Let Me Explain “God gave us free will”

I have only been a dedicated follower of Christ for just a little over 2 years.  I’ve heard the phrase “God gave us free will” more than I would like to from both believers and unbelievers.  So where does it say this in the bible?  The truth is, it doesn’t.  So where does this popular phrase come from?   It is common knowledge not only from studying scripture, but also observing the world we live in.  The choice is simple yet we miss it because we’re so focused on our current “living situation”.  We are not concerned about where we will spend eternity.  We’re focused on who that trust fund should go to.  Or if you’re a little naive, you may believe you will live forever.  If we can understand the truth that there is a heaven and a hell, then we can understand what God gave us free will for.  God does not live in hell.  If you use your free will to not follow Jesus, unfortunately you have chosen to forfeit going to heaven.  Its just like traveling.  Believe or not, there is a small town in Wyoming called Lander that has one way in and one way out.  The peculiar town has only one street that travels through it.  If you ever decided to visit there guess what, you can’t go in the back way.  This is the choice we are faced with today.  There is no back route to heaven. There is only one way to enter.  Please, take the time to meditate on this.  Our world is getting crazier by the day.  Free will is awesome if you make the right decision.