The Origin Of Evil In Man (Part 1) Series

The Origin of Evil in Man – Part 1

November 7, 2021

Pastor Brad Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Genesis 3:1-7

Watch this and other sermons in this series at: https://mycrossway.churchcenter.com/channels/8118

Our world is certainly obsessed with origins. It is typically at the origin of something that you will also pursuit of an origin they are really searching for is meaning. This is at the root of our dilemma. Our spiritual dilemma, our relational dilemma, and the meaning of our existence. Origins are important. For instance, knowing the source and origin of COVID 19 would significantly change how we approach its treatment and handling of the pandemic.

Of course, our origin and the origin of the known universe and world are of great significance. In fact, it has enough bearing that as we started our new church here at CrossWay Christian Fellowship that we have spent the last several months discussing the Biblical root of origin according to the Genesis account of the Bible. I won’t go back through all the details but suffice it to say that we have concluded that the Bible and modern evolution theories are not compatible. We know that the Bible and scientific facts are compatible in most cases. There are significant departures when it comes to the age of the universe and evolutionary theory. But those two secular theories are even scientifically incompatible.

We’ve talked about the origin of the universe, the origin of our planet, life, the seasons, light, man being made in God’s image, marriage, and sexual union, and so on. Now we come to an origin that brings with it so much bearing on who we are, our relationship with God, and each other. The origin of evil. Of the most prolific and burdensome questions for man is this issue of evil. The true diagnosis of the human condition stems from this.

God, the creator of the universe, is all good and only good. And His original creation was all good and only good. You see, up until now, creation is a place of perfect peace. There is no murder, no shame, no sin. Adam and Eve are walking in perfect communion with God and each other.

Now, let me get a little philosophical. God is not the author of evil. If God created evil, then God would be both good and evil. And if God were both good and evil, there would be no hope for the ultimate triumph of good. If God were Himself evil, He could not, therefore, triumph over evil. If God were the source of evil, He would have to be evil Himself. And if He were evil Himself, then there could be no basis for salvation, for God could not save us from evil He was evil.

So, the biblical revelation of the original goodness of creation upholds the goodness - the holiness - of God. And it makes the source of evil outside of God. Because the source of evil is outside of God, God can and will conquer evil and ultimately save sinners.

To put it another way. If you say there is evil, then you assume there is good. And if there is good and evil, then there must also be a measurement of what is good and evil and so there must be a moral law. If there is a moral law then there must be a moral Lawgiver. Because if there is no moral Lawgiver, then there is no moral law, and if there is no moral law, there can be no evil (Zacharias).

The question we are left with then is, “where did evil come from?” And the answer to that is only found in the Bible. You’ll remember that God gave man one prohibition in Genesis 2:16-17 “16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Now in Genesis 3 we find the entry and result of breaking that command:

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:1–7)