In the beginning, God created the heavens, the earth and all of the things in it. When God created people, he gave us free will. That means we can choose to walk in God’s ways or we can choose to turn from Him. Choices led to evil entering the world but, originally, God made a perfect and peaceful world.

Not Choosing God

The Bible records that God gave Adam, the first man, specific instructions to avoid “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17). However, Adam chose to disobey God’s instructions. As a result, “sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death” (Romans 5:12). God didn’t intend for Adam to eat the fruit. That’s why God warned him. We can see that evil exists in the world because people choose to turn away from God, not because God wants evil in the world.

The Example of the Potter

Did God create us to be bad? No; God created people to be “in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). The book of Isaiah compares God to a potter and us to clay. A potter crafts clay into a good vessel that he desires. The potter doesn’t create the vessel to become corrupted by mold, and God didn’t create us to become corrupted by sin. Just as the potter doesn’t want his vessel to be smashed, God doesn’t want His people to perish.

Built for God’s Purpose

People have had the option of disobeying God ever since the original sin; but that is not what He wants us to choose. Sin separates us from God, but God wants to be with us. That’s why He sent Jesus to save us from our sins. People sin because “they have no fear of God” (Psalm 36:1), but God said, “I have made [all who claim Me as their God] for My glory” (Isaiah 43:7). Remember to choose God and obey His ways, so that we can bring Him glory. Even though God didn’t want us to choose evil, He still provided us with a way out through Jesus. Let’s be thankful and continue to choose goodness over evil.