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Will we have free will in heaven?

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by epistemaniac, May 24, 2006.

  1. epistemaniac

    epistemaniac New Member

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    If God changes our wills when we are glorified so that we no longer want to sin, are our wills free?

    It seems to me that the free willers will have have to say no, that God would be imposing Himself on the will of the person to make them not want to sin, for if they cannot sin if they really want to, then, they must not be free.

    But, if the free willers want to say that it is perfectly fine for God to impose Himself on His children in heaven in such a way as to change their wills so that they no longer want to sin, and that they are still free (in the Libertarian sense), then I see no reason to think that God may not do exactly the same thing prior to glorification, to so change the will of some so that they not only have the ability to come to Him, they have the change of will to actually want to come to Him, and yet, they remain "free".

    blessings
     
  2. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Without a sin nature, there is no choice (between sinning and not sinning) to sin. This has nothing to do with free will, and I don't believe if we have free will now, He will turn us into robots on the New Earth.
     
  3. timothy27

    timothy27 New Member

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    I love how people equate no free will with robots. It is such a misrepresentaion!
     
  4. whatever

    whatever New Member

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    Did Adam have a sin nature before the fall?
     
  5. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Did Adam have a sin nature before the fall? </font>[/QUOTE]No. Did he have free will? Yes. Did God tell him what to name the animals in the garden, or did he have the freedom to?
     
  6. timothy27

    timothy27 New Member

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    Naming the animals in the garden is not the same as being able to come to God on your own.
     
  7. timothy27

    timothy27 New Member

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    Your equating the freedom to make decisions about non-spritual matters, to decisions about spiritual ones. They are not the same.
     
  8. Brother Bob

    Brother Bob New Member

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    Yes, all the Calvinist will become free-willers. [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  9. whatever

    whatever New Member

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    No. Did he have free will? Yes. Did God tell him what to name the animals in the garden, or did he have the freedom to? </font>[/QUOTE]Do you think we will be able to choose to sin in Heaven?
     
  10. Rex77

    Rex77 Member

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    1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

    Since we will be like him we will do as he would. and be willing to do the father's will.

    Lu 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
     
  11. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    Why is everyone forgetting about being transformed into the image of Christ through sanctification, a process that begins here on earth?
    God is not going to change our wills. We are in the process of sanctification, which will be completed in heaven and we will be like Christ - we will not have sin natures and will not even be able to conceive of sin, imo. All focus will be on praising God.
     
  12. whatever

    whatever New Member

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    Real Calvinists are already free-willers. ;)
     
  13. Brother Bob

    Brother Bob New Member

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    How could you have the mind of Christ and even think of sin. We will have a body like His most Glorious body.
     
  14. J.D.

    J.D. Active Member
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    Good post Ken. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that presently the regenerate, possessing the Spirit within them, do not sin in their new nature (I John paraphrase he can not sin because His seed remains in him) but continue to sin in the old nature, which is centered in the FLESH. In the resurrection, our bodies are changed, and we are give a new flesh, not a sinful flesh, but a spritual, so that all desire for sin is removed.

    And of course, all of it is the sovereign act of God upon the soul.

    Am I off target?
     
  15. Me4Him

    Me4Him New Member

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    Actually, your question is the basic question on which C/A disagree.

    God allows the "Will of man" the choice between "Good/Evil", those wills (belief/unbelief) then become the basis for which God choses to save/condemn.

    Under predestination, The only explanation for giving Adam a choice in the garden is a mean/mercyless/vindictive God, who loves to extract "Wrath" on helpless people, for his glory.

    Is that the same God described in the scripture, no, this God loved the whole world and provided a means for the whole world to be saved, because he wasn't will for any to perish,

    If God was "Truthful" when he said he wasn't willing for any to perish and Jesus died for all sins, hasn't God done all he can do to save the world, why isn't this plan of salvation complete and everyone saved???

    God would be a lair if he failed to do even one thing that caused one person to perish, but he didn't,


    God's plan is sufficient to save the whole world, except for that one ingredent God did not include in the plan that would have save everyone, that is "FAITH", and that is a Free will choice by Man, and it's the reason a choice exist.


    Giving man a choice is God's way of sorting out those who of their own free will would chose the things of God, rather than the world.


    People in heaven will have free will, because their will and God's will is the same, the reason for them being in heaven. (saved)
     
  16. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    No. Did he have free will? Yes. Did God tell him what to name the animals in the garden, or did he have the freedom to? </font>[/QUOTE]Do you think we will be able to choose to sin in Heaven? </font>[/QUOTE]no. The "new creature" we became will be what we live by, the old will be gone.
     
  17. Scott J

    Scott J Active Member
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    If this is what you believe then why have you so consistently evaded answering my simple question concerning why one is saved while another is not? Here you have answered it. You believe that the believers are saved by their own good will... their own goodness appropriating Christ sacrifice to themselves.

    That is not a system of grace... but it is an answer to my question.

    No it isn't and having been corrected so many times it is patently dishonorable for you to say something of this nature.

    Once again this has previously been rebutted. You are referencing interpretations made from taking scriptures out of context.

    He was... The matter of "truthfulness" bears against those who ignore the fact that these words were spoken "us-ward".
    Correct. They did it themselves. But the opposite is true of those who are saved. He ultimately caused them to not perish by His own good will... not being dependent on theirs.

    God did include that. When He grants man a new nature, the man will freely manifest saving faith in response to the gospel.

    IOW's, separating the good people from the bad... thus the good are saved based on their meritorious goodness... right? Don't equivocate now.
     
  18. Scott J

    Scott J Active Member
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    Incredibly, you don't see God imparting His complete and total goodness to men as a violation of free will... But this is EXACTLY what I have been arguing to you for months concerning the source of the goodness that changes man's nature allowing him to have the same will as God concerning his own salvation.

    I will parallel your own words and perhaps it will be more appealing to you: People who are given goodness by God (regeneration) have free will,[and] because their will and God's will is the same,[this is] the reason for them being in saved.
     
  19. saturneptune

    saturneptune New Member

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    Regeneration is required by the grace of God because of man's total depravity. One of the things we lose when regenerated is arrogance. We will not have the free will to be arrogant in heaven as that quality will not exist there.
     
  20. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    I think you may be confused about the theological definition of "free will." "Free will" simply means that the will has been set free from the law of sin and death. Prior to our salvation the will was in bondage to the law of sin and death. Christ set us free from that bondage. So your question then is "are we saved in heaven?" (Free from the law of sin and death.) The obvious answer is "yes."
     
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