The first place in the Bible where we see the word \u201cevil\u201d mentioned is in the second creation account in Genesis 2:9.<\/p>\n
9. And out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.<\/p>\n
Then in verses 16 and 17, God defines the tree of the knowledge of good and evil further.<\/p>\n
16. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;<\/p>\n
17. but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”
\nNASB<\/p>\n
The knowledge of good and evil is putting the discernment of what God desires and what He doesn\u2019t want us to do in our minds and souls so that we must choose one or the other as part of our free will. In other words, we choose to follow God\u2019s creation and heavenly will and do good, or we choose not to, which is evil.<\/p>\n
God is very plainly telling Adam that he is to be obedient, and that if he disobeys Him, which is an evil act, that it would cause his body to age and die. Therefore, we see that disobedience to God brings death.<\/p>\n
Before we close this brief discussion, it is helpful to think of good and evil as opposites, or more precisely that evil is the absence of good (God\u2019s heavenly will for our lives), just as cold water lacks the heat of hot water, and darkness is the absence of light. There really isn\u2019t any substance that is evil, or cold, or dark; they are just terms to describe the absence of good, heat, and light, just as God is the essence of goodness, and warmth, and light.<\/p>\n
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