AH: "John was a born-again Christian. So why did you let that dedicated hard worker who generously donated to many many charitable pro-abortion-homicide, homosodomite-unions-licensing, porno-art, anti-Israeli-settlements, and anti-creationist evolutionist-mythology organizations and groups . . . who belonged to you . . . who grudgingly prayed to you under reputational duress from others around him . . . and mouthed religious words in the mistranslated texts of your Bible . . . . get into a car wreck and seriously injured, lose his job, and get sick with the flu?"

God: "Ever read the Old-Testament book of Job, who I allowed Satan to persecute even worse than what happened to John? And why are you presuming that John was indeed a born-again Christian?"

AH: "Well, he claimed to be a born-again Christian. What more did you prejudicially, judgmentally and intolerantly demand of him?"

God: "Bingo! Claiming to be something in contrast to actually being something claimed are sometimes two very different things."

AH: "Why would he claim to be a Christian if he wasn't actually a Christian? It's embarrassing enough to even infer associating with holier-than-thou-hypocrite christians among a group of realistic and non-superstitious worldly mockers and revilers."

God: "Ever hear of wolves in sheep's clothing - you accusatory hypocrite yourself? Ever read about Satan disguising himself as a angel of light to deceive, if possible, even the elect?"

AH: "So John wanted to screw around a little, being irresponsibly foolish once in a while just for kicks and a little variety. He is only human. Are you that rigidly legalistic in that you expect infallible perfection, and more than you should, out of frail and fragile people who are relentlessly tempted demonically?"

God: "Watch your mouth, boy! So I wanted to lay a few tornadoes, earthquakes, and diseases once in a while on part-time irresponsible fools just for kicks and a little variety. What's it to you?"

AH: "Why did you give us a free will to be aware of moral mandates, so that we either obey or disobey you with corresponding consequences? How come you put us under that much harassive pressure? Why did you not make us simply non-accountable animals pre-programmed by instinct?"

God: "Because I could. And I wanted to do what I could."

Human: "So it's either your way, or the highway?"

God: "More than that. It's either obey all my laws completely and always, consistently, and in penitent humility accept my bloody gospel, and totally commit yourself to me - THE Boss - as my impeccably-obedient 24/7 slave . . . or instead burn in The Fiery Outer Darkness in solitary confinement forever."

Human: "So all I have - when it comes right down to it - is that non-revocable free will you have burdened me with to either always obey or occasionally disobey you, to accept you or reject you as The Absolute Boss over me completely and eternally?"

God: "Right on."

Human: "In that case, even in view of the questionable power and intentions you have over me, even if the proposed consequences actually could scientifically happen, I reject you - and so I am destined to burn in Outer Darkness forever in solitary confinement?"

God: "But of course. Hell of a choice you made. Pathetic. Insane. Absurd and ridiculous. Proud of yourself, you despicable ass?"

Human: "My accursed free will is the only damn thing I can claim as my own upon my demise, and take with me into the perpetual afterlife?"

God: "You could have been happy under MY complete control of your puny and disgustingly-deviant life, in absolute and unconditional obedience and holiness to me in Heaven - submissively subject to my total and righteously-dictatorial Authority."

Human: "No way, Master Tyrant."

God: "Don't talk back to me, slimebag, or I will cut you off before your time!"

It has been said that:

Romans 11:29 .....the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Also:

Romans 9:16 So it depends not upon human will or exertion, but upon God's mercy.
Philippians 2:13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Several things need to be said about the passages above.

Some misleading pseudo-"christians" have concocted the cultic idea that humans have no will until God calls them to have one, after which point in time they then have a will to choose whether or not to reject God's call, even though they can never accept God's call themselves (and I guess they mean "without God's help" to accept such).

If it is the case of humans having no will until God calls them to have one, and humans have no God-given power by themselves to accept nor reject, why did Eve (with whatever innate power and will she already had been given by the Creator) succomb to Satan's temptation in the Garden? Did God have Eve "will for His good pleasure" as it states in Philippians 2:13 when she ate the Forbidden Fruit? As Cain was contemplating committing murder, did God call Cain with a successful outcome to "will for His good pleasure" when and after He declared to him:

Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Some cultic self-righteous even go so far as to assert that everyone God calls will be saved, because:

Romans 9:19 You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
Romans 9:20 But who are you, a man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me thus?"
Romans 9:21 Has the potter no right over the clay.....?

Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also previously prepared (NOT "destined" or "forced" against their who-knows-what-they-will-choose freewill) to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.
Romans 8:30 And those whom he previously prepared (again, not "predestined" with in the sense of preprogammed force against freewill) He also called; and those whom He called (and God, in all fairness, calls everyone adequately enough before they die, which called usually do not positively respond) He also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Those fake "christians" presume that since God is at work within a called person to will (or want) to do His good pleasure, that person either no longer has a free will or is incapable of wanting to go astray and backslide, being that:

Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

But what of the possibility to go astray, even so much as to become accused and destined for eternal punishment in hellfire?

John 8:31 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in Him, "If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples,

Romans 9:11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of His call,
Romans 11:22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.

Colossians 1:23 provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Hebrews 8:9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord.

"Once saved, always saved" might not always be the case!

So even though:

John 10:28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

it is possible that:

Second Timothy 4:10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

and:

Second Peter 2:22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog turns back to his own vomit, and the sow is washed only to wallow in the mire.

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 10:27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.

Indeed, human choice is involved as to whether a human accepts or rejects God as THE Boss of their lives, and so it is not merely that God draws near to us and we (like a non-responsive limp wife unable and unwilling to return affection to her aggressive husband) cannot draw back near to Him, but instead we - sometimes rather eagerly - draw near to Him ourselves. And that is NOT self-help self-atonement "arrogance" or "works righteousness" to perhaps boast about.

When God commands us to "draw near" to Him, it is obviously that He, by stating that in that way, is not either spiritually or in practicality saying that He will merely draw near to us (even though He loved us first, not vice-verse) but that we go to Him:

Isaiah 34:1 Draw near, nations, to hear, and respond, peoples! Let the earth listen, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it.
41: Listen to me in silence, coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.
45:20 Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.
48:16 Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there." And now the Lord GOD has sent me and His Spirit.
57:3 But you, draw near here, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the harlot.

Ezekiel 9:1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, "Draw near, you executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand."
Ezekiel 43:19 you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, says the Lord GOD, a bull for a sin offering.

Joel 3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare war, stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.
Zephaniah 3:2 She listens to no voice, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God.
Malachi 3:5 "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me," says the LORD of hosts.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
7:19 (for the law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
7:25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
10:1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near.
10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.

"Draw near?" Sounds Baptist, not Lutheran. So be it. Do not imitate wallflower wimps who are non-aggressively non-responsive.

Does Satan (formerly archangel Lucifer) yet have a free will, which free will he irrevocably misused to rebel against God and become destined for everlasting damnation with no chance to repent?

Proverbs 29:1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

Again:

Luke 16:24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.'
Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'

Hebrews 12:17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Even Satan, who has retained his free will, will never change his mind about being against God forever, so his prophesied perpetual doom is sealed, and no power or entity in existence will change that.

Notice that even the damned rich man in Hades did not want to go back to aid poor beggar Lazarus. That was not his request to Abraham above in Heaven according to the text of:

Luke 16:24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.'

The rich man in Hades did not even tell Abraham to force or convince his yet-alive brothers to obey the Law to come to the aid of beggars around them, but simply to inform them of pending catastrophe (regardless of what they would then do or not do about it):

Luke 16:27 And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him [Lazarus] to my father's house [and go back to being a miserable poor beggar?],
28 for I have five brothers, so that he [now-cared-for now-patronized-Lazarus in Heaven] may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'
29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them ["hearing" is one thing; obeying is quite another!].'
30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent' [They "will?" Really? One can lead a horse to water, but one cannot make it drink.]
31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"

Will the glorified saints in Heaven yet retain their free wills to choose to sin if they decide to do so?

The words are intriguing:

Revelation 21:5 And He who sat upon the throne said, "Hey, I make all things new." Also He said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

If any one or more of the resurrected and raptured saints in the heavenly realm with the yet-residing freewill capacity to sin suddenly chose to sin, the following verses would be negated and mean nothing:

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Hey, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will reside with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:5 And He who sat upon the throne said, Hey, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Revelation 21:6 And He said to me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him who thirsts of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful and disbelieving, the abominable and murderers and immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Revelation 21:24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
Revelation 21:26 and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.
Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no way enter into it anything which defiles, neither whatever works abomination, or makes a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they who do His commandments, that they have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Revelation 22:15 For outside are dogs and sorcerers, and immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.

CAN God sin? CAN God Himself choose to suddenly become inconsistent? Does not the One who created freewill angels and demons and human beings Himself have a free will?

So will the glorified saints become always-perfectly-functioning robots without free will any longer? Will the damned in outer-darkness hellfire who are not merely cursing the religious right and fundamentalist Christians along with the Lord and Creator Himself, yet have free will - even though such will no longer do the forever-cursed any good - whether or not they could and/or would change their minds using any possible free will?

It becomes evident that not only those - whether angelic, demonic, or human - who formerly had free wills do decide to either be for God or instead against Him will yet have the capacity to change their mind, but will never have desire to change their minds.

Consider these interesting RSV verses:

Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness,
Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies [not "cannot" lie], promised ages ago

First John 3:9 Whosoever is begotten of God does no sin [not "cannot" sin], because His seed resides in him: and he "cannot" [because he willfully does not] sin, because he is begotten of God.
Hebrews 2:11 For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brethren.

First John 5:18 We know that any one born of God does not sin [NOT "cannot" sin], but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Free will is yet operational in Heaven, by both angels who made the non-forced right choice to not defy God (unlike Lucifer who chose wrongly) and by redeemed humans who also - deep down in their inner heart of intentions - made the right non-forced choice to be for God and His ways and works, instead of against them.

Why Christians in Heaven will not ever choose to sin in Heaven with their yet-non-revokes freewill is because their inner desire to always perfectly obey to God which they always had wanted to do deep down will not be harassed nor polluted with any evil temptations whatsoever from outside - to the ages of the ages.

Such a status is hard for us mortals this side of eternity to imagine, but it is well to remember that God hardened Pharoah's heart -- after Pharoah hardened his own heart!

And who gets the supposed "credit" (i.e. who is at fault and to blame) for hardening hearts: the defiantly wayward human . . . or instead God?

Exodus 7:13 Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.
Exodus 7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.
Exodus 9:34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
Exodus 9:35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Exodus 10:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them,
Exodus 10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
Exodus 14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel as they went forth defiantly.

Deuteronomy 2:30 But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might give him into your hand, as at this day.

First Samuel 6:6 Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had made sport of them, did not they let the people go, and they departed?

Second Chronicles 36:13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Job 9:4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength--who has hardened himself against Him, and succeeded?

Daniel 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him;

John 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for Me to heal them."

Romans 9:18 So then He has mercy upon whomever He wills, and He hardens the heart of whomever He wills.

Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Within the overall group of who are legitimately called "Christians" instead of questionably-termed: "catholics," Baptists prefer to view the call of the Lord from a different perspective different than Lutherans.

To give an illustration, imagine that there is a supply ship approaching a helpless rowboat out in the middle of the ocean. For Baptists, they energetically row their rowboat to the slowly approaching supply ship to rendezvous with it to get the life-or-death help they require for survival. At least they must say "Yes!" rather than remain in church-pew-immobile silence when the approaching captain calls out to them:

Hebrews 7:19 (for the law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
Hebrews 7:25 Consequently He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.

Some lutherans, in contrast, see the supply ship searching for and coming to them as they are nearly drowning in the water, and when the supply vessel arrives, and the captain of such asks them: "Do you need help?" they say nothing and expect the captain to rescue them whether they verbally express desire for such or not, causing the worried captian to then wonder if he intrusively molested or harassed them against their silent wills.

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew He also destined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that He might be the first-born among many brethren.
Romans 8:30 And those whom He destined He also called; and those whom He called He also justified; and those whom He justified He also glorified.

First John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins.

Revelation 3:20 Hey, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.

Both Baptists and Lutherans would agree that the supply ship, the rowboat, the ocean, the moving of both rowboat or supply ship -- all ultimately come from or are enabled by a benevolent Creator God:

James 1:17 Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Hebrews 2:11 For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brethren.

When the stoplight changes to green, or after stopping completely at a right stoplight before turning right, we had better use our vehicle resources to soon-enough cautiously-enough move on ahead after looking both ways to guard against intersection-violating red-light runners . . . or else understandably expect some severe and angry righteous-wrath honking (and worse!) in back of us:

First Corinthians 7:21 Were you a slave when called? Never mind. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.

From there on:

Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

In other words, euphemistically keep your proverbial eyes on the proverbial road.

And, as courteous and politely-accommodating drivers who have passed, and yet can pass, the Right-of-Way and Vision Test to get and retain their Driver's License, do not impatiently tailgate, to avoid inciting road rage, leaving a car-length space for every 10 mph of speed, with the additional understanding that the middle lane on a three-lane one-way thoroughfare is for the slowest-moving traffic:

Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
Proverbs 30:33 For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

First Corinthians 11:33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to [drive?], wait for one another.