However, FREE WILL allows us to choose a righteous path for our lives OR the evil alternative.
Ditto.
Once somebody can give me a definition of the (thoroughly unbiblical) concept of "free will," then I will be happy to engage in how the bible teaches there is no such thing. Rather, the bible teaches that we are genuinely responsible for our actions, yet our will is completely enslaved to an evil nature. It does not attempt to reconcile these two ends of a paradox. Unfortunately, our biblically illiterate church of today has shown God exactly how to resolve the dilemma by throwing out the biblical teaching of the depravity and enslavement of the human will...... Nice work if you can get it.