From the ArcaMax Publishing, Billy Graham Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/billygraham/s-561712-856316
Q: I don't mean to be disrespectful, but why did God make us with so
many defects? Why didn't He make us so we wouldn't sin and do bad
things like make wars? It seems to me that if He'd done a better job
of making us, we wouldn't have all these bad things, would we? - C.J.
A: You are right about one thing: We do live in a world that's
constantly torn by conflict, injustice and even death. And you're
right also when you say that we're responsible for these things -
because we are. Jesus said, "Out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander"
(Matthew 15:19).
But God is not responsible for these terrible things - because the
world was perfect when He created it - and so were we. The Bible says
that after God created the world, "God saw all that he had made, and
it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). God is perfect - and all He made was
perfect also.
What went wrong? The problem is that Adam and Eve, the first humans,
deliberately chose to turn their backs on God. God didn't make them
like robots or puppets; they had the ability to choose between good
and evil. And when Satan tempted them and told them that God was
deceiving them, they believed him - and they sinned (see Genesis
3:1-13).
We'll never understand evil completely in this life; the Bible calls
it a "mystery" (2 Thessalonians 2:7). But the most important truth
about Satan and evil is that they were defeated, when Jesus Christ
died and rose again. Is your faith and trust in Him? He alone has
power over evil and death and Hell.
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Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C.,
28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.