Question

Is there an option between man’s effort entirely being responsible for entrance into the kingdom of heaven (Legalism) and God arbitrarily chosing some to be saved from damnation? Neither option sounds very good, the first seeming entirely impossible, the second seeming malevolent, and neither containing any freedom. So if we are to have any freedom at all, it must lie in our freedom to do God’s will or not do God’s will. But how is this different from Legalism?