Help me understand, please. We have been granted free will, but in order to be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven, we must use our free will to choose to relenquish our free will and live by the rules set forth by the bible? Is it just me, or does that seem a little contradictary? Don't get me wrong...I'm not attacking anyone or any group, I'm just curious about the opinions on this.
2007-01-26 08:59:35 · 17 answers · asked by eurovac 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Use your free will, show an appreciation for life, and learn from your experiences and you will be alright. Besides, most of the commandments are things you should want to do anyway, like not cheating on your spouse, not killing, not stealing. If your free will leads you to do these things then you need to reevaluate your life.
2007-01-26 09:12:25 · answer #1 · answered by Atlas 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
"... we must use our free will to choose to relinquish our free will and live by the rules set forth by the bible?" You whooshed right by the part where the person freely chooses to follow GOD, and that NO FORCE is applied to anyone following GOD.
If force were used - say by a human against another human as is always the case, mind games, torture, etc. none of the conversions are real, and when these bodies die GOD understands everything they went through and rewards that soul as GOD determines - NOT A HUMAN.
Luckily Humans will never have a say in which soul enters heaven, so as I live here on this planet, all I have to do is live as Jesus commanded in His 2 commandments. (Anything over two (2) seems to hard for humans to remember!!)
So free will - with no force applied, is how people determine their path, THAT'S WHY ALL PATHS ARE INDIVIDUAL! With some crossover to fill churches, towns, schools, markets,etc.- and set up rules for each community we are from. My community looks good to some, but not by force, but by our not forcing the citizens of it to act/think/etc. a certain way. Other people enjoy a forced existence, ruled by a hard hand, (we theorize) with many rules, and more power to them, I can not force a person to live by my communities rules.
2007-01-26 18:35:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God didn't establish the draft system, He wants you to have faith and come to Him on your own. I don't understand what you mean by, rules set forth by the Bible. The Bible was written by the inspired word of God. Lets say it's a love letter from God, with an invitation and instructions. We have a free will to not except the invitation. Don't think you can just be good and not do anything real bad and that will entitle you the Kingdom of God. His word say we must be born again. We do this by coming to Him on our free will.
2007-01-26 09:29:44 · answer #3 · answered by Auburn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free will is a theological term having to do with the ability to look to God for salvation, not our everyday decisions. You're confusing the two and coming up with what the Bible does not talk about at all.
If it helps you to understand it better, an alternative theology to Arminianism which advocates free will, is Calvinism, which looks at man as having a sin nature to the point he is unable make a decision for God (i.e., no free will). Rather, it is God who comes to him, electing, predestining, saving him, and sanctifying him throughout his life which is something man would want to do, out of joy, not duty. It's not a giving up of anything. "The rules" as you've stated, are good ones. Therefore, if you don't have the ability to choose God, there is nothing to relinquish, and we have no contradiction at all.
2007-01-26 15:32:23 · answer #4 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont think it's a matter of relinquishing free will completely, because it is indeed possible to lead the life you want while still adhering to the "rules." And when you think about it, the rules arent all that bad...they basically just want you to be a good person and not steal, cheat, kill, or lie your way through life.
2007-01-26 09:26:04 · answer #5 · answered by wuzzamaddayou 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
But it's a VOLUNTARY relinquishment, you know, kinda like the Army, only for a longer term. You're supposed to realize that God really DOES know better and that the holes you're digging and filling, out by the parade ground, have an ultimate purpose. Sir, yes, sir!
2007-01-26 09:38:01 · answer #6 · answered by skepsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Someday every person will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.But what sadness to make this confession only when we finally recognized the inescapable fact that Jesus really is Lord- and we have never accepted him as such. Are you willing to pay the price for certain action. God does not prevent us from acting foolishly; he only reminds us of the consequences of foolishness.
2007-01-26 09:46:02 · answer #7 · answered by josie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'll answer your question with my question. If you are married...would you tell your husband that he has free will to do what he wants, or would you want your husband to follow a set of rules to protect your marraige because he loves you?
Boundaries are good and beneficial. Free will exists so that love can.
2007-01-26 09:17:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You've got it though. A Divine Being created us so that we would have free will. The only options we're given, however are... (1) eternal torment, (2) eternal salvation!
It's unclear if, after being saved for eternity when we arrived in Heaven, we still have free will to go to Hell! Apparently that's a one way road though.
2007-01-26 09:11:17 · answer #9 · answered by WWTSD? 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Free will does not exist. It's an illusion.
2007-01-26 09:46:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋