But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." -- 1 Peter 2:8-10"And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." -- 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
God created Adam and Eve in HIS image with the moral will to do good. In that respect, they were 100% entirely free. Nothing compelled them to do evil. Yet, they freely chose to do so. When they did, that moral will was so corrupted and destroyed that they and their progeny would only ever choose against God. The spark of God's image still resides in them as they are not UTTERLY depraved (As Sproul put it, even Hitler loved his mother); but they are totally depraved in that they can not by nature choose not to sin. God still doesn't force them to do so, but Adam and Eve and we ourselves have wrecked the perfection that God originally created. God, being sovereign, allows this to continue and has a detailed plan of how He is going to work through it. This includes allowing the lost to continue to exist and eventually reap what they have sown and having mercy on the elect according to His own purpose.