Did God create sin?

Response

God created the universe in six days. Originally, the universe was without sin—everything He made was “very good” «And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.», (Genesis 1:31). Sin entered the cosmos due to an act of rebellion against God, not because God created sin.

We need to define “sin.” First John 3:4 says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” Sin, therefore, is any violation of God’s holy law. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” According to this verse, sin is anything (words, thoughts, actions, and motivations) that falls short of God’s glory and perfection. All of us sin. Romans 3:23 also teaches that we must know the character of God before we can accurately define sin because His glory is the standard by which we measure it (Psalm 119:160;John 17:17). Without a perfect standard, there is no way to determine whether something is imperfect. Without the absolute standard of God’s glory, every word or action would be judged by the faulty, shifting standard of imperfect people. Every rule, law, and moral tenet would become a matter of opinion. And man’s opinion is as varied and changeable as the weather.

If a builder builds upon a foundation that is not square, he risks the integrity of the entire project. The building does not get better as it goes up; it gets weaker and more out of line. However, when the starting point is perfect, the rest of the structure wI’ll be sound. Moral foundations function similarly. Without God’s moral law, we lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Sin involves straying from what is right. The more we distance ourselves from God’s moral standard, the more severe the sin becomes.

God endowed men and angels with free will, and if a being possesses free will, there is at least the possibility that they may make poor choices. The potential for sin was a risk God undertook. He fashioned human beings in His likeness, and since He is free, humans were also created with freedom «So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. », (Genesis 1:27). Free will entails the capacity to choose, and after God communicated the moral standard, He presented man with a genuine choice (Genesis 2:16-17). Adam opted for disobedience. God did not tempt, coerce, or entice Adam into disobedience. James 1:13 states, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” God granted Adam the dignity of free choice and respected that choice with appropriate consequences «Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: », (Romans 5:12).

God presented the opportunity to sin, but He did not generate or incite sin. Having the opportunity was beneficial; without it, human beings would be akin to robots. God commands, implores, and motivates us to follow Him (John 15:1-11;1 John 1:5—2:6;Hebrews 3:12). He pledges blessings, companionship, and protection when we obey (Jeremiah 7:23; Psalm 115:11; Luke 11:28). But He does not chain us. God did not put a fence around the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had the freedom to choose obedience or disobedience. When they chose sin, they also chose the consequences that went with it (Genesis 3:16-24).

The same has been true for every human being since. The opportunity to sin is inherent in our freedom of choice. We can choose to seek God, which leads to righteous living (Jeremiah 29:13; 2 Timothy 2:19). Or we can choose to follow our inclinations, which lead away from God «Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. », (Proverbs 16:5). The Bible is clear that, whatever path we choose, consequences follow. We reap what we sow «Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. », (Galatians 6:7). Some consequences are eternal. Matthew 25:46 says that those who do not follow Jesus “will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

God judges people «For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.», (Ecclesiastes 12:14) and nations «And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.», (Micah 5:15) who use their free will to rebel against Him. God did not and does not create sin, nor does He delight in pPunishing those who choose to sin «Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? », (Ezekiel 33:11). His desire is that all come to repentance and experience the blessing and joy of eternal life with Him «The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. », (2 Peter 3:9).