Recently, I received an email from a man who was asking questions about the problem of evil. Among other things, he inquired about God's purpose in creating Adam, knowing that he would sin. Did God want what happened to happen? Is there another way to enter into a relationship with creatures other than creating a race that would fall? These are good (though difficult to answer) questions. In part, I offered the following:
My perspective says that God did in fact know all that would happen in creating Adam and permitting him to sin. Theologians sometimes make a distinction between the descriptive and the decretive wills of God. In one sense, God describes what he wants for human beings, that they should be holy, etc. In another sense, however, he allows his creatures to choose what they want, including both our prope and imporper choices. God in His wisdom decrees that good and bad, righteousness and rebellion, will be permitted as a part of His overall scheme.
To repeat, the descriptive will of God is what God, in keeping with His own character, commands us to be and do, while the decretive will is what actually takes place, the beauty and ugliness of it, in human history. God's descriptive will says, "Do what is right, and follow Me?" God's decretive will is what you see every day and read in the newspaper; it is what God actually allows to take place.
In answer to your question of did God want Adam to sin, I think–to be fair to all of the biblical data–we have to answer "yes" and "no." As far as His own righteous standards are concerned, God certainly wanted Adam to be righteous and not to rebel. Then again, as far as His overall plan, including the plan to rescue sinners, God "wanted" or permitted the fall in order to accomplish other things.
Of course these terms merely highlight what is occurring biblically. They do not answer every question for us. Indeed, they often raise more questions than they answer! This is why the bad we observe is often referred to as the problem of evil. God is sovereign and good, yet bad things take place all of the time. How do we account for these things in God's world?
I honestly believe there are partial answers to the questions you raise, and categories such as "the greater-good" and "free will" are helpful. That is, God accomplishes at least some measure of greater good by allowing for evil. For instance the presence of evil allowed God the opportunity to display the supreme measure of love in sending His Son to rescue us. Likewise, a good amount of the evil we encounter is explainable in terms of human rebellion; if we choose that which is wrong, we may have to pay the consequences for it.
Still, also to be honest, I think we can only scratch the surface on these matters. I do not believe that a flawless theodicy is available to us at this time. In fact I'm not certain that we'll ever grasp these difficult matters comprehensively, though I'm confident that we'll know a lot more than we do now. I'm also confident that, eventually, these matters won't bother us.
When Job experienced his various troubles, the "solution" to his problem was related primarily to God, shall we say, showing up. When God appears in a whirlwind, questioning Job about what he truly knows, Job is somehow satisfied. It seems, then, that evil is an amazingly large problem, but God is an even larger Solution.
When we approach Scripture, we have to recognize that there is a "knowing/not knowing" tension within much of what we discover (see Deut 29:29). We know things about God and His ways; this provides a basis for our identifying Him, etc. On the other hand, there are many things about God that defy our ability to grasp. He is, after all, God!
If we possessed no access to the things of God, we'd be taking a blind leap in the dark, and our faith would be irrational at best. But if we possessed all knowledge of God, if we pretty much had him figured out, He would hardly inspire awe and worship. So–and this is an important point–the fact that we don't have all of the answers is–how shall I say it?–an intentional and necessary part of our relationship with our Maker. The point is not that there are no answers to these baffling questions but that God has chosen not to reveal all of them to us. Amazingly, He does have answers to questions we cannot begin to fathom. Thus, there are times when what God does or allows surely seems impossible to make sense of. The key term here is seems, for God actually does have answers to these dilemmas but hasn't given us all of them. We are left to trust and to marvel that these insuperable problems actually make sense to a good and wise God.
If you were to read my manuscript, you'd discover that one of my chief strategies, if you can call it that, is to allow ample room for mystery. I'm not saying that we have nothing to say about these strange subjects, for we do. But, and this is very relevant, our best approach is to recognize up front that we are talking about an all-powerful deity, a being who created out of nothing, a God who is both imminent (with us and responding to us) and transcendent (above us and governing our lives). So, we seek whatever answers we can locate, but we do so with faith (however weak) and humility (however inconsistent).
By the way, lest you think that God doesn't have solutions to the problem of evil, remember for a moment what God did at the cross. God was (and is) holy; thus, no amount of un holiness could remain in His presence. At the same time, God is also loving, desiring to befriend His creatures. But, and here's the rub, how can a holy God allow unholy people into fellowship? If He just allows is into heaven and ignores our rebellion, God compromises His own purity. To take this route would strip God of His very character, His very "Godness." So, how can the unrighteous have a relationship with the Righteous One? How can purity embrace impurity? In what way is it possible for a flawless God to befriend the very flawed? Answer: Jesus. In Jesus, sin is absorbed and its penalty swallowed. Thus, as Scripture teaches, God is "just and the justifier" of the one who believes in Jesus." We aren't good enough to access our Creator. Indeed, we are worthy of judgment. But God's Son is good enough, and He's taken our wrongs and made a way for us. So far as our discussion is concerned, here's the point: God was able to solve this amazing dilemma, although no one would have guessed that He would have taken this route. Thus, iff He was able to provide an answer to such puzzling issues then, we can and must trust that He can do the same with our questions and doubts now.
Okay, I'm getting a bit tired–its 2 am here; I was out at a friend's house until a short while ago. Thus, my comments might not be entirely coherent. I do hope, though, that they help point you in a good direction.
Could God have done things differently? I'm not sure, but I'm guessing He could have. What we must grapple with, however, is that this is the world He's given to us, and in this world there are many difficulties and questions. My suggestion, Jeremy, is that you keep on asking them, and that you do not fear taking even your hardest questions and doubts to God. Complain, if you want, but take your complaints to the One who is not only truly mysterious but also completely good.
Here are a few suggestions for reading:
Carson, D. A. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in Tension. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1981.
________. How Long, O Lord?-Reflections on Suffering and Evil. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1990.
Frame, John M. Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company, 1994.
Lewis, C. S. The Problem of Pain. New York, NY: Simon & Shuster Publishers, 1962.
Plantinga, Cornelius. Not The Way It's Supposed To Be: A Breviary of Sin. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986.
Stackhouse, John G. Jr. Can God Be Trusted?: Faith and the Challenge of Evil. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Tiessen, Terrance. Providence and Prayer: How Does God Work in the World? Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Yancey, Philip. Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.
My perspective says that God did in fact know all that would happen in creating Adam and permitting him to sin. Theologians sometimes make a distinction between the descriptive and the decretive wills of God. In one sense, God describes what he wants for human beings, that they should be holy, etc. In another sense, however, he allows his creatures to choose what they want, including both our prope and imporper choices. God in His wisdom decrees that good and bad, righteousness and rebellion, will be permitted as a part of His overall scheme.
To repeat, the descriptive will of God is what God, in keeping with His own character, commands us to be and do, while the decretive will is what actually takes place, the beauty and ugliness of it, in human history. God's descriptive will says, "Do what is right, and follow Me?" God's decretive will is what you see every day and read in the newspaper; it is what God actually allows to take place.
In answer to your question of did God want Adam to sin, I think–to be fair to all of the biblical data–we have to answer "yes" and "no." As far as His own righteous standards are concerned, God certainly wanted Adam to be righteous and not to rebel. Then again, as far as His overall plan, including the plan to rescue sinners, God "wanted" or permitted the fall in order to accomplish other things.
Of course these terms merely highlight what is occurring biblically. They do not answer every question for us. Indeed, they often raise more questions than they answer! This is why the bad we observe is often referred to as the problem of evil. God is sovereign and good, yet bad things take place all of the time. How do we account for these things in God's world?
I honestly believe there are partial answers to the questions you raise, and categories such as "the greater-good" and "free will" are helpful. That is, God accomplishes at least some measure of greater good by allowing for evil. For instance the presence of evil allowed God the opportunity to display the supreme measure of love in sending His Son to rescue us. Likewise, a good amount of the evil we encounter is explainable in terms of human rebellion; if we choose that which is wrong, we may have to pay the consequences for it.
Still, also to be honest, I think we can only scratch the surface on these matters. I do not believe that a flawless theodicy is available to us at this time. In fact I'm not certain that we'll ever grasp these difficult matters comprehensively, though I'm confident that we'll know a lot more than we do now. I'm also confident that, eventually, these matters won't bother us.
When Job experienced his various troubles, the "solution" to his problem was related primarily to God, shall we say, showing up. When God appears in a whirlwind, questioning Job about what he truly knows, Job is somehow satisfied. It seems, then, that evil is an amazingly large problem, but God is an even larger Solution.
When we approach Scripture, we have to recognize that there is a "knowing/not knowing" tension within much of what we discover (see Deut 29:29). We know things about God and His ways; this provides a basis for our identifying Him, etc. On the other hand, there are many things about God that defy our ability to grasp. He is, after all, God!
If we possessed no access to the things of God, we'd be taking a blind leap in the dark, and our faith would be irrational at best. But if we possessed all knowledge of God, if we pretty much had him figured out, He would hardly inspire awe and worship. So–and this is an important point–the fact that we don't have all of the answers is–how shall I say it?–an intentional and necessary part of our relationship with our Maker. The point is not that there are no answers to these baffling questions but that God has chosen not to reveal all of them to us. Amazingly, He does have answers to questions we cannot begin to fathom. Thus, there are times when what God does or allows surely seems impossible to make sense of. The key term here is seems, for God actually does have answers to these dilemmas but hasn't given us all of them. We are left to trust and to marvel that these insuperable problems actually make sense to a good and wise God.
If you were to read my manuscript, you'd discover that one of my chief strategies, if you can call it that, is to allow ample room for mystery. I'm not saying that we have nothing to say about these strange subjects, for we do. But, and this is very relevant, our best approach is to recognize up front that we are talking about an all-powerful deity, a being who created out of nothing, a God who is both imminent (with us and responding to us) and transcendent (above us and governing our lives). So, we seek whatever answers we can locate, but we do so with faith (however weak) and humility (however inconsistent).
By the way, lest you think that God doesn't have solutions to the problem of evil, remember for a moment what God did at the cross. God was (and is) holy; thus, no amount of un holiness could remain in His presence. At the same time, God is also loving, desiring to befriend His creatures. But, and here's the rub, how can a holy God allow unholy people into fellowship? If He just allows is into heaven and ignores our rebellion, God compromises His own purity. To take this route would strip God of His very character, His very "Godness." So, how can the unrighteous have a relationship with the Righteous One? How can purity embrace impurity? In what way is it possible for a flawless God to befriend the very flawed? Answer: Jesus. In Jesus, sin is absorbed and its penalty swallowed. Thus, as Scripture teaches, God is "just and the justifier" of the one who believes in Jesus." We aren't good enough to access our Creator. Indeed, we are worthy of judgment. But God's Son is good enough, and He's taken our wrongs and made a way for us. So far as our discussion is concerned, here's the point: God was able to solve this amazing dilemma, although no one would have guessed that He would have taken this route. Thus, iff He was able to provide an answer to such puzzling issues then, we can and must trust that He can do the same with our questions and doubts now.
Okay, I'm getting a bit tired–its 2 am here; I was out at a friend's house until a short while ago. Thus, my comments might not be entirely coherent. I do hope, though, that they help point you in a good direction.
Could God have done things differently? I'm not sure, but I'm guessing He could have. What we must grapple with, however, is that this is the world He's given to us, and in this world there are many difficulties and questions. My suggestion, Jeremy, is that you keep on asking them, and that you do not fear taking even your hardest questions and doubts to God. Complain, if you want, but take your complaints to the One who is not only truly mysterious but also completely good.
Here are a few suggestions for reading:
Carson, D. A. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in Tension. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1981.
________. How Long, O Lord?-Reflections on Suffering and Evil. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1990.
Frame, John M. Apologetics to the Glory of God: An Introduction. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company, 1994.
Lewis, C. S. The Problem of Pain. New York, NY: Simon & Shuster Publishers, 1962.
Plantinga, Cornelius. Not The Way It's Supposed To Be: A Breviary of Sin. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986.
Stackhouse, John G. Jr. Can God Be Trusted?: Faith and the Challenge of Evil. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Tiessen, Terrance. Providence and Prayer: How Does God Work in the World? Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Yancey, Philip. Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.
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