How do I understand free will?

The nature of some measure of freedom in regards to our determining will demands that for it, as an idea, to be named, it must then exist, to some extent, however much or little. I'm sure that there are obstacles of logic and reason that some might raise in response to my assertion, but it is what I, without a shadow of a doubt, believe and find to be credibly rational and reasonable.

If we agree that free will exists and we, as professing, practicing (essentially honest) Christians, claim that God indeed made everything, then it is not only logical to assume that God made some measure of free will inherent in our nature, but also that, as God has clearly, through creation, displayed his love for purpose and beauty, there is a divine reason for our will to be free, however much or little.

I believe that God is totally and completely sovereign. I believe that the Bible is very clear that God has foreknowledge of us and has predestined us to proceed where we will proceed following death (death, which is another topic entirely, the differences in God's interpretation of death and ours). I believe that some would see this as a contradiction. But I see it as an affirmation of that aforementioned "purpose." God, all knowing, all powerful, sovereign, gave us some lesser measure of free will (which was present before sin, or sin would not have been possible) so that we would be able to grow, both in knowledge of him and knowledge of ourselves (of which is the beginning of salvation, the conviction of sin...another stirring argument for the presence of some measure of free will).

I think we largely agree, in that love must not be born in obligation, though it may be displayed through confused/frustrated but loyal obedience at times. Love, as God desires it to be from man to himself, must be of man's nature and by choice, a reflection of the love that God has for man, which is of his nature and by his choosing, or his desire, not of need.

I think that free will is an affirmation of God's desire for a very specific kind of relationship with man, one that bears many fruits on either side of death, the chief of which is the rock upon which he has built his church, the profession of Christ as savior. But another of the fruit of such a relationship being one which bears eternal increase, always growing, always progressing, always deepening, always more to it. God gives us free will so that we possess the capacity to love (in the way that he desires) him for who he is as God, absolutely sovereign.

But I believe that the measure of our free will is, of necessity a little thing and far from absolute (we are not sovereign/slave to righteousness nature or sin nature), made large by our acceptance of God's offered righteousness through Christ, and made small by our refusal.

Though it is perhaps helpful to also see it as oppositely so, small and then large.