What does the Bible say about free will and choosing God?

The Scriptures reveal that human beings, in their natural state, lack the ability to choose God due to their sinful desires. The will of man is not free in the biblical sense; it is bound by sin and cannot desire the holiness of God. Jesus articulated this truth when He stated that the Pharisees could not come to Him for life (John 5:40) because their hearts were hardened and their desires were set against God. Only through God's revelation and intervention can a person truly desire and choose to follow Him, exemplifying the need for divine grace to initiate faith and repentance.