I would like to point out that nowhere in the pages of Scripture do we find either of those claims -- God doesn't want robots, and love is only love when it's given freely. So let's pause a moment. First, what do we know about free will? Free will is the ability to make choices without coercion. Some like to expand it, but always to places that make no sense. And the truth is we don't have absolute free will. That is, I cannot simply choose, for instance, to flap my arms and fly to the moon. We have limitations. We are limited by our natures. We always choose according to our strongest inclination. So when Augustine asked God to give him what He commanded, it was a simple request to "change my 'want to'," so to speak. "Change my strongest inclinations." Is there anything that would make us think God does that? Why, yes, there is! Paul wrote a command -- "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Php 2:12) -- followed by the description of how that is accomplished.
... for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Php 2:13)Isn't that interesting? Our free will is determined by that which we desire most. Paul here says that God is at work in you and me. What is He doing? He is bringing about the desire (will) and the power to do what He commands. Is that not, then, exactly what Augustine prayed? "Lord, command what You will, and that thing that Paul said -- at work in me to will and to do -- do that in me."
My dream is to someday become God's robot, God's perfect "following machine," doing whatever He says without question or faltering. We're supposed to surrender everything to Him, and I want to surrender my will to Him. I want to love Him without variation or effort, but just all in all. The common wisdom tells me that these are not compatible, that God doesn't want that. Well, I do. And I pray, "Command what You will, and give what You command." Because I can't be relied upon to do that myself every time. And I want to do what He commands.
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I want to be the servant so completely trained by my Master that I am able to anticipate His commands.
I want to be a clone.
While I might quibble about how Augustine phrases his prayer, I don't have any problem with it at all. Our role should be to count on YHWH to give us the ability to carry out His will.
I am not at all familiar with Augustine’s writings, but my initial reaction to that quote of his was, “that sounds solid.” (I did find it worded slightly differently online.) It reminds me of Ps. 37:4: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Rather than that passage meaning that God will grant me every one of my little heart’s desires, He will instead put His desires in my heart, so that His will becomes my will. “Will You please will that Your will will also be my will?” (Almost a “buffalo” line. :) Then I am, as you say, fully surrendered and obedient--a follower who follows. How would this not bless both me and the Lord?
I've never heard Psa 37:4 as intending, "I you delight yourself in the Lord, He will put His desires in my heart." None of my commentaries suggest it. But that is a nice idea. The difference between that and Augustine's prayer is that Augustine didn't premise his desire to obey on his prior delighting in the Lord.
I have read things in the past that cause me to interpret it that way. For example, I read this at Got Questions: The idea behind this verse [Ps. 37:4] and others like it is that, when we truly rejoice or “delight” in the eternal things of God, our desires will begin to parallel His and we will never go unfulfilled. Thus my will changes to resemble His will, and He satisfies my heart’s desires, since they are seeking after Him. As I said, I do not think it can mean how it reads, i.e. if I enjoy God, then He will grant all my wishes. Instead, my desires would be focused on Him and thus be fulfilled.
How do you interpret that verse?
I understand the verse as an echo of what Jesus said: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7) You will be given the desires of your heart. However, I've also always understood that the premise of Jesus's promise is "If you abide in Me." That is, when my heart is in tune with His heart, I can ask whatever I want because it's what He wants. Thus, if you "delight yourself in YHWH" -- find your greatest joy in what He is and wants -- then "He will give you the desires of your heart" because that's what He wants.
I do not think we are too far apart at all. (It's Augustine I don't quite follow...without all the "will's" I came up with above! :)
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