Tim,
I'm not sure if you are asking for me to elaborate on my "God made us free to
enable us to express real love, because real love cannot be either forced
from us or programmed into us" comment. Or if you are asking others here to
give you their take on this understanding. I don't have a lot to add to my
original comments. But I'll send this thought your way.
I have recently been asked, "What about after God gives man eternal life?
Doesn't the Bible say that at that time God will also make men incorruptible.
Wont 'incorruptible' men no longer be able to choose not to love God? Wont
there then be men living for all eternity who will never be able to love God
freely, the way you say God wants to be loved?"
I believe that the answers to these questions can be found by understanding
why Christians are called "The bride of Christ."
Before a woman becomes a man's bride she is free to either give her love to
him or to any other man. However, once she freely falls in love with a man,
and freely decides she wants to spend the rest of her life with him, and
freely consents to become his bride, and then freely makes legal vows to
love, honor and cherish only him, and freely makes a legal vow to be
completely faithful to him, she then willingly gives up the freedom she
previously had to give her love to another man.
When Christians freely consent to become part of "The bride of Christ," and
freely make vows to faithfully serve Him forever, they then willingly give up
the freedom they previously had to give their love to another god. After they
do so, God will grant them the ability to eternally maintain their
faithfulness to Him. This ability is called "incorruptibility." He will then
also grant them the ability to live forever. This ability is called
"immortality." (1Cor. 15)
By God not creating people incorruptible to begin with, He allowed us all the
freedom to decide for ourselves who we will give our love to. To those who
freely decide that they want to give their love to Him, and who freely decide
that they want to do so forever, God will give the ability to do what they
have already freely decided that they want to do.
That's a very big difference than God forcing or programming everyone to love
and serve Him from the start of their lives.
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