If we cease to have free will in heaven, are we ourselves?

Question

If in heaven, I have no desire or ability to do evil or make bad choices isn't my self completely destroyed as I now know it? Do I not cease to be?

Answer 1

God cannot be almighty and allow free will simultaneously

Besides there can exist no free wills at all if God is almighty. If you had a free will, God wouldn't know what you would do tomorrow and wouldn't be omnipotent.

The two dimensions of time take care of this one, too. God knows what each person will do and can put him anywhere in our time line to accomplish His purposes. Complete free-will and complete predestination is possible in two dimensions of time. However, this concept may require some time to think about.

Answer 2

I don't know of any where in the Bible that it says that any human will "go to heaven," with or without a free will. Neither do I know of anywhere in the Bible that "free will" is exalted as such, so I guess you are working with a purely hypothetical question here.

But, I'll play. Assuming that you mean that you have decided to put faith in Christ, you will wake up from death when he returns (or just be transformed if you are still living at the end of the age.) You will see him perfectly clearly and all that he embodies: justice, righteousness, goodness, creativity, holiness--all things good. It will be like having your eyes opened to what maturity is, what you were meant to be and where your place in the universe is. Asking if you will feel bummed that you can't sin is like sitting at an amazing banquet and wondering if it would be okay to eat the garbage in the alley instead. Does having something infinitly better in front of you--the choice being a no-brainer--does that mean that you are limited and constrained? The garbage is still there, but what use would it be to you?

Here's another way to look at it. When you were little, maybe you really liked Teletubbies or Barney or stacking three rings on a neat stick. Then, your eyes were opened to rock music or baseball or things that way more interesting as you get older. Can you still watch Barney? Uh...if you WANT to...but you probably won't. A child that outgrows Barney is still themselves...just at a different place in development.

Your personality was intentionally created, your memories will be preserved. Will you be like you are now? In some ways yes, and in a lot of ways, no. When Jesus was resurrected he could morph, fly, walk through walls, teleport, eat or not eat and give great fishing advice. We can assume that our resurrection bodies will be equally superheroific, and that we will share his purity as well. If the definition of "You" is selfish desires, yeah, that will go away, whether you have chosen Christ or not. You have a chance at something better, though. There is a chance to escape destruction, through Christ.

Answer 3

You do not cease to exist and your will is changed it is still definitely your will...Many confuse the idea of free will...It is simply the freedom to choose God or follow a lie once anyone has chosen God they have used their free will...Free will was never about a basic nothing choice as to which color of shoes you choose to wear it has to do with choosing the truth...You will always be you and make decisions that belong to you but you will have accepted the truth and those that love the truth it is already their choice and they are changed accordingly...Our decisions become based on the truth and we are no longer subject to the deceit of the liar...It is the aotnement and resurrection that allows us this choice today...It is by faith we can say we are now new creatures who are changed by the power of the atonement and the resurrection. I am one of these new creatures by faith and I am very much still me but I am in agreement with his truth and conformed in his righteousness.

Answer 4

no, it means that we passed God's approval, and in many religions, they believe that you go through a purification before heaven. Free will is to test your soul on earth to see if you give in to evil, or choose against it. Some religions believe in predestination...such as presbyterianism, which in my opinion, defeats free will if we were predestined to do what we do.Heaven is for those that consistantly chose against evil, asked for forgiveness for their sins, and lived their lives the best they could following God...meaning. Then again, I think that there is free will in heaven because satan used to be an angel in heaven that turned evil, and was thrown out of heaven.

Answer 5

No we will not be ourselves, we will be puppets of God. Wow, what a depressing place to want to go. I love the fact that I covet my neighbors wife (she is hot) and I tell my Christian parents what I think, and that I worship all other Gods but the one Christians worship. I have also sinned by not killing my neighbor for working on the sabbath, nor because of the fact that his slaves are not from a neighboring country (as is stated in the Bible). Does that mean that all interesting people who actually have lived their lives will be just boring "things" zombies who do what God commands? Please I want to go anywhere else, because heaven sounds so depressing. I do not want my free will taken from me, and I want to continue to enjoy my free-will and if that it taken away I want a refund on my get in free ticket.

Answer 6

First of all we were not created to do evil or to sin, our proper nature was despoiled by the fall,in Heaven we will always have our free will,we will not be automatons,but will find our true nature once more fully restored to us.

Answer 7

I don't believe in evil or hell really. Maybe what we consider evil is just mistakes made?