Who Is Responsible for Sin?

Why didn’t God create beings incapable of sinning? If He had, there would be no problem of evil in our world.

To answer that question we must go back to why God created us in the first place. He wanted people who could have meaningful relationships. So God did something that only He would think of: “God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27).

This means we are free and responsible. We can decide to love God or turn our backs on Him.

What special ability did God give people and angels that distinguishes them from animals?

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”
—Joshua 24:15.

God gave the people of Joshua’s day, as well as the angels and human beings of every generation, a spiritual nature and a capacity to make real choices. He challenges the beings He created in His image to choose to do right because their reasoning powers tell them “God’s way is best.” And to turn from wrong because their reasoning powers warn against the results of disobedience and sin.

The Lord didn’t have to make us free moral agents. But only beings with the power to reason and choose can experience real love. God longed to create individuals who could comprehend and appreciate His character, freely respond to Him in love, and be filled with love for others.

God wanted to share His love so much that He was willing to take the enormous risk of creating angels and people with the power of choice. He knew it was possible that some day one of His created beings might choose not to serve Him. The devil was the first being in the universe to make that terrible choice. The tragedy of sin began with him (John 8:44, 1 John 3:8).