what is the purpose of evil?

One might dare say that life would be easier if it weren't for our sinful nature. The necessity of pain I can understand, but the sinful nature is one that is hard to come to grasps with. I don't deny its existence in my own life (how could I), but the origin of man's sinful nature takes a little more imagination. Its difficult to understand the creation of sin in a world where all things were created by God, but sin itself is often held by Christians to have entered through man - "The Fall of Man". If it were to enter by the hands of God, would that not contradict the very character of who God is (being Holy and sin-less). To rationalize the origin of sin is beyond the scope of my intellect (if I can call it that), but the characteristics of our sinful nature offer some in-sight to the glory of God.

The very nature of man due to our fallen state of being brings to light a much deeper understanding of God’s true love for His creation. “The Fall” (as it is referred to in the Christian society) did in fact invoke a response from God, and the death of His only Son shakes the soul of even pacifists. Adam’s humanity in contrast with the sovereignty of God (I dare to say) was lost in the light of his own innocence. Man’s dependence upon the grace of God is defined by the loss of innocence or what may also be referred to as the knowledge of 'good' and 'evil'.