I truly believe God desired that Adam would not eat. When Adam ate, God came and said what have you done. I told you not to do it.
I do believe God was grieved, as He is, when His children disobey Him. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit”.
But we do grieve God, and God knows we will, and His mighty hand of providence is right there in the midst of all we do.
Just thinking out loud. That’s as far as my thinking takes me here.
donsands, et. al,
I think it would be best to not think out loud – but to interact with Scripture. I think there is alot of theologicizing going on – but not a discussion about specific texts.
Re the Romans 9 and Prov 16 – can anyone elaborate on those.
I’m not arguing that God is the author of evil – but just that the question is a difficult one if we accept those passages (and others like them) at face value. And if we take passages that allude to God not being author of sin. I believe we have a paradox.
Nate – can you speak to that in any way? thanks.
Q
I think it’s useful to remember that God’s relation to time is not the same as ours. He made time and so is not inside it the way we are. He doesn’t wait for things to happen but creates everything in an inconceivable (to us) eternal present. Or something like that.
Anyway, the idea of God “allowing” something or “permitting” it seems not to give full weight to His sovereignty. He made the universe and is totally responsible for every bit of it. There’s not an accident or surprise anywhere but only His good and perfect will. And He’s not the Author of evil, yet evil exists, so to speak.
Sometimes it almost makes sense. I don’t think we’re meant to understand it yet, just to believe Him.
Quincy,
I like to do both. Read, study, and meditate on the Word, and think out loud.
Of course the Holy Scriptures are the final authority, and are sufficient. 2 Tim. 3:16-17
BTW, I was paraphrasing Genesis chapter 3 to lay out that I believe God was grieved when Adam disobeyed; and sin entered the world, and death through sin. Rom. 5:12
I agree with you, as I have said, there is a mystery to this subject.
Somethings we know for sure:
-God is absolutely holy and perfect, and abhors sin.
-God is sovereign and knows all things, from beginning to end.
-Satan and the demons are responsible for their evil choices.
-Man is morally responsible.
There is obviously an element of mystery here, like many biblical doctrines, yet we must accept what the Scriptures clearly teach. It reminds me some what of the Trinity. There is clearly one God (Deut 6:4), yet the Bible also reveals that Jesus Christ is God (Jn 1:1) and the Holy Spirit is God. From a merely human view point this may seem inconsistent, yet it is the teaching of Holy Writ. What a majestic and wonderful God we worship!
I John 3:4 defines sin, it is lawlessness. Romans 7:12 tells us that the Law is holy, righteous, and good. Therefore sin is unholy, unrighteous, never good. Therefore John was right when he commented that sin was not created as all of creation was declared as good. Sin is conceived from a union of the will and lust during a time of temptation (James 1:14-15). We see how sin was conceived during Eve’s temptation, and how Christ was tempted in the same areas, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride (I John 2:16). Scripture is silent on why God has allowed sin, we just see its awful conseguences. However, we do know that He works all things together for good, and for His glory.
Morris
“Scripture is silent on why God has allowed sin”
For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. – Romans 11:32
donsands:
If you really believe God is absolutely sovereign then you’ll believe that all that has happened and all that will happen is part of God’s secret decree even if it is not his revealed will (commandments). – Isaiah 46:10
With regards to the heart, God is doing the directing. Verses like Proverbs 16:1,9 should be interpret with 21:1 in mind.
Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Proverbs 16:1
To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.
Andrew,
I agree. I do believe God is perfectly and absolutely sovereign. Even a small sparrow can not fall, unless it’s the Father’s will. I see His sovereignty and care in this verse. And I am blessed by the verses you have written.
There is great peace in knowing God is in control.
Here’s a verse to consider, if you feel lead to:
“God left him [Hezekiah], to try him, that He might know all in his heart.” 2 Chron. 32:31
Considering God’s sovereignty and its practical implications – read my most recent post:
http://truthintheinnermost.blogspot.com/2006/11/when-sovereignty-is-comforting-and.html
Q
I see that John Mac has slipped into another Arminian point of view. Much like the heresy of pre-tribulation rapture, he minces terms and defines things according to his own whims.
The negation principle is an old heresy. It is the typical claim of the Pelagian, i.e., that sin is just a taint. Or, in modern speak, sin is that “God shaped void” just needing to be filled for man to be made complete.
I side with Johnathan Edwards, and I believe a more thorough understanding of Calvin’s take on sovereignty will also bear this out.
The idea that something remains what it is when an essential element is removed, just less, is a logical obsurdity. The fact is that when Adam sinned he died, absolutely and unequivocably. He was no longer in any sense what he was before. He was not Adam just less righteous, but Adam with an entirely different nature, and this was done by the decree of God. It was God’s sovereign act, not the act of Satan or our first parents. It was his judgement, his creative act. Adam became, as Jesus said of the Jews, “of your father the devil.” Any vestige of the image of God that remained in Adam was no different than that which is true of Satan who is a rational moral agent. These essential attributes are necessary for moral agency to exist, and though they remain the same in both prefallen and post fallen creatures, they are not necessarily continuous. It is not that Adam passed out of existence and then was recreated, but by the very same power that we are translated into the Kindom of Light, so Adam was translated into the kingdom of darkness, a new creature. So, there is continuity of personality, but not of nature. We see this in terms of Eternal Life and of eternal death, where sin will be forever destroyed in both cases, yet the person will remain forever.
In saying that sin is no thing John becomes irrationally illogical, for nothing by definition does not exist. As was stated in one of the previous responses, sin is spoken of clearly as a thing, and not only that but it is the object of God’s wrath. His wrath was not poured out on evil doers on the cross, but on sin. We do not believe like the Christian Scientists that sin is just an illusion or the lack of realization of good.
To say that sin is the negation of good is to give to the creature the ability to un-create. That is a remarkable thing, since it is not an attribute of any creature to have the negation power that Scripture relegates only to the Sovereignty of the Creator. Besides, to make something what it is not is also a power that only God has who alone has the power to call things that are not into being. Again, to say that God has knowledge of evil, and that evil is not a thing is to say that God knows nothing. Impossible!
It appears then that John has no idea of what was meant by the creeds when they said that God is not the author of sin. They were careful to establish the doctrine of secondary agency without destroying the sovereignty of God. They were took care to declare that all things that come to pass are the work of God, then, even if John wants to argue that sin is the negation of good, God was the first cause of the creatures act in bringing it to be and ultimately the power of its creation.
The real question is not whether God created sin or evil. They exist, therefore they are God’s creation. It is whether or not God can, through what ever means He chooses, bring into existence that which is contrary, or non essential to His nature. And, the answere is, yes. He creates the finite, and the material and ethereal universe, yet he is by nature infinite and spirit and separate from yet immediate with, not in His creation. And, He is not just spirit but is also self exisitng. He also, upholds all things by the power of His might, even if sin is a negation of good. The fact that God has created is evidence that He works through secondary causes and at the same time works all things after the council of his own will. To say that God has not willed a thing to be is to say that it does not exist.
So, what we have in John is not a Calvinist or a Reformer, but a modified, or compromised Arminian. He would do well to exalt the God of Scripture, and not his imaginations.
See my comments on “Does God create evil?” at http://www.greenbaggins.word.press.com.