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“That is free will in operation. They don’t want to, they don’t do it.”

No, that is an act by Necessity in action, a product of a sin nature that not only doesn’t want to believe, but flagrantly wars against God. It cannot be “free,” as a will that is free cannot possibly be under the bondage of the desires of the flesh and of the mind or in the “snare” of the devil. A will under such bondage, by necessity (as opposed to compulsion), must act according to its wicked nature. And this it does of its own will, but not according to its “free-will.”

X-“That is free will in operation. They don’t want to, they don’t do it.”"

GPH-A will under such bondage, by necessity (as opposed to compulsion), must act according to its wicked nature. And this it does of its own will, but not according to its “free-will.”

Yes, GPH. That's correct. One cannot say that a will is "free" if they keep choosing the wrong course, 100% of the time. This is especially true for salvation.

But X's comment overlooks the obvious. If people continuously make the wrong choice, how then is it possible for them to make the right one? Especially when their will is bent on making the wrong choice? We know they cannot repent without God granting repentance. And we know that God, according to His divine will, harden the hearts of those He so wills. Man can only come to God if God so chooses. We are a chosen nation, a royal priesthood.

I am reminded of a verse in "Holy, Holy, Holy". Verse three says:

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,

Man cannot see God simply because we are sinful creatures. Even today, few of us get a opportunity to glimpse any heavenly host. We do not see the angels around us because of our sinfulness. Like Elisha praying for the prophet's eyes to be opened to the army of the angels ready to fight for them, Christ must open our eyes to the glory of God. And He must grant us the ability to repent. Otherwise we will be like Belshazzar, seeing the hand writing on the wall but never coming to the truth. Like Pilate, we will have the truth in front of us all the while asking the question, "What is truth?"