Those that hold to the doctrine of free-will believe that the doctrine of unconditional election is contrary to the word whosoever. For example, Dave Hunt writes the following,

The word “whosoever” is defined in Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary as “whoever; whatever person: an emphatic form.” There are no alternate meanings-it always means whoever or what ever person. The word is so universally understood that no one could possibly misinterpret it. Yet Calvinism requires that in certain places “whosoever” actually means “the elect.”

In those places where “the elect” is substituted for “whosoever,” there is nothing in the text or context that would even suggest such a change. The only reason that such a reinterpretation could be imposed would be to defend Calvinism, which would otherwise collapse if the normal meaning for “whosoever” were allowed.
The word “whosoever” is found 183 times in 163 verses in the Bible,...#1

Mr. Hunt goes on to cite some verses where the word whosoever is used#2 and then goes on to say,

Not once in its 183 appearances in the Bible is there any reason to imagine that the word “whosoever” means anything except “whosoever”! But in those places where salvation is offered to whosoever will believe and receive Christ, the Calvinist insists that the exact same Hebrew or Greek word changes its meaning to the “elect.”

The best-known Bible verse, spoken by Christ to Nicodemus a sincere seeker, promises eternal life to “whosoever believeth in him” (John 3:16). Christ’s last recorded words in the Bible are, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things...the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:16-17). There is nothing in these passages or in any other context to suggest that Christ offers salvation to anyone less than “whosoever.”#3

To begin with, we do not say that the word whosoever actually means or reinterpret it to mean the elect. We would say that it refers to the elect. To put it another way, only the elect will be among the whosoever believers, if you will.

This is only because of the unconditional election of God#4 and not because they decided to make a free-will choice to turn from wickedness unto holiness. Believers have only God to thank for their being saved.#5

They can by no means praise themselves for righteously and/or wisely choosing to follow Christ.

It is clear that Mr. Hunt is changing the meaning of whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life to everyone can believe or not believe by their own free-will.

This best-known verse says nothing about everyone without exception having a free-will choice to believe or not to believe in Christ. All that is taught here is that whoever believes in Him will be saved.

Salvation is promised to whosoever believes - in this verse. Nothing is said here about whosoever does not believe having had an opportunity to choose otherwise. Thus we see that this best-known proof text for the free-will scheme is really not a friend to this system at all.

As for Revelation 22:16-17, we notice that the call is to the one that is athirst. Therefore the one who thirsts is the one who will take of the water of life. At the risk of being accused of stating the obvious, the one who does not take of the water of life is the one that does not thirst.

Since we are in the stating the obvious mode we will say that this free-will proof text is also taken away from them.

The free-will tower doesn’t look like such a high and mighty structure after all, aye? It just doesn’t pass the Biblical inspection. Praise God for His sovereign grace and electing mercy.

To quote Mr. Hunt once more,

The doctrine of Unconditional Election - in contrast to Scripture - declares that this offer, which seems to be to whosoever will, is effective only for a select few. Although like all others the Calvinist “elect” are by nature supposedly incapable of responding to the gospel, they out of all mankind have been unconditionally elected to salvation. In the Bible, however, God repeatedly seems to offer repentance#6 to all who will respond and salvation to all who will believe.#7

It is not the doctrine of Unconditional Election which is contrary to Scripture - rather, it is the doctrine of free-will that is opposed to it - as we have seen. God has indeed elected a people for Himself. He, as the Scripture teaches, has mercy upon whom He will have mercy.#8

So we see that it is not a choice between Whosoever or Unconditional Election? It is a matter of both being true. There are Whosoever Believers because of Unconditional Election. May the Lord add His blessing to this brief work. Amen!

These maxims are certainly true and indisputable: (1) That nothing in time can be the cause of what was done in eternity. To believe, to do good works, and persevere in them are acts in time, and so cannot be causes of election, which was done in eternity. And (2) That nothing out of God can be the cause of any decree or will in him. He is no passive Being, to be wrought upon by motives and inducements outside of himself. If his will is moved by anything outside of him, that must be superior to him, and his will must become dependent on that; which to say of God is to speak very unworthily of him. God wills things because it so pleases him. Predestination is according to the good pleasure of his will. Election is according to his foreknowledge,#9 which is no other than his free favor and good will to men (Eph.1:5; 1 Pet. 1:2). No other reason can be given of God's will or decree to bestow grace and glory on men, for his own glory, and of his actual donation of them, but what our Lord gives: "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight" (Matt. 11:25-26).

And who is this, my soul, but Jesus? Is he not indeed both the praise and the glory, the delight and the joy, the portion and the happiness of all his people? His saints, doth it say? Yes, saints, made so by his righteousness and salvation, when taken from among sinners; and when themselves sinners, he hath washed them in his blood, clothed them with his garment of salvation, and granted them an inheritance among the saints in light. And is he not their praise? Indeed, is there any other the object of their praise, to whom they look up, in whom they delight, but Him, in whom God their Father hath made them accepted in Him, the Beloved? Say then, my soul, is he not thy praise this day; and will he not be thine everlasting, unceasing praise, every day, and all the day, and through the endless day of eternity? Who shall be thy praise but Jesus; his beauty, his glory, his excellency; in whom all divine perfections center? Who shall be thy praise but Jesus, the Mediator, the Christ of God, whose glory it is to redeem poor sinners and make them saints; to give out of his fullness, and grace for grace? Who shall be thy praise, but he that hath made thy peace, in the blood of his cross, and ever liveth to make intercession for thee? Oh thou fair and lovely one, the chiefest among ten thousand, thou art my praise, my glory, my song, my rejoicing! Every day, will I praise thee; morning by morning will I hail thy name, and night by night testify thy faithfulness. Here, while upon earth, will I unceasingly speak of thy praise; and, ere long, I shall join the happy multitude above, in that song–"To him that hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood!" Oh thou that art the praise of all the saints.

Oh, how blessed it is to view Christ, so glorified that His entire responsibility, His perfect work, and the immutable bond of engagement to which He has set His signet, are accepted of the Father on behalf of the Church. Not only have all the sins of His Church been laid upon Him, as is recorded by Isaiah, "The Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6), (the sheep) but even all the concerns of the Church. Paul, being only a poor worm of the earth, complained of the heavy weight which the superintendence of the Churches was unto him; but what saith our Savior to this? He complains not at the work which He had to do. The whole of the concerns of His Church and people are laid upon Him. Their transgressions, or as it is written in the Old Testament phraseology, "All their transgressions in all their sins" as if a great many transgressions were in every one sin, are laid upon Him. Their very names appear on His breast-plate, are en-graven on His heart and on the palms of His hands. All their conversions, the time when, the manner how, and the instrumentality by which they may be effected. All their blessings, how and when they shall have the seal of forgiveness, the joy of God's salvation, the privileges of adoption, and the blessings pertaining to it, poured upon their souls; all are in Christ. He is the Head of His body the Church; and there is not a moment of comfort or of joy, a promise fulfilled, or a blessing communicated, and not a step of advancement made in the divine life, but He is superintending it all, ordering the steps of His chosen, fixing the bounds of their habitations, and regulating all the affairs of Providence that relate to them, so as to make all things work together for good, "unto them that love God, and are the called according to His purpose." The world and the devil may put forth their efforts for their destruction, but both shall be frustrated; for Jesus is to be glorified in this way, and He hath the concerns of the Church laid upon Him. Moreover the glorification of the Church is laid upon Him, and He is Surety that he who overcometh shall sit with Him on His throne. It is the will of His Father that of all whom He hath given unto Him, He shall lose none. How blessed to look forward to this!

End Notes:
#1 What Love Is This? - Calvinism’s Misrepresentation Of God, Pp. 206-207.
#2 Genesis 4:15, Exodus 12:15, Joel 2:32, etc,.
#3 What Love Is This?, p. 207.
#4 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.
#5 Colossians 1:3-6.
#6 See, Repentance & Remission Of Sins, James Hallett, GTM booklet.
#7 What Love Is This?, p. 207.
#8 Romans 9:15, 18.
#9 See; Predestination, Foreknowledge & Salvation - John Gill, GTM booklet.