If God knows everything, why did He create humans who would sin?
The Devotional Answer
This is a beautiful mystery! It asks about the difference between knowing the future and causing the future. God is always loving and always knows the end of the story.
The Simple Answer
God knows everything that will happen, but He values real love more than a guarantee of forced perfection. He chose to allow us the freedom to sin because love that is chosen is the most meaningful kind of love.
The Deeper Dive: Knowing vs. Causing
Think of God like an author who has already written a powerful book.
The Author Knows: The author knows exactly which character will make a mistake, which character will face a struggle, and which one will choose the wrong path. The author’s knowledge doesn't force the character to make that choice; it just means the author wrote a powerful story where choices matter.
God’s Story: God, the ultimate Author, knew everything before He started. He knew that if He gave humans free will (the ability to choose), some would choose to sin and turn away from Him.
The Value of Freedom: If God had only created humans who were programmed to obey—unable to sin—they would be like those robots we talked about. They couldn't offer genuine love. God’s knowledge didn’t cause our sin, but it allowed Him to create a world where true, chosen love could exist.
God’s Plan
The most amazing part of this is that even though God knew we would sin, He still created us because He already had a rescue plan! He loves us so much that He was willing to step into our broken world to save us.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
— Romans 5:8 (NIV)
Your Takeaway Thought
God's knowledge is not a trap; it is a comfort. It means He was never surprised by our mistakes, and nothing we do can mess up His ultimate plan to show us His amazing love.
