The significance of freedom in God’s plan

dc.contributor.authorMay, Andreas
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-11T12:21:12Z
dc.date.available2023-10-11T12:21:12Z
dc.date.issued2023-01
dc.descriptionThis research is part of The research project ‘Understanding Reality (Theology and Nature)’, directed by Prof. Dr Johan Buitendag, Department of Systematic and Historical Theology, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria.en_US
dc.description.abstractBy means of a synthesis of Christian faith, theology and natural sciences, the significance of freedom in God’s plan of creation and redemption was contemplated. The triune God is the foundation of all freedom. The freedom of his creatures is extremely important to God. Despite the Angelic Fall, he created our universe, in which on the path of evolution human beings were given the freedom to choose for or against God. Possibly, the humans who committed the Adamic Fall belonged to the species Homo heidelbergensis. Through the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ to the point of death on the cross, the power of evil was overcome. The goal of all creation is ‘the freedom of the glory of the children of God’ (Rm 8:21). This will complete the freedom that God has placed in his creation from the beginning. It can be surmised that ‘the freedom of the glory of the children of God’ includes being integrated into the intra-Trinitarian communion. It is important for the fulfilment of God’s plan of redemption that more and more people follow Jesus Christ and try to become more and more like him. A crucial point in following Christ is obedience. Obedience and freedom are not a contradiction, but the two sides of a coin; and the metal of this coin is love.en_US
dc.description.departmentDogmatics and Christian Ethicsen_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.hts.org.za/en_US
dc.identifier.citationMay, A., 2023, ‘The significance of freedom in God’s plan’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 79(2), a8090. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v79i2.8090.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0259-9422 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2072-8050 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/hts.v79i2.8090
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/92837
dc.language.isofren_US
dc.publisherAOSISen_US
dc.rights© 2023. The Author. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_US
dc.subjectTheology and natureen_US
dc.subjectFreedomen_US
dc.subjectEvolutionen_US
dc.subjectChristologyen_US
dc.subjectAngelic Fallen_US
dc.subjectAdamic Fallen_US
dc.subjectTheodicyen_US
dc.subjectEschatologyen_US
dc.titleThe significance of freedom in God’s planen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
May_significance_2023.pdf
Size:
901.44 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Article

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: