If God created everything good, why isn't everything good?

I. The Divine Intention: A World Declared Good

At the foundation of the biblical narrative stands the clear declaration that the entire creation was originally good. In Genesis 1:31 we read: “And God saw all that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” This overarching verdict underscores that the original design did not include evil, suffering, or death.

From a textual standpoint, manuscript evidence such as the Dead Sea Scrolls supports the accuracy of the Genesis account. These scrolls, discovered in the mid-20th century, contain portions of the Hebrew Scriptures that closely match later manuscripts. Such consistency supports the trustworthiness of the scriptural statement that God created a world—one which, at the outset, did not harbor evil.

II. The Entrance of Sin: The Turning Point

If creation began as pristine and wholly good, an obvious question arises: Why do we observe brokenness and immorality in the world? The key turning point is recorded in Genesis 3, where the first human beings disobeyed God, often called “the Fall.”

In that Garden setting, a choice had profound consequences: Adam sinned, thereby altering not only his own condition but also the condition of the entire creation. Romans 5:12 explains, “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.” This means humanity’s rejection of God’s moral law opened the way for corruption, suffering, and death to permeate what was initially designed to be good.

III. The Consequences: Brokenness in Creation

Scripture testifies that the fallout from the Fall extends beyond human hearts into the broader natural order. Romans 8:22 states, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.” This reveals that the damage inflicted by human rebellion resonates throughout the cosmos.

Such groaning manifests in natural disasters, diseases, and ecological decay. These observable realities align with a universe no longer in its flawless created state—and they point back to an origin where human choice introduced widespread disorder.

IV. Free Will and Moral Responsibility

A related biblical teaching involves human free will. The presence of moral freedom in creatures enables genuine love and devotion toward God but also makes disobedience possible. The scriptural witness shows that Adam and Eve’s moral choice brought about adverse results for themselves and all their descendants (Genesis 3:16–19).

Outside philosophical writings have long recognized the centrality of free will in discussions of moral good and evil. While philosophers debate various models of free will, the biblical perspective remains: moral evil arises from the misuse of this profoundly significant capacity that was bestowed upon the first humans.

V. Evidence from History and Archaeology

Numerous archaeological and historical findings illuminate the world in which sin’s consequences became evident. Excavations in biblical lands consistently reveal evidence of ancient cultures, corresponding broadly with the genealogical timelines described in Genesis. In addition, the unearthing of ancient texts—such as clay tablets and inscriptions—has reinforced the historical credibility of Old Testament accounts.

Those who hold to a comparatively short biblical timeline (often attributed to Archbishop James Ussher’s chronology) point to genealogical data in Scripture that places creation within a range of a few thousand years ago. The genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 are taken literally by some to suggest a historical timeline from Adam onward.

VI. The Redemptive Plan: Remedy for the Brokenness

Despite the universal scope of corruption, the biblical message provides hope through God’s redemptive plan. Central to this plan is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to 1 Corinthians 15:21–22, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a Man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

Historical investigation into Christ’s resurrection—supported by multiple lines of testimony, early creeds (as in 1 Corinthians 15), and corroboration by first-century historians—upholds that the risen Christ is the ultimate answer to why the world still suffers. Through Him, God promises to restore all that was lost.

VII. Present Suffering Yet Future Restoration

Although the power of sin was decisively broken at the cross and validated by the resurrection, creation still awaits complete deliverance. According to Revelation 21:4, God “will wipe away every tear” in the new heaven and new earth, indicating a future era where the effects of sin—pain, death, and sorrow—no longer reign.

Until then, belief in modern-day miracles, healing, and providential interventions provides a foretaste of the fuller redemption to come. Accounts of inexplicable recoveries and answered prayer—observed across various cultures—offer encouragement that the Creator who set the universe in motion does intervene for good.

VIII. The Call to Glorify the Creator

Though evil persists, individuals are called to respond to the goodness of God by glorifying Him in daily life. Isaiah 43:7 highlights that God made humanity for His glory. In recognizing both humanity’s fallenness and redemption through Christ, believers are motivated to live according to God’s design, bringing hope and light into a world marred by sin.

Philosophically and behaviorally, this framework of acknowledging a good creation, recognizing human responsibility in its corruption, and trusting in a redemptive solution can transform personal and social ethics. The call is to embrace this reality: though creation is not currently “all good,” it was created good, can be experienced in part as good, and will ultimately be restored to unbroken fellowship with its Maker.

Conclusion

From the biblical vantage point, God’s initial creation was wholly good. Evil and suffering emerged through human rebellion, fracturing that goodness. This disruption explains why the physical and moral landscapes we experience are scarred by conflict and tragedy. Yet the consistent witness of Scripture and supporting evidence from manuscript tradition, historical documentation, and creation itself is that God’s plan of redemption through Christ is actively at work.

A final restoration promises to resolve the tension between God’s original design and the present state of the world. For now, the believer’s hope rests in the certainty of God’s enduring goodness—and in the promise that what was once entirely good will again be restored through the redemptive act of the risen Christ.