A lost person's initial eternal salvation (from hell) IS freely given IF they truly understand and believe the Gospel of Christ. Once a person becomes a born-again Believer...the free gift of eternal life is a guaranteed, FOREVER LIFE (out of hell)...UNLESS they (for whatever sinful or foolish reasons) choose to renounce their faith (later on in life!) (Which does happen!)
On the other hand, the New Testament clearly shows that there is another (type of) eternal life (or 'better' or more pleasing type of eternal life) (that Believers can get)...and this special eternal life is not free! It's an earned or merited eternal life that comes about thru a Believer's faithful walk of obedience. This 'special' or 'better' eternal life is rewarded to those children of God whom the Lord deems faithful at the Judgment Seat of Christ. If you know anything about the Scriptures...then you know that the Lord has always specially blessed those children of His He deems faithful...and disciplined or even punished those children of His He considered rebellious! I believe that a similar type of 'judgment' (of Church Age Believers) will take place at the Judgment Seat of Christ. It's there where Believers will either hear...WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.....OR....DEPART FROM ME YOU WICKED, LAZY SLAVE! Now, the Judgment Seat of Christ is NOT a salvation judgment...it's a rewards judgment. No one at this judgment is condemned to hell! However, as the Scriptures clearly show, there will be faithful Believers there who will receive kingdom rewards that they merited, who will receive a 'better' (i.e. more pleasing) resurrection! Then there will be those unfaithful Believers there, who will be saved (from hell) by the 'skin of their teeth', who Christ calls wicked, lazy slaves!!
John 5:28-29 ---- Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.
Now, since we KNOW that NO ONE gets the free gift of eternal life (when they get born-again) by DOING or MAINTAINING good works (in order to either get or stay saved!) So, these words in John 5.29 clearly show that there is a 'better' resurrection for those whom the Lord deems faithful!
