God commands people to believe. God promises those who choose believe they will be saved.
If there is no free will in all that, then for Him to command people to believe is superfluous. Indeed, all of creation would be superfluous....
Why go through a charade of creation when every soul's destination has be pre-determined by God?
And if God, in His sovereignty, has not elected to give his creations free will, then what's up with Lucifer? Did he rebel willingly, or was he forced (pre-determined) to do so?
A God who commands his creatures to believe, but pre-determines those who can/will believe, is a mocking God.
I have over the years followed a number of Calvinist/Non-Calvinist debate threads. But one thing they both have in common, neither side wants to say that God is a mocker.
You have not negated what I said. There are many people out there who claim to “believe” but whose actions proclaim otherwise. Though I do not, cannot judge their standing with God, I most certainly can ascertain their witness and treat them accordingly.