Free Will in Heaven

[Eadweard]

Hey, all. I'm new here and so I figured I'd introduce myself with this thread. I apologize if you've heard this question before but I'd really like to discuss it.

According to Christianity, God gave humans free will so that we could freely choose to follow Him or not. After all, if we lacked free will we'd just be robots that didn't have the capability of showing Him true love. Free will is also used as the explanation for evil since evil stems from our ability to freely choose it. This brings me to my question: Is there free will in heaven? There are four possibilities:

In heaven people have

1. free will and the ability to sin

2. no free will but do have the ability to sin

3. free will but no ability to sin

4. neither free will nor the ability to sin.

Most Christians would say that if heaven contained sin it wouldn't be paradise. That rules out 1 and 2. Furthermore, number 2 wouldn't even be considered by Christians since they state that God would never revoke our free will. This also eliminates number 4. Therefore, we are left with number 3, that we have free will in heaven but no ability to sin. However, if sin stems from the fact that we have free will, how is it possible to have free will and yet no ability to sin? By removing our ability to sin God has effectively reduced our free will and turned us into robots who can only worship Him. If He doesn't want robots on earth, why would He want them in heaven? Moreover, If it is possible to create completely free willed beings who lacked the ability to choose evil, which must be the case in this situation, then why didn't He do that when He created us in the first place?

What do you guys think?

[Kansasdad]

[quote name='Eadweard

[Ovedya]

Most Christians would say that if heaven contained sin it wouldn't be paradise.

I think that this statement is a generalization, and not reflective of what "most Chistians" would say.

In my opinion number 1 is correct. The angels were created with free-will. However, free-will is not just the ability to sin or not sin. That is a general misunderstanding and misapplication of this quality that God gave to His creation. Free-will is simply the ability to chose without being constrained or influenced by an outside source.

Since Lucifer, being filled with pride, committed an act of sin, this alone is proof of free-will. And since, as the Bible states, a third of the angelic "host of heaven" chose to follow Lucifer instead of remaining under the protection of God himself, this also proves that angels have free-will.

However, the assumption that heaven would contain sin because of free-will is false, since God ejected the angels that rebelled against Him from heaven. God's dwelling place, that is, heaven, cannot contain sin. Therefore, God ejected those that had sinned against Him from His dwelling place.

[Eadweard]

God sure kicked some angles our of heaven, do you think he could do the same thing to a human?

God doesn't let people who repent in hell into heaven. Why would he send someone in heaven to hell? After all, it is eternal punishment or reward.

[traveller]

Who said anyone in hell repented?

[Ovedya]

This appears to be more of a Doctrinal discussion.

[Trust & Obey]

I think that being in the continual presence of God, coupled with the fact that we will no longer be in bondage to sin, will mean that we'll never even think about sinning, much less doing it.

Like Jesus said "we shall be as unto the angels." But, Satan was an angel and also those that fell with Him.

Somehow, I think we'll be secure in our marriage to Christ.

[Gerioke]

From what I understand, evil will be bound to the lake of fire for eternity by the time we get to Heaven. If there's no evil in Heaven, we won't be tempted to choose anything other than righteousness.

I could be wrong, but I don't think so this time.

[Guest Zayit]

Would Adam and Eve sinned if the serpent hadn't tempted them?

[Ovedya]

Would Adam and Eve sinned if the serpent hadn't tempted them?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Eventually, perhaps. But then perhaps not.