Do We Have Free Will After Salvation?

[WhiteLioness]

Do We Have Free Will After Salvation?

Once we get saved, do we still have a free will? Not in this fleshly life, but in eternity, in the life to come, in our glorified bodies. I have been wondering this.

Does GOD have a free will or is HE stuck doing what is good all of the time?

Are we going to be able to do what we want in Heaven just like we do now or are we going to constantly be serving GOD and worshipping HIM and obeying HIM throughout eternity? And are we going to like doing that it?

What is Heaven and Eternity like? Are we going to enjoy it? Are we going to like whatever GOD gives us to do?

I am filled with much worrying.

Please answer.

 

[BreathOfGod]

Once we get saved, do we still have a free will?

Yes.

Not in this fleshly life, but in eternity, in the life to come, in our glorified bodies. I have been wondering this.

I'm sure that we probably do. Even God and the angels have a free will, and we were created above the angels. It wouldn't make sense for use to suddenly drop a level just because we are transformed.

Does GOD have a free will or is HE stuck doing what is good all of the time?

He has a free will. Why wouldn't he? He isn't stuck doing good..... he just IS good. Even the angels are not stuck doing good. They are free to disobey God if they choose.... example-- Lucifer and the angels who followed him.

Are we going to be able to do what we want in Heaven just like we do now or are we going to constantly be serving GOD and worshipping HIM and obeying HIM throughout eternity? And are we going to like doing that it?

Some of this we do not know, and some we can speculate about based upon what the Bible tells us. We know that there are streets, mansions, etc. We also know that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. I recently heard a minister speaking about the new earth and what the Bible says about it. If you are asking if we will be standing around in white robes like a heavenly choir and stuck singing all day long or something....then the answer is no.

Don't we as Christians enjoy worshiping and obeying God now? Isn't it fun?! I find it fun. I find joy. Delight. I love that song "I Can Only Imagine". Don't you just wonder how you really will react when suddenly faced with his presence?

What is Heaven and Eternity like? Are we going to enjoy it? Are we going to like whatever GOD gives us to do?

I am filled with much worrying.

Please answer.

There is nothing to worry about. Ask God for peace. Learn to delight in him. Look for the joy of the Lord. I don't know if anyone else is going to enjoy it, but I know that I will. What is there not to enjoy? No more sorrow. No more tears. No more sin. No more evil people. etc. How could we not enjoy it? Look in the Bible and you will find hints about Heaven and eternity. We don't know everything. Just glimpses.

The ones who will not enjoy it are those who choose not to follow God while on earth. Those who refuse to accept him.

 

[Boanerges(Inactive)]

Good posting BOG!

 

[SweetSurrender]

"Are we going to be able to do what we want in Heaven just like we do now or are we going to constantly be serving GOD and worshipping HIM and obeying HIM throughout eternity? And are we going to like doing that it?

What is Heaven and Eternity like? Are we going to enjoy it? Are we going to like whatever GOD gives us to do?"

Sounds just like what my husband has often asked. He wants to do things that he considers more exciting then the above. I think He will be surprised. If he doesn't enjoy worshipping God now, on earth, then it makes you wonder just how will he be able to stand it at all in Heaven?

I think God knows everyone and He understands everyone. I think He has plans for each one who is afraid they will be bored in Heaven.

Perhaps they will be given assignments like flying over to Mars to explore and report, or climbing Mt. Ararat to dismantle Noah's Ark and set up a museum in closer proximity. Or, maybe other exciting possibilities are on His mind. Who knows, but I tell him God probably has something very exotic for him to occupy his time.
Perhaps . . .
No worries.

 

[Dusty]

Does GOD have a free will or is HE stuck doing what is good all of the time?

I will just answer this one. We cannot put God in a box .God is a Spirit so we cannot think of Him in human terms. We need to think of Him as a spiritual being and therefore it is hard to pin any" wills "on Him as we think and we will not be able to understand that until we have our glorified bodies. He is the great I Am , the beginning and the end , the Alpha and Omega. He told us to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. THerefore we cannot think in a humanistic way.

 

[Boanerges(Inactive)]

There are angels who have spent countless millennium in God's presence and they are still blown away and amazed at Him. We will never be bored or lack interest in being with Him and doing His will. We are called to be priests and kings and I am more than sure there will be plenty to keep us busy.

 

[NearertoGod]

I'm sure that we probably do. Even God and the angels have a free will, and we were created above the angels. It wouldn't make sense for use to suddenly drop a level just because we are transformed.

I thought people were created a little lower than the angels. I remember that verse, I just cannot bring it to mind currently.

 

[WhiteLioness]

Thank you guys for enlightening my understanding. This has made me feel a lot better, but I just wonder if there are any verses that prove this free will.

Sure we can't put GOD into a box, but we could angels somewhat right? I said somewhat. Because they are finite beings like us, even if a little higher. Could we think of them in somewhat humanistic terms too or not?

The twin verses you seek are this...

Psalm 8:5 -- For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Hebrews 2:7 -- Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

There are only two verses in all of the King James Version that talk about this, that was how it appeared when I looked it up online on Bible.com.

Yes, man was indeed created a little lower than the angels but not without our honor and glory. And our original task was to be over the works of GOD's hands, so we had something to do and we would not get bored (in that sense one of our previous posters was right to say we would not be bored, we would have stuff to do).

But when we have our glorified bodies isn't that order reversed? Aren't we then higher than the angels then as we rule and reign with Christ? And won't the angels serve us then? And attend us at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? Christ will wed the saints, not the angels, right? At a supper is food, right? That amazed me, that must means that God eats like a we do!

You're right, I shouldn't be worrying. After all I am not the one who is damned, I am saved. I guess my duty now is just to worship HIM in front of men in love and truth and that will lead people to Christ as they see we love HIM and HE loves us, right?

But we were called to be perfect beings like God...

Matthew 5:48 -- Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

So I assume that the angels are perfect beings too, being that God is a perfect Creator and all.

 

[Kŗ]

Once we get saved, do we still have a free will? yes. Not in this fleshly life, but in eternity, in the life to come, in our glorified bodies. I have been wondering this.

Does GOD have a free will or is HE stuck doing what is good all of the time? He is good and cannot be anything else. God is good because He IS.

Are we going to be able to do what we want in Heaven just like we do now or are we going to constantly be serving GOD and worshipping HIM and obeying HIM throughout eternity? And are we going to like doing that it? We will want to please the Lord because the Lord only wants to please us. In that, if we please god then we are pleasing ourselves and He will be well pleased. if that makes any sense.

What is Heaven and Eternity like? No one can describe heaven because it suprasses our understanding concerning out great it will be. Are we going to enjoy it? Yes. Are we going to like whatever GOD gives us to do? Yes, He only wants to make us happy and thus He wants to give us that which will make us happy.

I am filled with much worrying.

Please answer.

There is no need to worry. Heaven is better than hell keep that in mind. revelation 21-24 read it and know it.

 

[Mark_18]

There is NO bad in heaven. You can't not love it beyond your current ability to comprehend. Biblical proof I have of this? None I guess, but I DO know it.

Paradise is paradise.

I'd imagine the sheer happiness and feelings you have up there would be good enough if you were sitting doing absolutely nothing for eternity. I really love to daydream about heaven, but I don't know how much I should picture it as similar this world. Anyone want to share more ideas of heaven based on scripture?

Sorry I has questions now:

Is it quite certain that we'll have human-looking bodies and function similar?

Will we have to travel to people to communicate, or will we all just kind of be connected? I can't see the need for bodies if that's so....

Can someone explain the new earth to me? Are we ALL there? How long for? Are we then in the same bodies we will be in when heaven comes? I would imagine earth will kinda be like it was before sin came. Everything will just work perfectly. But maybe God will make it even better somehow?

Wow, think of everything that makes up your concienceness, all your senses, and then realize how that's getting in the way of you seeing reality. How that's not what's real, but rather it's all hazy and just plain sucks compared to the heavens. And that's where we belong. We're here so briefly. Don't we get super intuitive in heaven too? We finally see things for what they are right? Mannn it hurts to wait!

One non-believer friend of mine once said. "I think the worst thing would be is if this was eternity. If this never ended." That is a scary thought, but the facts I've found point at it being either MUCH worse than that, or MUCH better.

 

[BreathOfGod]

The twin verses you seek are this...

Psalm 8:5 -- For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Hebrews 2:7 -- Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

There are only two verses in all of the King James Version that talk about this, that was how it appeared when I looked it up online on Bible.com.

Yes, man was indeed created a little lower than the angels but not without our honor and glory. And our original task was to be over the works of GOD's hands, so we had something to do and we would not get bored (in that sense one of our previous posters was right to say we would not be bored, we would have stuff to do).

But when we have our glorified bodies isn't that order reversed? Aren't we then higher than the angels then as we rule and reign with Christ? And won't the angels serve us then? And attend us at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? Christ will wed the saints, not the angels, right? At a supper is food, right? That amazed me, that must means that God eats like a we do!


But we were called to be perfect beings like God...

Matthew 5:48 -- Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

So I assume that the angels are perfect beings too, being that God is a perfect Creator and all.

I have read things about Psalms 8:5 which point out that the original word used in the Hebrew was Elohim, not angels. Apparently it was the Septuagint which changed the word to "angels" in the translation. The original would have read that man is lower than God.

In 1 Corinthians 6:3 we read that man will judge angels.

 

[Boanerges(Inactive)]

I have read things about Psalms 8:5 which point out that the original word used in the Hebrew was Elohim, not angels. Apparently it was the Septuagint which changed the word to "angels" in the translation. The original would have read that man is lower than God.

In 1 Corinthians 6:3 we read that man will judge angels.

An interesting observation BOG. Here are some different translations of that verse:

Psa 8:5

(ACV) For thou have made him but little lower than [heavenly] agents, and crowned him with glory and honor.

(ASV) For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor.

(BBE) For you have made him only a little lower than the gods, crowning him with glory and honour.

(Bishops) Thou hast made hym somthyng inferiour to angels: thou hast crowned him with glory and worship.

(CEV) You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor.

(Complete Apostles' Bible) You made him a little lower than the angels, You have crowned him with glory and honor;

(Darby) Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and splendour.

(DRB) (8:6) Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour:

(ESV) Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

(Geneva) For thou hast made him a little lower then God, and crowned him with glory and worship.

(GNB) Yet you made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor.


(GW) You have made him a little lower than yourself. You have crowned him with glory and honor.

(HOT) (8:6) ותחסרהו מעט מאלהים וכבוד והדר תעטרהו׃

(HOT+) (8:6) ותחסרהוH2637 מעטH4592 מאלהיםH430 וכבודH3519 והדרH1926 תעטרהו׃H5849

(JPS) (8:6) Yet Thou hast made him but little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

(KJ2000) For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor.

(KJV+TVM) For thou hast made him a little4592 lower2637 [8762] than the angels430, and hast crowned5849 [8762] him with glory3519 and honour1926.

(KJV+) For thou hast made him a little lowerH2637 H4592 than the angels,H4480 H430 and hast crownedH5849 him with gloryH3519 and honour.H1926

(KJV-1611) For thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels; and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

(KJVA) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

(KJVR) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

(LITV) For You have made him lack a little from God; and have crowned him with glory and honor.

(MKJV) For You have made him lack a little from God, and have crowned him with glory and honor.

(NET) and make them a little less than the heavenly beings?14
You grant mankind15 honor and majesty;16

(Rev. Webster+) For thou hast made him a little4592 lower2637 [8762] than the angels430, and hast crowned5849 [8762] him with glory3519 and honour1926.

(RV) For thou hast made him but little lower than God, and crownest him with glory and honour.

(TRC) After thou hadst for a season made him lower than the angels, thou crownest him with honor and glory.

(The Scriptures '98+) Yet You have made him a little less than Elohim, And have crowned him with esteem and splendour.

(UPDV) For you have made him but little lower than God, And crown him with glory and majesty.

(Vulgate) (8:6) minuisti eum paulo minus ab angelis gloria et honore coronasti eum

(Webster) For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.

(YLT) And causest him to lack a little of Godhead, And with honour and majesty compassest him.


So depending on which manuscript one translated that out of one would arrive at a different conclusion.

Also to be noted is that the word Elohim can have different meanings depending on the grammatical structure of the sentence .
H430
אלהים
'ĕlôhîym
el-o-heem'
Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
So without the proceeding article El it simply means god in the sense of great judge or angel. This is used other places in scripture to denote power and authority (Psa 82:6 ) but is not in reference to the Lord God. I do not pretend to be a skilled translator and indeed many grievous errors can and do occur trying to translate scripture with a concordance and limited knowledge so this is meant only to point out the possibilities.
I would like to note that the Septuagint is a not as old as other manuscripts, contains some material the others certainly did not and that being the case simply may not be as authoritative.

These are only my opinions and do not wish to argue about them but simply post them as observations.

 

[Charles Kamau]

Do We Have Free Will After Salvation?

Once we get saved, do we still have a free will? Not in this fleshly life, but in eternity, in the life to come, in our glorified bodies. I have been wondering this.

Does GOD have a free will or is HE stuck doing what is good all of the time?

Are we going to be able to do what we want in Heaven just like we do now or are we going to constantly be serving GOD and worshipping HIM and obeying HIM throughout eternity? And are we going to like doing that it?

What is Heaven and Eternity like? Are we going to enjoy it? Are we going to like whatever GOD gives us to do?

I am filled with much worrying.

Please answer.

Eternity?
Replace Eternity with the Right Word. The Right Word is The BEST. This includes: Best Friendships, Best Tastes, Best Perfumes, Best Flavours, Best Relaxations, Best of body feels and sensations, Best of brain engagements, Best, Best of all. All this without an end nor a replacement since they do not wear out at all. Some people cannot stand to imagine Love-Making will miss in Heaven. What God has in place is incompable. God's end of best things hasn't come and will never.
Freedom will have with it the Best of Motivation to Serve God. You will not have a place to feel a bore like you do now while you havent even gotten there.

 

[Charles Kamau]

Do We Have Free Will After Salvation?

Once we get saved, do we still have a free will? Not in this fleshly life, but in eternity, in the life to come, in our glorified bodies. I have been wondering this.

Does GOD have a free will or is HE stuck doing what is good all of the time?

Are we going to be able to do what we want in Heaven just like we do now or are we going to constantly be serving GOD and worshipping HIM and obeying HIM throughout eternity? And are we going to like doing that it?

What is Heaven and Eternity like? Are we going to enjoy it? Are we going to like whatever GOD gives us to do?

I am filled with much worrying.

Please answer.

Eternity?
Replace Eternity with the Right Word. The Right Word is The BEST. This includes: Best Friendships, Best Tastes, Best Perfumes, Best Flavours, Best Relaxations, Best of body feels and sensations, Best of brain engagements, Best, Best of all. All this without an end nor a replacement since they do not wear out at all. Some people cannot stand to imagine Love-Making will miss in Heaven. What God has in place is incompable. God's end of best things hasn't come and will never.
Freedom will have with it the Best of Motivation to Serve God. You will not have a place to feel a bore like you do now while you havent even gotten there.

 

[WhiteLioness]

Some people cannot stand to imagine Love-Making will miss in Heaven.

What do you mean by this? That people will be doing lovemaking in Heaven? I thought we were not given over in marriage but were as the angels of GOD in Heaven...

 

[Who am I]

What do you mean by this? That people will be doing lovemaking in Heaven? I thought we were not given over in marriage but were as the angels of GOD in Heaven...

I believe he meant that it won’t be in Heaven and some people can’t stand to imagine it won’t be and they think they will miss it.

A lot of people think the things we like to do now is what will be in Heaven.

I think no matter what Heaven is like, that is what we are going to want.

One of my examples is… if the only thing in Heaven is shuffleboard, then that is exactly what we are going to want, and we are going to love it. Non stop shuffleboard and loving it. Can you imagine that?
I know… not a good example, but that’s the one that always pops into my head every time, and I’ve never played it before.

 

[el Pollo]

Can someone explain the new earth to me? Are we ALL there? How long for? Are we then in the same bodies we will be in when heaven comes? I would imagine earth will kinda be like it was before sin came. Everything will just work perfectly. But maybe God will make it even better somehow?

The New Earth is just that. I believe that God will burn this current world and restore the universe to it's pre-sin state. I don't believe that we or anyone will be bound to earth only or Heaven only. I believe as children of God, we will be able to go wherever we want to in God's creation. Want to hang out on the rings of Saturn? It may sound weird, but I think we will even be able to do that.

 

[WhiteLioness]

Yeah

The New Earth is just that. I believe that God will burn this current world and restore the universe to it's pre-sin state. I don't believe that we or anyone will be bound to earth only or Heaven only. I believe as children of God, we will be able to go wherever we want to in God's creation. Want to hang out on the rings of Saturn? It may sound weird, but I think we will even be able to do that.

Although we already have NASA taking space tours for us, we would probably be able to do that ourselves. What fun!

 

[Charles Kamau]

Free Will After Salvation

What do you mean by this? That people will be doing lovemaking in Heaven? I thought we were not given over in marriage but were as the angels of GOD in Heaven...

Right Question.
It is for sure true, that Love Making in our limited defination of romance and sex will not exist in Heaven. And beside it God has not indicated what we will have instead. He requires that hope be generated so strong, to guarantee better stuff than it, without any evidence. And these we will have. There's an Authoritative Assurance in the Bible I can refer you to, that has all these bits and collections of marvels contained. '......what God has prepared for His own, no thought,......' So our wildest imaginations have met one without a match. And God is not intimidated by you that think so extensively, that probably you may land on a portion of heavenly flavours, in the process of you thinking. This is needful for they that think Jesus can only be fair returning after some of us have married, esp we that have had to abstain, todate.Tis embarrassing to compare Christ with this 'chips' of an Original Block(which is the Rock).

 

[smellycat]

man will become level as angels.seeing how we know satan had free will.this means yes we will have free will.