Thinking of a good God sitting on his throne and ruling over a good world poses no difficulties. But we live in a world where rape, murder, and terrorism takes place. So what exactly is the good God’s position on the evil that exists in the world he created? Where is God in relation to evil? Does God stand behind evil in the same way he stands behind good?
God and Evil
Consider the following points:
- In the Bible, God is repeatedly labeled with the adjective good (1 Chr. 16:34; Ps. 25:8; 34:8), but calling God evil is blasphemy. Therefore, God’s character is fundamentally opposed to evil.
- Everything God originally created was good (Gen. 1:31). Good things flowed out of God’s good character. If God stands behind evil in the same way he stands behind good, he would have been making good things and evil things from the beginning.
- God directly states that he is not the cause of certain evil deeds or words. Regarding the false prophets, the LORD says, “They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD” and “I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied” (Jer. 23:16, 21-22 ESV). In other words, “I’m not responsible for what they are saying; they did not get their message from me.”
- While God is pleased with our good deeds (Matt. 25:31-40; Heb. 13:16 ), he’s greatly displeased with our evil deeds, even to the point of grieving over human evil (Gen. 6:5-6; Lk. 19:41-42; Eph. 4:30). He also expresses his displeasure by repeatedly urging people to repent or turn from their evil behavior. And when people refuse to repent, God threatens to bring judgment on them (e.g., Jonah, Isaiah, Jeremiah) because he does not want people to continue practicing evil. Finally, when people refuse to listen, God’s threats turn into reality (2 Ki. 24-25; Rev. 6-19).
To summarize the list:
- God is not evil,
- he didn’t create evil in the beginning,
- he distances himself from evil,
- he expresses displeasure with evil by grieving over it, urging people to change their ways, and sending judgment.
Conclusion
Are there verses that convey God’s sovereignty (rule) over everything? Yes, but surely, these data demonstrate, at the very least, that God is not responsible for evil in the same way that he’s responsible for good. While Christians should affirm God’s sovereignty, they should also be quick to add that God is not sovereign over everything in precisely the same way. God is not behind evil in the same way that he is behind good.
How is God sovereign over the evil in this world? We can say that God allows evil to exist and in some way he uses it for his good purposes (Gen. 50:20; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). And we should probably stop there for now. But one day God will crush evil forever and then we’ll all know exactly where the good God stands in relation to evil (Rom. 16:20).
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.