What happens to free will in Heaven?

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Every choice of the will has a good as its object. Even when a moral evil is committed, the evil is not the object of the will, but some good that results from an evil choice. For example, the object of the will in a murder is not the unjust killing of a person, the object of the will is the perceived good that will be gained from the act, whether it is a feeling of pleasure, an inheritance to be gained, the perception of justice, etc . . . If there was not some perceived good as the object of will in the deed, the act would never be committed.

The purpose of the will, therefore, is to seek the good as its object. In Heaven, one obtains the beatific vision of God, which is the perfect good that man can achieve. In addition to that, the intellect receives understanding and clarity that it has obtained this perfect good. It becomes nonsensical under such circumstances to think the will would ever choose otherwise, having obtained its satisfaction perfectly and having clarity and knowledge of what it’s obtained and with the power to master itself.
 
You are conceived with one will: to see God in the beatific vision.

Due to original sin, this will has to compete with lesser bodily and emotional desires (concupiscence).

In Heaven, your lesser desires will have no power over the will. Your “will” will be free of concupiscence and will be able to adore God in the beatific vision without hindrance from lesser passions.

newadvent.org/cathen/06259a.htm
 
STT said:
You can never commit evil which is contrary with concept of free will! 🤷
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No. “Free will” does not require the commission of acts of evil. Rather, free will is simply the state that allows for free choice. If everyone chooses against evil, freely, then there is still free will.

In heaven – that is, in the presence of God – we believe that the saved always choose God, for eternity. Free will is preserved, even in the absence of evil in heaven.
 
Very interesting topic. I love reading all the responses. I also was wondering about this very thing…
 
ANV said:
🤷
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Free will is essential for humans so it remains. We retain our free will after death, we naturally choose to love the Lord, possessing impeccability. (The soul will be reunited with the body at the general resurrection, per Christian teachings.)
 
Vico said:
Free will is essential for humans so it remains. We retain our free will after death, we naturally choose to love the Lord, possessing impeccability. (The soul will be reunited with the body at the general resurrection, per Christian teachings.)
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👍
Without free will we would be incapable of unselfish love.
 
Vico said:
Free will is essential for humans so it remains. We retain our free will after death, we naturally choose to love the Lord, possessing impeccability. (The soul will be reunited with the body at the general resurrection, per Christian teachings.)
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But not all of those who were in Heaven naturally have chosen God, so I don’t see where’s the difference, so you can go to heaven then reject God.
 
Gorgias said:
No. “Free will” does not require the commission of acts of evil. Rather, free will is simply the state that allows for free choice. If everyone chooses against evil, freely, then there is still free will.
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That I agree but that has nothing to do with my argument.
Gorgias said:
In heaven – that is, in the presence of God – we believe that the saved always choose God, for eternity. Free will is preserved, even in the absence of evil in heaven.
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That is impossible to me. You could eventually commit evil.
 
STT said:
That I agree but that has nothing to do with my argument.
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It has everything to do with your argument. You claimed that one “could never commit evil which is contrary to the concept of free will.” In other words, your claim says that the commission of evil is necessary for the concept of free will. I disagree, and I demonstrated that your claim was inaccurate.
That is impossible to me. You could eventually commit evil.
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Do you mean that one “could” commit evil, or that one “will” eventually commit evil? Big difference.

The notion of free will doesn’t require one to choose evil, so the fact that one “could” do so is not contrary either to free will or the notion of heaven.

On the other hand, in heaven, we are in the presence of God and are in perfect harmony with Him. Therefore (ANV’s claim notwithstanding), no one in heaven “will” commit evil, even though they still have free will and “could” do so. QED.
 
Gorgias said:
It has everything to do with your argument. You claimed that one “could never commit evil which is contrary to the concept of free will.” In other words, your claim says that the commission of evil is necessary for the concept of free will. I disagree, and I demonstrated that your claim was inaccurate.

Do you mean that one “could” commit evil, or that one “will” eventually commit evil? Big difference.

The notion of free will doesn’t require one to choose evil, so the fact that one “could” do so is not contrary either to free will or the notion of heaven.

On the other hand, in heaven, we are in the presence of God and are in perfect harmony with Him. Therefore (ANV’s claim notwithstanding), no one in heaven “will” commit evil, even though they still have free will and “could” do so. QED.
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Lets start with this question: Why believers commit evil here?
 
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