Hello Nancy,
I don't know what TULIP stands for I'm afraid.
Free will has nothing to do with this, for the dead who died without ever having heard the gospel of grace, or being able to seek God on the basis of what the heavens declare concerning Him, 'His eternal power and Godhead' (Psa.91:1 97:6; Romans 1:20), will be judged according to God's foreknowledge, for God who knows the secrets of men's hearts, would know how, had they heard, they would have responded, either with faith, or not. So He is able to judge justly and give life or not on that basis alone (see Romans 2).
Thank you for asking,
In Christ Jesus
Chris
I’m sorry my sister but this is not how the scriptures say things will go, God is not going to judge anyone until they have had a full opportunity to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God does not propose to save men on account of ignorance, but "
will have all men to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (
1 Tim. 2:4); and since the masses of mankind have died in ignorance; and since "
there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave" (
Eccl. 9:10); therefore God has prepared for the awakening of the dead, in order that they might obtain knowledge, faith and salvation. Hence his plan is, that "
as all in Adam die, even so all in Christ shall be made alive, but each one in his own order"--the Gospel Church, the Bride, the body of Christ, first, and then afterward, during the Millennial age, all who shall become his during the Mediatorial reign, the Lord's due time for all to know him, from the least to the greatest.
1 Cor 15:22
As death came by the first Adam, so life comes by Christ, the second Adam (
1 Cor 15:45). Everything that mankind lost through being in the first Adam is to be restored to those who believe into the second Adam. When awakened, with the advantage of experience with evil, which Adam lacked those who thankfully accept the redemption as God's gift may continue to live everlastingly on the original condition of obedience.
Perfect obedience will be required, and perfect ability to obey will be given, under the righteous reign of the Prince of Peace.
Here is the salvation offered to the world.
Let us now consider another text, which is generally ignored except by Universalists; for, although
we are not Universalists, we claim the right to use, and believe, and rejoice in, every testimony of God's Word. It reads,
"
We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe." (
1 Tim. 4:10) God will save all men, but will not especially ("
to the uttermost") save any except those who come unto him through Christ.
God's arbitrary salvation of all men (
1 Tim 2:4) is not such as will conflict with their freedom of will, or their liberty of choice, to give them life against their wills: "
I have set before you, this day, life and death; choose life, that ye may live."
We see, then, that the general salvation, which will come to every individual, consists of light (truth) from the true light, and an opportunity to choose life; and, as the great majority of the race is in the tomb, it will be necessary to bring them forth from the grave in order to testify to them the good tidings of a Savior; also that the special salvation which believers now enjoy in hope (
Rom. 8:24), and the reality of which will, in the Millennial age, be revealed, also, to
those who "believe in that day," is a full release from the thralldom of sin, and the corruption of death, into the glorious liberty of children of God. But attainment to all these blessings will depend upon hearty compliance with the laws of Christ's Kingdom--the rapidity of the attainment to perfection indicating the degree of love for the King and for his law of love.
If however any, enlightened by the Truth, and brought to a knowledge of the love of God, and restored (either actually or reckoned) to human perfection, become "
fearful," and "
draw back" (
Heb. 10:38, 39), they, with the unbelievers (
Rev. 21:8), will be destroyed from among the people. (
Acts 3:23)
This is the second death.
Thus we see that all these hitherto difficult texts are explained by the statement--"
to be testified in due time."
In due time that true light shall lighten every man that has come into the world. In due time, it shall be "
good tidings of great joy to all people." And in no other way can these scriptures be used without wresting. Paul carries out this line of argument with emphasis in
Rom. 5:18, 19. He reasons that, as all men were condemned to death because of Adam's transgression, so also, Christ's righteousness, and obedience even unto death, have become a ground of justification; and that, as
all lost life in the first Adam, so
all, aside from personal demerit, may receive life by accepting the second Adam.
This salvation includes all those poor aborted children, each and every one of them is covered under the ransom sacrifice of Christ, and each and every one of them must be given the same opportunity as everyone else to “
come to the knowledge of the truth”,
a personal knowledge, that they themselves might chose life and live.