I am neither a Calvinist nor an Armenian, but am one who thinks free will is not so free. We are either slaves to God or slaves to Satan. If we were free, we would not be accountable for our sin, nor would there any judgment. We could just float off into our own spiritual realm after death freely or just willfully construct our own.
Free to chose God means from a spiritually blind state, you can willfully do something to remove that blindness or at best jumpstart the process so God can cleanse you. NO, He must first draw us (and that is scriptural) and that means through an inward and outward calling. He enables us to hear and respond and we are drawn to His Word and you know the rest.
That aside, what of the billions who never heard of Christ? I heard a Pastor say that they would be judged by what they knew.
Now apart from hearing the gospel, (which would sort if be an excuse if we never did), Romans 1 says that we are still without excuse.
" because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things." ROM. 1:19-23
So my question is _ for those billions who have never heard the gospel: Since scripture says they are without excuse because of what is known about God was manifest in them and His invisible attributes were clearly seen and understood by the things that are made, if they had glorified God, were thankful and lived by that faith manifest in them, could salvation through the blood of Christ be imputed to them? Always wondered about that.