Where did evil come from?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
R

Ronja

Guest
#1
I have had this thought for some time, and cannot really get past it.

I like to write stories, and in them there are always an antagonist. Whatever level of evil this person is, to make him/her seem believable and have depth and character I always base him/her on parts of myself. I can exaggerate the level of evil from myself, but I cannot invent something that doesn’t really exist.

If I ask Christians where evil and good comes from, many would say that good has its origin in God and evil in Satan. But Satan was just an angel, created by God. Even if Lucifer was created to be good he turned evil. And if he did, how did he have the capacity of doing so if evil didn’t already exist?
 

CharliRenee

Member
Staff member
Nov 4, 2014
6,693
7,176
113
#2
He created us with the ability to choose, as He did with Satan. This is my over simplified answer. I don't claim to understand it all. I do put my faith in the ALL Good God. We can speculate but our ways are not His and ours is to take captive lofty thoughts and focus on our Lord and Savior.
 

Blade

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2019
1,774
624
113
#3
"For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;" "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you." There so much more to this we don't know.. its not written.

Most of the world is moved by only what they see feel hear...anyway. God didn't make slaves or puppets. Sin was found in him (Satan). The simple is.. Satan temps Eve and Adam. You must know the story by know. So what was mans was handed over to Satan Luke "
And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish." Adam and Eve.. by listening to that lie and sinning delivered what was ours over to Satan. So the wages of sin is death. Everything is dying because of sin. There is a time limit on this.

The demons said to Christ "have you come to torment us before our time". So most since they can't see this hear it feel it.. its not real. So when the day comes and someone is doing signs and wonders.. they will blindly follow.

Jesus/Yeshua is real.. if one would just ask from their heart.. He will tell you.. just ask Him.. if Jesus is so real.. then ask Him ;)
 

tantalon

Active member
Oct 11, 2019
286
105
43
#4
Isaiah 45:7. "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things". To make a living creature with freewill allows for choice of action, and thereby responsibility for those actions. Otherwise, we would be something like a programmed robot. God DID NOT cause us to sin, by making that which is evil, but rather to determine our alliance to obey that which is good, or that which is not. The devil himself was a freewill creature, and made a choice to rebel, and suffered the consequences. Satan did not put the tree of good and evil in Eden, God did, and for the reasons above to bring about his own will and purposes.
 
Sep 14, 2019
258
64
28
#5
I have had this thought for some time, and cannot really get past it.

I like to write stories, and in them there are always an antagonist. Whatever level of evil this person is, to make him/her seem believable and have depth and character I always base him/her on parts of myself. I can exaggerate the level of evil from myself, but I cannot invent something that doesn’t really exist.

If I ask Christians where evil and good comes from, many would say that good has its origin in God and evil in Satan. But Satan was just an angel, created by God. Even if Lucifer was created to be good he turned evil. And if he did, how did he have the capacity of doing so if evil didn’t already exist?
Here is a short video showing the difference between good and evil and that someday good will triumph over evil. Satan has been given dominion over the dark creation and right now the two creations are all mixed up with a good part of us and an evil part of us and some being children of the dark creation with evil hearts and some children of the light creation with good hearts.

http://mobilelaz.com/judgmentday/goodandevil.mp4

Evil, however, has the propensity to spiral in to an elevation of self without God while Good has the propensity to spiral in to an elevation of God without self. Both extremes are displeasing.
But the best way is to overcome evil with good and restore creation to how it was in the beginning which was a Good creation! God is Love and Love is Good !
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,670
6,860
113
#6
(A good Article that helps us fully understand what evil is, and allows us to see where it comes from)

EVIL:

(excerpt)

Evil [N]
As a prerequisite for any discussion of evil, moral evil must be distinguished from physical or natural evil. This essay uses the term "moral evil" to include both social offenses (ethics — murder, theft) and cultic sins (those offenses aimed directly against the deity blasphemy, idolatry). Moral evil, therefore, whether its setting be cultic or social, when carried out may be considered a sin. That cultic and ethical values were one and the same in the Hebraic mind may be illustrated by the similar penalties exacted for the severest offenses in either category (death, being cut off). Cultic values are addressed in the first four of the Ten Commandments ( Exod 20:3-11 ; Deut 5:7-15 ) and by the first of Jesus' "Great Commandments" ( Matt 22:37-40 ; Mark 12:30 ; Luke 10:27 ; cf. Deut 6:5 ); ethics are considered in the last six of the Ten Commandments ( Exod 20:12-17 ; Deut 5:16-21 ) and by the second "Great Commandment" ( Lev 19:18 ).


(here)

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0g...ry/evil//RK=2/RS=GsQBfAgf7KM8Y_MduuE7p9wlV0k-
 

soggykitten

Well-known member
Jul 3, 2020
2,322
1,369
113
#7
Where from? Wouldn't it be God? God has no beginning and no end. God is the source for all that exists isn't he?
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,428
113
#8
Isaiah 45:7. "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things". To make a living creature with freewill allows for choice of action, and thereby responsibility for those actions. Otherwise, we would be something like a programmed robot. God DID NOT cause us to sin, by making that which is evil, but rather to determine our alliance to obey that which is good, or that which is not. The devil himself was a freewill creature, and made a choice to rebel, and suffered the consequences. Satan did not put the tree of good and evil in Eden, God did, and for the reasons above to bring about his own will and purposes.
I agree, God created all things.

God created the Garden of Eden, also, where evil was contained so it could not cause the death of Adam. When Adam was fooled into thinking he would be like God if he knew all things and "ate the apple" God gave us a way to overcome evil. We are saved from the death that evil brings by the blood God gave on the altar. They didn't know that blood was Christ until he lived and died on earth, but we are given the answer to that mystery.

Lev. 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
 
Feb 29, 2020
1,563
571
113
#9
When Adam was fooled into thinking he would be like God...
Eve was deceived, not Adam.

...Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression (1 Timothy 2:14).
 
Feb 29, 2020
1,563
571
113
#10
If I ask Christians where evil and good comes from, many would say that good has its origin in God and evil in Satan.
All comes from God.

Adam and Eve did not have knowledge of good and evil until they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17).
 

Deuteronomy

Well-known member
Jun 11, 2018
3,324
3,689
113
68
#11
He created us with the ability to choose, as He did with Satan. This is my over simplified answer. I don't claim to understand it all. I do put my faith in the ALL Good God. We can speculate but our ways are not His and ours is to take captive lofty thoughts and focus on our Lord and Savior.
Hello CharliRenee, I agree with what you just said, of course. The strange thing is, when we are in Heaven, or on the new earth in the age to come, His ways ~will~ be our ways, because we will be like Him .. 1 John 3:2, in righteousness and holiness, such that we will never choose to sin again. Yet our free will, just like God's free will .. remains intact somehow :unsure:

Clearly, those of us who are His will be remade in such a way that it will never be our "desire" to sin again
(even though we still could sin if we wanted to, again, just like God could). We can only wonder why He didn't create us in this manner to begin with, yes (with an unshakable desire to be righteous and holy in all that we do/say/think) :unsure:

Considering who He has proven Himself to be however ... our loving Abba ("ALL Good God" :)), I believe and trust that whatever He chose to do was done with our very best in mind, as He chose to love us, from everlasting .. Jeremiah 31:3.

God bless you!

~Deut


Deuteronomy 29
29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,771
113
#12
And if he did, how did he have the capacity of doing so if evil didn’t already exist?
The capacity to do evil or sin or disobey God is inherent in the free will given to men and angels. That is why Adam -- who was created perfect and innocent -- was warned against disobedience (Gen 2:16,17):

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Lucifer (who is now Satan) was probably the most exalted and beautiful angel (ch in Heaven. But he was not content to be an angel and a servant of God. He wanted to be higher than God. So his pride and self-aggrandizement was the seed of evil.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. (Ezek 28:17)
 
Aug 14, 2019
1,374
307
83
#15
Evil has no substance. It's a shadow that exists only when an object blocks the light.
Evil is defined; that which lacks good. Evil spreads it's lie because of it's hatred for truth.
 

tantalon

Active member
Oct 11, 2019
286
105
43
#16
One's opinion or lack of understanding does not change scripture. If you do not agree then you must address the scripture, in this case Isaiah 45:7. The scripture, rightly divided is the truth, not what I or you think it should be.
 
Aug 14, 2019
1,374
307
83
#17
Eve was deceived, not Adam.

...Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression (1 Timothy 2:14).
I dunno. She is the only one of the three that didn't have a sin revealed to them by God.
 

tantalon

Active member
Oct 11, 2019
286
105
43
#18
Evil has no substance. It's a shadow that exists only when an object blocks the light.
Evil is defined; that which lacks good. Evil spreads it's lie because of it's hatred for truth.
Evil has no substance. It's a shadow that exists only when an object blocks the light.
Evil is defined; that which lacks good. Evil spreads it's lie because of it's hatred for truth.
Sin is evil. Evil is sin. Evil then is the opposite of right. "All unrighteousness is sin". 1st John 5:17. Or 1st John 3:4 Whosoever COMMITS sin, transgresses also the Law: for sin, is the transgression of the law. Evil is something that one DOES in opposition to what is right. It is not a shadow, or will of the wisp, but an action that is commited.
 
Apr 15, 2017
2,867
653
113
#19
I have had this thought for some time, and cannot really get past it.

I like to write stories, and in them there are always an antagonist. Whatever level of evil this person is, to make him/her seem believable and have depth and character I always base him/her on parts of myself. I can exaggerate the level of evil from myself, but I cannot invent something that doesn’t really exist.

If I ask Christians where evil and good comes from, many would say that good has its origin in God and evil in Satan. But Satan was just an angel, created by God. Even if Lucifer was created to be good he turned evil. And if he did, how did he have the capacity of doing so if evil didn’t already exist?
The Bible says God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any person.

God said be holy for I am holy.

God is good, and before God created anything there was only Him, so there was no evil but only good.

God created the angels with a choice for that is true love, so they had the capacity to be evil if they wanted to do evil, which the only sin they could of done at that time would be rebellion.

Lucifer wanted to be like the most High so he sinned as soon as he thought that, and he and some of the angels rebelled against God, and then evil started.

We know God is an omnipresent Spirit, and all powerful, so we know we do not want to go against such a powerful being, and it is a fearful thing to fall in to the hands of the living God.

So why did Lucifer rebel when God is so powerful.

Lucifer must not have known how great God is so he rebelled against Him.

Our visible relationship to God is Jesus which if you have seen Him you have seen the Father.

So God probably was in an angelic manifestation as His visible relationship to the angels, and Lucifer might have thought is that all there is to God, and thought he could exalt himself above Him.

Angels cannot even see God unless He shows them a visible manifestation, which God was manifest in the flesh, seen of angels.

We get to know that God is omnipresent for we are not with Him, and it is based on faith, but the angels might not have known that God is greater than that visible image.

Adam and Eve were created innocent, and with a choice, and that is why the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was in the garden.

It would of never entered their mind to eat of the tree unless an outside source tempted them.

So God allowed Satan to tempt Eve and she said they could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for that is all she could know and think.

Then Satan tempted her with an alternate reality that would exalt them higher than their current position, and Eve sinned, and then she was the outside source that tempted Adam by showing him she did not die, and no harm came to her, and he sinned.

Then all their children were born with a choice, so they are born not knowing God so they will do wrong before they do right and follow God.

For all have sinned, done the act, not born with sin, and come short of the glory of God, for we are not blamed for Adam and Eve's sin for that is their sin.

The Bible says Lucifer was created perfect in his ways, until iniquity was found in him, but he had a choice and sinned.

Which angels are one being with no components, so when they sinned they tainted their while being with no way to put off the sin, so they cannot be redeemed.

God made man upright but they sought out many inventions, and everybody is born with no sin on their record, and innocent.

People can be redeemed for all sin resides in the flesh, and when forgiven you put off the flesh and the sin, and the soul is preserved forever, and all spirits go back to God who gave them regardless of how they acted on earth.
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,428
113
#20
Eve was deceived, not Adam.

...Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression (1 Timothy 2:14).
I don't think that who was to blame gives us what God wants us to be sure to know, but that the blood of Christ saves.