Free Will and the creation of Man

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>I have heard on many occasions that God created man to worship Him,
>and that man had to have a free will of his own in order for it to
>truley be worship.  The corolary statement is that the angels were
>created to worship God day and night, and that they have no choice in
>this matter.  
>
There are times in which ministers choose the wrong words to express a truth
and this happens to be one of them.  Much like when you hear someone say,
''let's lift our hands and worship''...what they mean is ''let's lift our
hands and praise''.  Worship is an all encompassing lifestyle.  I live my
life as a worshiper, but I show forth my praise in celebration with
shouting, lifting up of my hands, and dancing before the Lord.  Have you
ever notice someone that never lifts their hands to praise? nor shouts? nor
dances?  They *can* be worshippers of God, but they do not understand the
richness of praise in their life of worship.

So, when you hear that angels had no choice, what is (I believe) meant is,
angels were created without any options.  In other words when an angel did
not worship it was rebellion, and the effect was, expulsion from their
position.  When mankind refuses to worship, he has been provided redemption.
Why is man provided redemption and angels not provided the same?  Position.
Angels are in the heavens!  
 
1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in
them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and
the glory that should follow.  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto
themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported
unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost
sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Angels desire to look into the salvation that God provided for mankind, for
they had no such provision.  Thus the phrase used by ministers angels have
no choice is meant to be they had no hope should they leave their first
estate.  God had provided for them the glories of the heavenly in which if
they refused, it could be said, ''it just don't get no better than this
baby''.    Satan is such a whimp He could not live for God even though he
was in heaven!

Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their
own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto
the judgment of the great day. 

May I take this a bit further?  Thanks I will anyway.....

Heb 6:4-9	For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,	And
have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,	If
they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and
bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing
from God: 	But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh
unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.  But, beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

The goodness of God is found in that he gave, like the rain is to bring
forth herbs (meet for nourishment) for them who work the land.  But if the
goodness of God causes thorns and briers that are rejected and whose only
end is to be burned, God is not at fault for being good.  

This being written to the *Hebrews*, Therefore it is impossible for those
who have partaken of God's goodness to go back to Judaism, without denying
Christ.  For those who fall away from a life of worship, there is a way back
to God.  But to those who deny all that God had provided....experiencing,
tasting, partaking, and then choosing lineage over love, no other provision
can be made for them but that which is provided by and thru Christ. (*only*
christ and not lineage as held by some)
 
>If this is true, then how do we reconcile these two statements with
>the following: One third of the angels rebelled (an exercise of free
>will!) to become followers of Satan, who likewise rebelled.  If angels
>can rebel, then it seems that they too have free will.  This being the
>case, then why did God need to create man to have free will and to
>worship Him?
>
>-- 
With the above it can be said that angels do have a will, but they do not
have a provision should the exercise that will in rebelling, while mankind
has a will and that God has made provision for him should he exercise that
will in rebellion......  Redemption.  

Here is something I think you can appreciate Brother Brown......

Rom 9:17-18  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same
purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth.  Therefore hath he mercy
on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

The scriptures plainly state that God raised Pharo up and hardened his
heart!  Does this mean that God *directly* influenced and effected Pharo's
heart so that He would not let God's people go and thus accomplish the will
of God?  No.  

Here is how it took place.  God sent a plague, Pharo asked it to be removed.
God's *goodness* to Pharo was the plague because it softened his heart to
repentance!  From, 'I won't let the people go, to okay I'll let them go if
you take away the plague'.  

God did not have to hearken to the plea of Pharo!  He could have said,  No,
your going to get another plague right on top of this one.  But the goodness
of God towards Pharo made Pharo's heart hard.  How?  In that He took away
the plague.  Pharo responded by saying I changed my mind.  His heart was
hardened because God was GOOD.  His goodness leads us to repentance.

Let us be careful that the goodness of God does not harden our hearts.  The
angels did not recognize the goodness of God and thus when they fell there
was no remedy.  Though we have a remedy, the very remedy could harden our
hearts as it did with Pharo!

Can I open yet another thread?  The scriptures speak about angels in two
ways.  Angelic beings and messengers of God that are not angelic beings but
preachers/pastors.  Anyone want to lend to this discussion?



He who sows is nothing but a sowing sower.