A person convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.
Coercion demands obedience whether one wants to obey or not. Coercion only creates outward compliance, but does not win the heart or change the character.
The issue is "the will" --
What do we DESIRE?
God's goodness and love works with great patience to make the issues clear. He seeks to awaken in a person the realization of their hopelessly lost condition in the slavery of sin. He pours out mercy and grace to draw people out of sin and into life eternal.
God reveals the facts and offers salvation but how will we react? Sin is not a sustainable condition, it is foolishness to be allured by the short fused glitter of sin, when God offers us something so much better.
Scripture says we are without excuse, for the things of God are revealed. The state we are in, is known. Our need for a Savior is known. The available grace is known.
But many just don't like it! They love their sins and prefer to enjoy them for a season.
John 3
17 “Indeed, God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
Coercion would be if God demanded those who chose to stay in darkness that they might enjoy the transitory pleasures, must now live in the light of His presence and worship Him whether they want to or not. It would be forced worship, with no heart, while the rebellious thoughts and desires and passions raged within. Heaven would NOT be a place of harmony, love and peace, if people were coerced abide by it's principles.
God will not force worship.
Worship cannot be forced for it is an act of the heart.
Heaven is heaven because everyone there WANTS to worship and glorify God with hearts brimming with gratitude and love and longing to be more and more like Jesus and be in fellowship with Jesus.
