Thoughts on what brings God's blessings

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Nicodemus1968

Free will isn't "needed" or "caused" by the presence of temptations.

Correct me if I’m wrong, I believe free will is needed or exercised through our ability to chose right or wrong without any constraint. We have the complete ability to chose what we desire. For example, the Lord told Adam not to eat of the tree, was God there while the serpent was beguiling Eve? Did God step in and and get in the way from Adam partaking of the fruit as his wife did? No, God allowed Adam to make that choice. If Adam was constrained in any way, then by The very definition that would not be free will. In order for free will to exist in the afterlife there must be a reason for it, hence the discussion, there must be choices we’re going to make otherwise there is no reason for a free will mindset to be in the third heaven.

So again, does God have free will?

I will answer this directly I owe you that much. I’m going to give you the definition of free will, and we’ll discuss in further later. Lord Bless
Free-Will is defined as...
The power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.
Now We understand God and Jesus are the same. Is God bound by ANYTHING? Free will is doing what you please with no constraint. I remember reading somewhere in the word that God cannot do certain things...

God intervening and preventing the carrying out of Adam's choice would be no different than a parent taking the car keys from their kid who wants to go hang out with their buddies instead of doing homework. Nobody would have lost their free will in either case.

The will is the faculty (ability) to make choices, to make volitions, to decide on a course of action, to "do" something. The will is free if its volitions and choices originate with itself, rather than from an outside source. If an outside source causes the will to do X, and the will has no ability to do anything BUT X, then the will is not free.

Temptations are not "necessary causes" of the will's volitions. They may be enticements and they may argue powerfully and so the will yields to them, but that does not mean the will is not free. The will chooses, but without the external force of necessity.

If temptation is not present, the will is still free because the will is not forced by the law of necessity to engage in any particular volition. If I remove the cookie jar, my kids can't get their hands in it, but they do not cease to have free will.

Free will is a necessary condition of moral agency. Therefore, free will is a necessary condition of moral character. We do not lose our moral character in the resurrection. Therefore we do not lose our free will, either. God has moral character, therefore He has free will.

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Same thing?

No.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by diakonos

No.

Yes.

Free will means free agency.

Explain the difference, please.

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Yes.

Free will means free agency.

Explain the difference, please.

(If discussing with a Calvinist)

Free agency is the decisions that you make. Should I wear a sweater today, it’s cold outside. Should I fornicate today.

. Free will is the ability to choose or reject salvation.

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by diakonos

(If discussing with a Calvinist)

Free agency is the decisions that you make. Should I wear a sweater today, it’s cold outside. Should I fornicate today.

. Free will is the ability to choose or reject salvation.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by diakonos

(If discussing with a Calvinist)

Free agency is the decisions that you make. Should I wear a sweater today, it’s cold outside. Should I fornicate today.

. Free will is the ability to choose or reject salvation.

Sounds contrived.



A'GENCY, noun [Latin agens. See Act.]

1. The quality of moving or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; operation; instrumentality; as, the agency of providence in the natural world.

2. The office of an agent, or factor; business of an agent entrusted with the concerns of another; as, the principal pays the charges of agency (Webster's 1828)

Free agency means a person has the capacity to act according to their will, which itself must be free else both the person and the will is simply the agent of something else, and would thus (in an unfree condition) be acting from necessity, and thus have no moral character.

If you are a free agent, your will must be free, otherwise you are a robot or puppet.

[Esaias]

How did we get onto the subject of free will, by the way?

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Here's my question, will their be people still actively sinning in heaven?

This is when the discussion of free will started.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Esaias

How did we get onto the subject of free will, by the way?

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

So that goes back to the question I asked earlier in this thread. Does one have to be in a place of sinless perfection to go to heaven? What if a person baptized and filled dies before overcoming a besetting sin?

To this question I entered the discussion.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Looks like this may be where it all started?

Originally Posted by Esaias

Can you enter into life with your hand, foot, or eye causing you to offend?