When it comes to answering that curly question about divine sovereignty and human evil, my dream panel would be Job, James and Luther. (The first two of course have the advantage of being inspired, and the third has the advantage of having a big brain, big heart, and big foot.) It’s such a difficult question, and there are many who choose to say “pass”.

After wrestling with the question, Job put his hand over his mouth, and confessed to speaking too quickly. James made it clear that God cannot do evil, nor does God tempt anyone with evil, but that evil springs naturally from our own fallen hearts. Luther attempted an answer in these words: “When God works in and by evil men, evil deeds result; yet God, though He does evil by means of evil men, cannot act evilly Himself, for He is good, and cannot do evil; but He uses evil instruments, which cannot escape the impulse and movement of His power.”

This would explain why Judas was both scripted to betray Jesus, but wholly responsible for his sin. And why God is not the author of evil, because the thought of betrayal was conceived in the heart of Judas. And why in the scripting, God does not inspire the sin, but uses evil instruments to achieve his sovereign purpose. And why in the event of betrayal, Judas could not escape the movement of divine power. And also, why this paragraph will finish with the word ‘’pass”!