How Can a Good God Use Evil?
The patriarch Joseph told his brothers, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20).
Some would charge God with being evil for using evil. However, that is not the case, for “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5). James 1:13 says, “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”
So how do we resolve this issue? Trying to understand God’s will is complex. That which He plainly reveals to us in the form of His commandments can be understood; this is known as His preceptive will.
However, concerning God’s sovereign will in the affairs of the world, there is a valid distinction between what God allows to happen (His permissive will) and what God says should happen if we desire to obey Him (His perfect will). God lets us choose for ourselves; and sometimes our choices contradict His commandments and character. Yet, He sustains each of us, even as we exercise the ability to sin and disregard His preceptive will (cf. Mt. 5:45).
Evil manifests itself because God allows it to do so, temporarily; but this fact in no way diminishes His holiness or threatens His perfect will. In fact, His perfect will always emerges victorious despite our evil actions made possible by His permissive will.
There is no greater example of this truth than Acts 2:22–24, where the apostle Peter said that Jesus, the Son of God, was “delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God . . . and put to death” (v. 23). The verse says “lawless hands” carried out God’s “determined purpose.”
We also must remember that God’s entire will is not always known to us. When scholars speak of God’s hidden will (His decretive will), Paul’s words in Romans 11:33 should ring in our ears: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out” (cf. Job 9:10; 38:1–41).
A great element of mystery will always surround God’s will. Scripture is clear on this point. Indeed, His ways are higher than our ways (Isa. 55:8–9), and we do not always understand what He is doing. Nevertheless, we can rest assured that even when God’s will is not being done, it’s being done! His perfect will is going to be accomplished despite the wickedness of men.
