Jehovah God "supposedly" has given us free will. Why then does he command we love him? How can you command someone to love you? Isn't that like forcing them to love you?
All these things Jehovah God/Jesus Christ commands of us. If it is truly, "...for freedom that Christ has set us free...," then why all the commandments? Why are they simply not "suggestions" if Jehovah God truly wants us to have free will?
2006-11-26 13:27:32 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Troublemakers insist on twisting the truth about Jehovah. The Bible cautions Christians about such disgusting talk.
(Romans 16:17) Keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them.
(2 Corinthians 4:4-6) The god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers
(Philippians 2:14-15) In among a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you are shining as illuminators in the world
(1 Timothy 6:3-5) If any man teaches other doctrine and does not assent to healthful words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor to the teaching that accords with godly devotion, he is puffed up with pride, not understanding anything, but being mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words. From these things spring envy, strife, abusive speeches, wicked suspicions, violent disputes about trifles on the part of men corrupted in mind and despoiled of the truth
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http://watchtower.org/e/20030301/article_01.htm
2006-11-26 13:34:28 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Did God ever say in His word you have to keep the commandments? NO, He did not. But He did say, if you love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
2006-11-26 21:37:46 · answer #2 · answered by Selena Jade's Mommy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you HAVE to obey the commandments? No, you can choose to ignore them, even though there will be eternal consequences. However, if you choose to obey God, then you would choose to obey His commandments for those who love Him. Note that FREE WILL is coming into play throughout this. It is a choice to love Him, but know this: it is so much better once you submit to Him, even though submission is generally against our nature, and seems, perhaps, childish, or spineless. I hope that this helps, God bless!
2006-11-26 21:37:24 · answer #3 · answered by eefen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The commandments were made for our own good, but God's not gonna stop you (in most cases) from breaking His rules. That's what free will means-- that you can go totally screw up your life and God's not going to interfere. The laws are there mostly for our benefit, such as traffic laws and laws having to do with safety regulations, but people break them by the second. They are not suggestions, shown by the fact that therare people to stop you from running that red light. What God is saying is "Go ahead. Go make a total fool of yourself. Blaspheme to my face-- I won't stop you."
The freedom spoken of in the New Testament has nothing to do with free will, but with being on the road to Hell and how it affects one's life in the short-term. Have you ever felt truly free, as in not bound by society or etiquette or what any other entity may think? It's not common, but it feels great.
You also say that God has commanded us to love him. I may be wrong, but I think that's less of a domineering "THOU SHALT LOVE ME" and more of a plaintive "Just love Me!" He wants our love, and he tells us so very plainly.
God bless you, and I hope you work this one out!
2006-11-26 21:52:33 · answer #4 · answered by paleozoictraveler 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have never understood the concept of free will. Some people think everything happens in a cause-and-effect manner, and that a given set of circumstances can only have one conclusion. The opposite of this is randomness, when there is more than one possible effect, which is not caused. Free will is not cause-and-effect, but it is certainly not random, otherwise we wouldn't really be "willing" anything. What, then, could be both uncaused and non-random?
This is irrelevant to the biblical argument, but it is difficult to answer without defining free will.
2006-11-26 21:32:46 · answer #5 · answered by Patchy O'Squirrel 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do you love him? No? That's because you have free will. Are you obeying the commands of Jesus Christ? No? that is because you have free will.
2006-11-26 21:44:09 · answer #6 · answered by babydoll 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you thought about the fact that free will just might not be Scriptural? In other words, I agree with you, suggestions just don't cut it for me. God is in command of his universe, and he has the full authority to draw people to himself out of a world that is destined for destruction.
2006-11-26 23:31:20 · answer #7 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've answered your own question. If we DIDN"T have free will, then there would be no NEED for a command.
The command is given, and we then chose whether or not to obey. When we chose to obey even when we don't FEEL like it, we demonstrate our faith IN and our love FOR JESUS!
BTW, Jesus said " You shall be witnesses unto me...." we're suppsed to be Jesus' witnesses, NOT Jehova's witnesses.
2006-11-26 21:36:20 · answer #8 · answered by revulayshun 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you have a child that wants to touch the hot stove, do you "suggest" they not touch it, or do you "command" them not to touch it?
When you enter into a covenant, where both sides make promises, what do you do when one side continually breaks the covenant?
Joshua 24:15-16 15 "And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." 16 And the people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;"
How long do you expect God to be paitient?
Isaiah 7:13 Then he said, "Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?"
What if God's patience (not tolerance) was given to give you the chance to repent? Romans 9:22-23
"22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,"
The fact that God has give us free will is seen in that we continue to sin, rather than obey. If everyone obeyed, how would they differ from robots?
The Commandments were given for our protection, to fence OUT the harmful things. God is not a party pooper who takes glee in being a killjoy. God wants us to enjoy life to the fullest.
See John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
2006-11-26 21:45:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God does not command us to love Him. He WANTS us to love Him. He wants us to want a relationship with Him.
The commandments ARE rules. It's not like they are saying "Do not dance and have fun." They're pretty basic! Worship ONLY ONE God, THEE one and only, there are NO other Gods before you. (If that commandment can't be accepted, then the rest are a moot point.) Obey your parents, don't lie about other people (number 8 I think. .. do not bear false witness) don't kill, don't steal. . .are these really too difficult to follow??
2006-11-26 21:35:14 · answer #10 · answered by misskenjr 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋