(October 24, 2011 at 9:52 am)reverendjeremiah Wrote:(October 19, 2011 at 5:37 am)salty Wrote:(October 12, 2011 at 12:36 pm)reverendjeremiah Wrote: "Is there free will in heaven? "
Will I FINALY be allowed to question gods motives and judgements if I find myself with a newly gained "heavenly freewill"?
The freewill that is given in heaven will allow you to ask as many questions as you want, but you will be untemptable by sin, so your questions and thoughts will have a completely different flavor. They will be overflowing with righteousness and your mind will be opened to understand what cannot be fully grasped on earth; God's justice and mercy.
So, in other words, you are free to think of the things god allows you to think.
That isnt freewill, that is a robotic program. If you are not allowed to disagree, then freewill has been usurped. That is the very property of freewill is to have a choice and a chance.
...were you a speech writer for W. Bush?
Quote:Heaven won't accomodate anything that is recognized as sin to God, it's a place where the Lord is giving us the body and mind that he gave Jesus.
In other words, freewill doesnt exist in Heaven.
Quote:we will have an untemtable condition that recognizes God in all our thoughts and leave no room for secrets or selfish desires, sin will be ridiculous to us and will never again place its consequences on us.
In other words, freewill doesnt exist in Heaven.
Quote:Heaven will be a place where people delight in the Lord's righteousness, love, mercy, friendship, and doing the work the Lord made us to do.
In other words, freewill doesnt exist in Heaven.
Quote:I know what you mean by desiring to do what you want to do, whether it's called "sin" or not...to sleep with people you desire, to drink, to do things your way here and there. But do those things really define you? Aren't people usually defined by the things that make them proud? The things that make them "worthy" in the sight of people the love?
In other words, you are opposed to freewill.
Quote:You invite your loved ones to your graduation because you're proud of the effort that you put into achieving a higher level of education, do you then invite them to your orgy because you want them to know another part of yourself that you're proud of?
In other words, you are opposed to freewill.
Quote: Doesn't that seem unfit? Doesn't it seem more appropriate for your loved ones to know that you enjoy doing good, than for them to know that you enjoying doing things to your body that are less than healthy?
In other words, you are opposed to freewill.
Christians use freewill to receive the gift of salvation, which comes with the bonus of Heaven. The idea that freewill will stop existing with the destruction of evil is like saying, "without starvation, people will not really have the ability to understand food."
In this example, starvation is sin, it's something we don't really want and can't wait for it to end. Food is heaven and understanding is freewill. When starvation ends, people will still understand food, what it tastes like, what it looks like, how to make it. Freewill isn't defined by rebellion, it's defined by choices, in Heaven there will be no lack of choices. The people that are going to Heaven have already made the decision to have faith in Christ and trust in his ways, so to ask if you can stop trusting later and still consider yourself a believer is a lack of understanding of the place of Heaven in general. Our freewill will be extended to the new world that God creates for us and yet we will be like the angels given assignments, tasks and roles.
The statements in which you said I'm "opposed" to freewill, you're not really getting my point. I'm trying to understand if actions (behaviors) that lead to a lower, less healthy standard of living in the eyes of those that love you, really defines someone, or if in fact actions (behaviors) that lead to a higher, more healthy standard of living in the eyes of someone that loves you, defines someone.
Most people are defined by the good they exhibit and lean on this good for reputation and to be liked. Those same people do not boast of the bad they do because it is painful for people they love or admire to not approve of them, but it is easy to admit these things to strangers that you believe you'll have little to no connection to, people you don't really care for and if you're not concerned about your reputation at all.
My point is, I don't think that a person's sexual life, their health, their power, their money, their looks, or their religion define them. I think it's contributions that pursue good, freindship, kindness, learning and equality that define people. I think people are truly loved for the best parts of themselves and enjoyed for the parts that weren't so great. Go to a funeral sometime and you'll see what I mean.
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6