View Full Version : Free Will
al-1
Sep 29, 2007, 01:36 PM
Will we have free will in heaven ?
shygrneyzs
Sep 29, 2007, 02:25 PM
I do not see free will in Heaven mentioned in the Bible. Why would you want free will when you are in a state of perfection, once you have gained entrance into Heaven?
Fr_Chuck
Sep 29, 2007, 04:16 PM
since all sin is gone, and all people will be perfected, even if there was free will, there would be no will to do anything except good things.
Tj3
Sep 29, 2007, 04:28 PM
Will we have free will in heaven ?
Scripture does not tell us specifically one way or the other, but since God has given us free will here, indicating that he does not want robots forced to worship Him, why would that change in heaven? We have chosen to receive Christ as Saviour, we want to worship God, so why would He then take away our freewill to freely worship Him from our desire to do?
Scripture says that we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is molding us to be more like Christ, altering our desires from that of sinful man to that of perfected man. When we are perfected, our desire will also be in alignment with that that God would have for us, so our will be in alignment with what God would have for us. When we see that we are being molded to be more like Christ, we can see what our perfected freewill would be like when we look at Christ.
Luke 22:42
Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
NKJV
So I expect that we will, like Christ, have freewill, but we will be willing to submit our will and ourselves to God the Father.
N0help4u
Sep 29, 2007, 05:56 PM
Rating reply to TJ3 got cut off
N0help4u agrees: I think in Heaven it wouldn't be so much of being a robot but something more like your last sentence and what fr chuck said
Biggie
Sep 29, 2007, 06:01 PM
I wouldn't see the need for it.
Wangdoodle
Sep 29, 2007, 07:26 PM
This is one of those questions that we just won't know until we are in heaven, enjoying the beatific vision. Here is a link to an article by Fr. William Saunders that might help.
Fr. William Saunders (http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/FRWILL.htm)
fallen2grace
Sep 29, 2007, 11:01 PM
Free Will to do what?
I don't see why you would need it in Heven.
ordinaryguy
Sep 30, 2007, 05:41 AM
Free Will to do what?
I dont see why you would need it in Heven.
What? Is sinning the only thing you can think of to do with free will?
fallen2grace
Sep 30, 2007, 11:00 AM
Thanks for the site! Got any more with Christian music?
XD
I have lots. If you clicked on the Air1 link that's the best site for chirsitan music. You can PM me if you want more.
fallen2grace
Oct 1, 2007, 07:28 PM
What? Is sinning the only thing you can think of to do with free will?
No, But look at it this way. What else would you want to be doing besides worshiping God?
I know that's all I would want to be doing. What about you?
savedsinner7
Oct 12, 2007, 09:29 PM
If we find ourselves standing in Heaven before the LORD Jesus Christ, obviously we have chosen to use our free will to worship Him. We would not need it in Heaven because our sole purpose would be worshiping Him all the time.
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 06:45 AM
If we find ourselves standing in Heaven before the LORD Jesus Christ, obviously we have chosen to use our free will to worship Him. We would not need it in Heaven because our sole purpose would be worshiping Him all the time.
I have an issue with this logic. If God sees that we freely chose to worship Him and Him alone while on earth, why would He then take us into heaven and remove that free will from us once we have been perfected?
There is nothing in scripture to tell us that, nor does it follow logically. The fact that God gave us free will while on earth speaks to God's character - He does not want robots worshipping Him. Why then would He remove that free will in heaven? Would it mean more to have people forced to worship Him, or to have us all wanting and chosing to freely worship Him? God has shown by His character in how He deals with us on earth that He would prefer a people who freely choose to worship Him.
ordinaryguy
Oct 13, 2007, 08:19 AM
I have an issue with this logic. If God sees that we freely chose to worship Him and Him alone while on earth, why would He then take us into heaven and remove that free will from us once we have been perfected?
There is nothing in scripture to tell us that, nor does it follow logically. The fact that God gave us free will while on earth speaks to God's character - He does not want robots worshipping Him. Why then would He remove that free will in heaven? Would it mean more to have people forced to worship Him, or to have us all wanting and chosing to freely worship Him? God has shown by His character in how He deals with us on earth that He would prefer a people who freely choose to worship Him.
I agree. It seems to me that the idea that perfected beings wouldn't "need" free will reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what freedom is. As though the only possible use of it is to do something bad, or if you don't want to do something bad, you aren't really free to choose the good. Nonsense.
savedsinner7
Oct 13, 2007, 11:14 AM
Job 42
Job
1 Then Job replied to the LORD :
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."
I have an issue with this logic. If God sees that we freely chose to worship Him and Him alone while on earth, why would He then take us into heaven and remove that free will from us once we have been perfected?
There is nothing in scripture to tell us that, nor does it follow logically. The fact that God gave us free will while on earth speaks to God's character - He does not want robots worshipping Him. Why then would He remove that free will in heaven? Would it mean more to have people forced to worship Him, or to have us all wanting and chosing to freely worship Him? God has shown by His character in how He deals with us on earth that He would prefer a people who freely choose to worship Him.
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 11:34 AM
Job 42
Job
1 Then Job replied to the LORD :
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."
What was the point that you were making here? It is not clear.
Wondergirl
Oct 13, 2007, 11:42 AM
What? Is sinning the only thing you can think of to do with free will?
No, but Adam and Eve had free will and knew God in all His glory... even walked and talked with Him...
Maybe the better questions are, Will God put a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Heaven, and will there be a serpent there?
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 11:45 AM
No, but Adam and Eve had free will and knew God in all His glory...even walked and talked with Him....
Maybe the better questions are, Will God put a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Heaven, and will there be a serpent there?
There are other differences, such as those who are believers in Christ now have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us, and when we are in heaven, we will receive our perfected bodies, no longer struggling between the desires of the flesh and holiness.
Wondergirl
Oct 13, 2007, 11:47 AM
And where will the "serpent" (i.e. the Father of Lies) be, pray tell?
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 11:53 AM
And where will the "serpent" (i.e., the Father of Lies) be, pray tell?
Satan was tossed out of heaven, and ultimately will be sent to the lake of fire:
Rev 20:10
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
NKJV
Wondergirl
Oct 13, 2007, 12:25 PM
In other words, Satan won't be in the picture any longer.
Could a new Satan emerge if there is free will in Heaven? It happened once before.
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 01:31 PM
In other words, Satan won't be in the picture any longer.
Could a new Satan emerge if there is free will in Heaven? It happened once before.
There is only one Satan.
Wondergirl
Oct 13, 2007, 02:29 PM
There is only one Satan.
But there was free will in Heaven and one angel didn't want to get with the program. With free will still in Heaven, can history repeat itself?
firmbeliever
Oct 13, 2007, 02:32 PM
Wouldn't Satan already be in Hell?
savedsinner7
Oct 13, 2007, 02:41 PM
"Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know."
What was the point that you were making here? It is not clear.
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 03:51 PM
[F]"Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know."
What I was asking was, you sent this in response to my post - were you intending this to be in agreement with what I said, or in opposition and if so, how do you see it as opposing what I said.
I am trying to better understand your perspective and intent.
savedsinner7
Oct 13, 2007, 04:07 PM
Heaven is a place that cannot be understood by the finite mind. In trying to do so, I have spoken about things which I do not understand. So, yes my logic is faulty. My understanding of this is not yet opened by the Holy Spirit. In my limited understanding I assume the will is no longer necessary as we will be perfected and our wills will be 100% in line with the LORD's.
What I was asking was, you sent this in response to my post - were you intending this to be in agreement with what I said, or in opposition and if so, how do you see it as opposing what i said.
I am trying to better understand your perspective and intent.
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 04:24 PM
Heaven is a place that cannot be understood by the finite mind. In trying to do so, I have spoken about things which I do not understand. So, yes my logic is faulty. My understanding of this is not yet opened by the Holy Spirit. In my limited understanding I assume the will is no longer necessary as we will be perfected and our wills will be 100% in line with the LORD's.
I agree to a large extent, but I would choose the latter, and here is why. Jesus is God, but when He was on earth, and was both wholly man and wholly God, He had His own will, but what did he do with it?
Luke 22:41-43
42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
NKJV
He willingly submitted His will to the Father's will. If Jesus, being God, had His own will and submitted it to the Father, then I see no reason why we would not retain our own wills and submit them perfectly to the Father. That seems more consistent with scripture.
savedsinner7
Oct 13, 2007, 04:37 PM
Wasn't Jesus will manifest because of His humanness? His flesh being in contrast with His Divinity? And if so, in Heaven there is no conflict, so why have need of differences of wills?
I agree to a large extent, but I would choose the latter, and here is why. Jesus is God, but when He was on earth, and was both wholly man and wholly God, He had His own will, but what did he do with it?
Luke 22:41-43
42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
NKJV
He willingly submitted His will to the Father's will. If Jesus, being God, had His own will and submitted it to the Father, then I see no reason why we would not retain our own wills and submit them perfectly to the Father. That seems more consistent with scripture.
Tj3
Oct 13, 2007, 05:25 PM
Wasn't Jesus will manifest because of His humanness? His flesh being in contrast with His Divinity? And if so, in Heaven there is no conflict, so why have need of differences of wills?
Jesus will, to the best of my knowledge was manifest because he was human as well as being God. We are also human, so we have a separate will.
No one said that there would be a difference - if we willingly submit our wills to the Father as Jesus did, then we have no difference, yet we still have a free will.
savedsinner7
Oct 13, 2007, 07:57 PM
I guess that makes sense.
Jesus will, to the best of my knowledge was manifest because he was human as well as being God. We are also human, so we have a separate will.
No one said that there would be a difference - if we willingly submit our wills to the Father as Jesus did, then we have no difference, yet we still have a free will.