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God loved His initial human creation so much that He gave mankind freedom to make choices. [Genesis 2-3] This freedom involved the choice of saying »yes« or »no« to an obedient, yet personal relationship with God. The first two individuals He created both said »no« – a decision that subsequent generations of men and women have confirmed by their own choices.
The Bible teaches that evil originated from outside this world (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6) and entered the human race through Adam, whose disobedience in turn affected all of creation. (Genesis 3:16-19) Because we are by nature social creatures, an individual’s activities are not limited to himself, but always affect others. Therefore, when we willfully choose to reject God and go our own selfish ways, others will necessarily suffer.
When Adam failed to trust Him, God could have begun all over with a new creation – one which did not have the option to accept or reject God, like robots. But, while He restricts evil, He has allowed evil to run its course so that individuals may voluntarily choose Him. The climax of this great antagonism is that evil shall not rule in the universe forever, but will be decisively and ultimately overcome by God’s power in the future. (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)
However, the key question is, »How will you use your free will?« or, stated another way, »What decision will you make regarding Jesus Christ and His claims towards you?«
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