Evil is not a metaphysical substance that can be created.
The fall of man was permitted by God and God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit it, having purposed it to order it to His own glory. But, let's not assume "permission" here is something passive as if God is sitting back and just watching what will happen.
Rather, permission tends to be used in the context of the work of God's providence in relation to sin. It is no idle or bare permission because it is decreed by God and therefore is a certain event. Nevertheless, so far as the execution of the decree is concerned, God is not the actor of sin. He allows it to be done by means of secondary causes and overrules it for His glory.
If one is going to use the word "created", the best one should say is that if we leave natural evil to the side (calamities of nature) and speak about evil acted out by mankind, evil is an act of the will directed against God's law. Since God ordains all things, then it would seem to follow that God "created" evil in the sense that He ordained sin. Going beyond this is going too far.
AMR
Yes we have that difference of understanding on the issue of permitting sin it may seem a nitpick or [if you're polite] a nuance but it is of course the narrow way which we must find.
God foreknew man would sin, but that is not to say He permitted it, indeed He forbade it...how can we say He forbade and permitted it?
God cannot force us to love Him, if man had love toward God he would not have sinned, obedience from fear could not satisfy God's heart.
Here we see that God's calling and gifts are without repentance, they cannot be revoked....it was for man to love.....
I disagree that evil is not created, I think God created evil first, then out of the evil He creates good. The purpose of evil is to bring forth good. It is not to be pursued for it's own sake.
Evil is not sin...man's partaking of evil, and his partaking of the knowledge of evil was sin.
God forbade it.
To say God allowed it or ordained it contradicts scripture for God cannot tempt man to evil. You must see the tree of knowledge of G&E as a test...it is not a test...it just is there at heart of creation just as the tree of life is.
Evil is a fact...we tell children not to touch the electric box, we are not trying to tempt them. But without electricity where would we be?
But yes man having sinned I agree God turns it to His glory.
