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The “Faith” page column from September 18, 2026, discussed the topic of evil in the world. One of the writer’s friends shared that he is “convinced that there are simply bad people in this world … There are just some people who are unreachable, who couldn’t give a lick about humanity as a whole.”
The writer of the column agreed that evil exists, stating, “There are scriptures that describe how evil came into the world … But I firmly believe that in our fibers, each of us was created in God’s image and as such, we are ‘very good.'”
“Very good” is how God saw everything he had made. (Genesis 1:31) Genesis 1:27 reads, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, in the middle of the Garden of Eden, they were no longer “very good.” They knew guilt and tried to hide from God.
God tells us in his Word, “As by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) David wrote in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
The good news, which is what the word “Gospel” means, is that God sent his son, Jesus, to be born as a human being, so he could suffer the punishment Adam and Eve, and all of us deserve. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 26:23) “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
God tells us he loves us so we will be willing and glad to obey his commandments, and be ready to ask for His forgiveness when we sin against them. “Create in me a clean heart,” David wrote in Psalm 51:10, “and renew a right spirit within me.”
While Jesus was dying on the cross, his words reached the heart of one of the criminals next to him. “We are punished justly,” he told the other criminal, “for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your king- dom.” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:40-43) Jesus defeated the power of sin, death, and the devil. Evil exists in this world, but we have God’s promise of perfection restored in heaven through faith in our Savior, Jesus.
Trudy Madetzke
Marshall