What is Evil?
From a Reformed perspective, the origin of evil is understood through the lens of God's absolute sovereignty and the specific nature of evil as a corruption of good.
- The Nature of Evil as Privation
The Reformed tradition generally follows the Augustinian view that evil is not a created substance or a thing in itself. Instead, it is defined as:
- Privatio Boni: Privation or lack of a good that ought to be present. Just as darkness is the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat, evil is the absence of original righteousness and holiness.
- Privatio Actuosa: A term used by 16th-century Reformers to clarify that while evil is a lack, it is an active privation. It is a real and devastating corruption of God's good creation that has practical, destructive effects.
- The Direct Cause: The Fall of Creatures
Evil entered the temporal world through the historical disobedience of free moral agents:
- Angelic Fall: Before human history, spiritual beings (led by Satan) rebelled against God, becoming the primary agents of dark spiritual forces.
- Human Fall: Adam and Eve, created good and without a tendency toward sin, chose to disobey God's command in the Garden of Eden. This act resulted in Original Sin, a corruption of human nature that all people now inherit.
- The Divine Decree: Ordained but Not Authored
A central tenet of Reformed theology is that nothing occurs outside of God's sovereign will, leading to a distinction between "ordaining" and "authoring":
- Foreordination: God unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass, including the fall of man and the existence of evil, according to His "most wise and holy counsel".
- Not the Author of Sin: While God ordains that evil will certainly happen, He is not its "author" or "approver." He does not infuse evil into the heart; rather, the sinfulness proceeds from the creature's own corrupt will.
- Asymmetrical Relationship: Reformed thinkers (like R.C. Sproul) argue that God stands behind good directly but behind evil indirectly, permitting it to fulfill His righteous purposes.
- The Purpose: The Greater Glory of God
Reformed theology rejects the idea that evil is a mistake or a result of God's inability to stop it. Instead, evil is permitted for specific, holy ends:
- Display of Attributes: Without the existence of evil, certain attributes of God—such as His mercy, grace, justice, and wrath—could never be fully displayed or experienced by creatures.
- The Greater Good: God "means for good" what creatures "mean for evil" (Genesis 50:20). The ultimate example is the crucifixion of Jesus, the most evil act in history, which God predestined to achieve the greatest good: the salvation of His people.
- The Problem of Mystery: Ultimately, Reformed theology admits that the exact mechanism of how a holy creature first developed an evil desire remains a "mystery" (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
From a Reformed perspective, God permits evil not because He is its author, but to display His greater glory, particularly through His redemptive work in Christ, demonstrating mercy, grace, and triumph over sin, which wouldn't be as apparent in a world without fall; evil serves His sovereign, ultimate good, revealing His power to bring greater good out of evil, culminating in a more God-glorifying salvation than an unfallen world could offer.
Key Reformed Explanations:
- Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone): The primary reason is God's glory. The universe, through its fall and subsequent redemption, reveals God's attributes (mercy, grace, justice, power) in ways a sinless world could not, making it more God-glorifying.
- Greater Good through the Fall: The Fall (Adam's sin) allowed for the greater good of the incarnation, atonement, and resurrection of Jesus, bringing about salvation and eternal life, a more magnificent reality than a world without sin and redemption.
- Sovereignty and Providence: God is sovereign over all things, including evil. He permits it within His ordained plan, ensuring it serves His ultimate purposes, though He is not the author of sin itself.
- Evil as Privation: Evil isn't a created substance but a privation or lack of good, a corruption of what God created good. It's an active rebellion against God's law, leading to suffering, but ultimately falls under His sovereign control.
- Revelation of Grace: Without evil and sin, God's grace, forgiveness, and compassion wouldn't be as profoundly displayed. Redemption highlights these qualities most magnificently.
Nuances & Cautions:
- Not God's Purpose: Evil is never God's final goal, but a means through which His greater, glorious purpose unfolds.
- Distinction from Other Views: Reformed theology rejects views that subordinate God's glory to human "soul-making" (growth) as the primary reason, emphasizing God's supreme purpose.
In essence, God allows evil into His plan so that His greater, God-glorifying victory over it through Christ can be fully realized, revealing His unmatched glory and grace.
R.C. Sproul: What is Evil, where does it Come From?
John Piper: The Ultimate Essence of Evil
John MacArthur: The Problem of Evil
Alistair Begg: The Evil One
