The Problem Of Evil Psalm 76:10
The question is often raised, “How did sin and evil arise in God’s creation?” If God is absolutely sovereign, absolutely holy, and absolutely good, if he created all things good, how is it that pride was found in Lucifer’s heart? How were the fallen angels led to rebel against his throne? How was Adam seduced to sin?
Augustus Toplady wrote, “The origin of evil, whether among angels (with whom evil seems, strictly, to have originated), or among men, is the most difficult question, perhaps, and the most mysterious part of the divine conduct that ever presented itself to human investigation. Clouds and darkness are the seat of its residence; though wisdom, goodness, and justice, were certainly (in a manner unknown to us) the motives to its permission.”
Yet,
the existence of evil is a problem which vexes our minds continually. We must,
whenever considering such a subject, at once, as Toplady put it, “clip the
wings of curiosity.” Knowing that God is not the author of sin, and that he
never tempts any to evil (James 1:13-17), knowing that nothing comes to pass
without his all-wise decree, the matter cannot be resolved in a more God
honoring way than to use the words of our Lord as the expression of submissive
faith, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight.”
We bow before
God in reverent submission, and confess in the words of one who lived long ago,
“Lord, I am darkness, but thou art light.” Before him of whom are all things,
we acknowledge our utter ignorance. We must be content to wait until our souls
are freed from the influence of evil in the world above to know the mind and
purpose of God in permitting the evil which yet engulfs our minds. Still, two
things we know by divine revelation.
Everything God does, or permits others to
do, is to show forth the greatness of his glory (Rom.
Without question, all evil in the world is
included in the “all things” which
work together for the everlasting good of God’s elect (Rom.
Don Fortner