My notes on R.C. Sproul’s – What Is Evil & Where Did It Come From?

This video is an hour long, but you can speed it up and watch in half the time. I think Dr. Sproul did a great job speaking about this age old question.

This is my summary:

1. Evil is not a thing, like some force or poison or ooze.
2. Evil is an action.
3. Just as Augustine said, evil is a privation of good.
4. Evil is doing what is contrary to God’s commands.
5. Concupiscence (an innocent inclination to sin) is a contradiction, and does not explain the origin of evil.
6. Evil is not simply imperfection. Evil is not necessary to being a creature. Adam was not created fallen. Biblically, Christians are also promised not just physical or mental perfection in heaven, but spiritual (metaphysical) perfection.
7. Karl Barth said original sin was the “impossible possibility,” which is just a way of saying “I don’t know” where evil came from.
8. The best answer this side of eternity is probably “I don’t know.”
9. Scripture itself calls iniquity a “mystery.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7)
10. Some have argued the presence of evil proves there is no God, since an all knowing all powerful good God wouldn’t tolerate such evil, when actually, the fact that we demand justice and recognize evil points to an ideal moral good (God).
11. If we agree God exists, then the current present evil we experience, while not good in itself, yet it is still apparently good that it exists right now, otherwise it wouldn’t. Nothing prevents God from accomplishing everything he wants even if that means allowing evil and using it for good purposes that would otherwise not exist.
12. God means evil for good. “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20) “And an evil spirit sent by the Lord terrified him.” (1 Samuel 16:14)
13. Nothing is more clear in Scripture about God meaning evil for good than the sending of his son to die on the cross. “to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:28) “It was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief.” Isaiah 53:10.

Here is an expanded summary of the above plus some of my own thoughts:

The problem of evil is a profound mystery that theologians and Christians have grappled with for centuries. While the full answer may elude us this side of eternity, Scripture offers insights that can help frame our understanding.

It’s important to recognize that evil is not a “thing” in itself—it’s not a force, substance, or entity. Evil is an action. It is a deviation from God’s commands, or what Augustine described as a “privation of good.” It’s the absence or corruption of what God commands. So it’s not a created thing, creature or substance.

Scripture refers to disobedience (sin) as a “mystery” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Some theologians, like Karl Barth, have described it as an “impossible possibility,” which is really just a way of acknowledging that its full explanation may be beyond human comprehension. The most honest answer to this age-old question is probably, “I don’t know.”

Even so, we know the presence of evil doesn’t contradict God’s existence or goodness. In fact, our very recognition of evil and desire for justice points to the existence of an ultimate moral good (God). Scripture teaches that God, in His sovereignty, allows evil for purposes that ultimately serve His good plan. For example, Joseph’s brothers acted with evil intent, but God “meant” their evil actions for good (Genesis 50:20). Similarly, the greatest act of evil—the crucifixion of Jesus—was “predestined” by God to accomplish the greatest good: the redemption of humanity (Acts 4:28, Isaiah 53:10). 

Satan was not created as an evil being. Like all of God’s creation, he was made good (Genesis 1:31). His fall into sin came from his own willful rebellion against God, not from any imperfection in God’s creation. 

Some try to explain evil by saying it is a result of us having a free will, but evil is not a necessary condition of being a free creature. Adam was created good, upright, and without sin. In the same way, Christians are promised not only physical perfection in heaven but spiritual perfection for eternity. In other words, allowing evil wasn’t something God had to do in order for us to be free. The universe could exist in a good way without evil, similar to how it will exist in the future without evil. We will have freedom in the future but we will not sin. We won’t be able to sin. Yet we will not say our freedom has been restricted, even though we will technically be restricted from disobeying God. Sin will be impossible because we will have no desire for sin. God could have created it this way from the beginning, and didn’t. The hearts of God’s people will be glorified by God’s Spirit in a way that even Adam apparently did not enjoy – to never again deviate from God’s will.

God definitely knew about Satan and Adam’s fall, and allowed it, for very specific purposes. He allowed it, among His many other reasons, so that we would understand the depths of His grace and mercy toward us in a way we could never otherwise experience. God receives more praise and glory from those who have been forgiven much. Jesus himself said, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47) Our love for God has been multiplied and enhanced by being forgiven for all the ways we willingly go astray. When we see evil for what it is, we see God even more clearly for who He is. We cannot fully understand grace (being given what is undeserved) without understanding what it means to be undeserving. We experience a depth of relief and joy in being forgiven that we would never know—like coming in from a cold winter blizzard and warming ourselves with cocoa by the fireplace. We would not know that warmth, to the degree that we do, without the chill. In other words, God has allowed evil because He receives more glory and His people ultimately receive even more joy. We understand sunlight in a better way after experiencing its absence. We also know the Light in a deeper way after seeing His absence.

If this answer doesn’t fully satisfy us, that shouldn’t be surprising, since even Scripture says our current understanding is like looking through a dirty or broken mirror. In heaven we shall see clearly when we see God face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12)