Is irresistible grace (effectual calling) a biblical doctrine?

The doctrines of grace, which some call the Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP), are the topic of three other threads I’ve started.

I am presenting the Reformed position, as well as my understanding of the free-willer position, for comparison. I am also inviting free-willers to disprove, from a Scriptural basis, Reformed theology.

The reason why I am presenting Reformed theology is to combat the consistent misrepresentation of it by some individuals on this forum.

I believe that many are simply parroting propaganda from Dave Hunt, Steven Anderson, Leighton Flowers, or any one of several vehemently anti-Reformed propagandists.

If a believer is going to criticize the Reformed position, they should properly understand it, and then criticize it from this proper understanding, not a strawman misrepresentation of it.

Additionally, I think it is important for the encouragement of the Church to understand the principles related to Reformed theology. Why?

Reformed theology should lead to humility in the believer. The doctrines of grace were meant to humble the Christian into realizing that salvation is God’s work, therefore they cannot take credit for it. The real believer seeks to glorify and worship God for his awesome acts of salvation.

Reformed theology should lead to humility in evangelists, too. The Reformed evangelist knows that regeneration is an act of God, therefore he cannot take credit for it, like some free-willer evangelists have done (namely, Charles Finney and the "New Method" preachers of the 1800's).

Man-centered theology such as free-willers embrace leads to pride and a lack of humility. Pride is the deadly enemy of the believer. Ironically, it can also lead to self-condemnation and a lack of self-confidence in some, because their focus is not on the LORD but is on themselves.

This particular thread focuses on the Reformed doctrine irresistible grace. The doctrine of irresistible grace teaches that God accomplishes his purpose in his elect, and that the application of divine grace is ultimately realized for the elect believer through regeneration, which is a movement of God, and is not caused by humans.

As I have consistently maintained, the free-willer belief of decisional regeneration is absurd. In essence, they teach that a man with a heart of stone must produce faith and repentance in order to receive the heart of flesh that causes repentance and faith. Rather, the correct, Reformed view is that God gives the man a heart of flesh, so he can produce faith and repentance.

REFORMED DOCTRINE OF IRRESISTIBLE GRACE (REFORMED POSITION)

• This Reformed doctrine (The “I” in TULIP) relates to the effectual call of the Spirit, but was called Irresistible Grace by early Reformed believers, so I will use this term.
• This doctrine is also called the effectual call of the Spirit, invincible grace, effectual calling or effectual grace.
• Irresistible grace relates to the Holy Spirit’s application of the atonement of the Son (Jesus) to the elect believer.
• Irresistible grace is described as an internal call of the Spirit to the elect for salvation, as opposed to the external call which applies to everyone.
• This internal call is always effective for the elect, thus resulting in salvation, although the elect may initially resist it.
• The reason why this internal call is always effective relates to regeneration, which precedes faith and repentance.
• Regeneration is needed, because all mankind in Adam (prior to conversion) are in a state of spiritual blindness, in bondage to Satan and the kingdom of darkness. Those in Adam love their sin. They are spiritually dead, ungodly, and helpless in their unregenerate state. They have a stony heart that is unable to respond to God’s commands of faith and repentance, and need a heart of flesh to respond.
• Regeneration is a spiritual resurrection, which moves the person from a state of spiritual death into a state of spiritual life, enabling the faith and repentance response.
• Regeneration is necessary because the unsaved person is spiritually dead, and unable to love God and to please him due to his stony heart that cannot render such obediences as faith and repentance. He needs a heart of flesh that accompanies regeneration.
• Regeneration is accompanied by a preaching of the Gospel message, and does not occur without a preaching of the gospel message.
• The regenerated elect freely respond in faith and repentance due to this changed nature; their response is not robotic, although this is a common claim amongst detractors who do not understand Reformed theology.
• Reprobation is the term used to describe those who are not elect, and do not respond to the gospel message because they are not part of the elect.
• The term external call is used to describe the preaching of the gospel message to all, elect and reprobate.
• The external call is rejected by the reprobate and is viewed by them as foolishness, and is accepted by the elect.
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The doctrine of irresistible grace does NOT teach:

• that God forces the elect against their will to be saved; instead God changes the nature of the person, giving him a heart of flesh to replace his stony heart, which results in faith and repentance freely expressed through this heart of flesh
• that the non-elect cannot resist the Gospel message – this occurs every single day, and for every non-elect person
• that regeneration occurs without a preaching of the gospel message. No one knows which individuals are the elect, therefore Reformed evangelists preach the gospel to everyone. Additionally, preaching the gospel is a witness against the reprobate.
• that the reprobate are actively decreed as such, although God passively decrees their reprobation by passing over them, and choosing not to elect them. God is not obligated to extend salvation to anyone, and it is an act of mercy that he extends salvation to those he elects (see Romans 9)

Effectual calling teaches that the elect, who God effectually calls, will respond positively, and the non-elect will not respond. Regeneration is God's work.

Why doesn’t God effectually call everyone? Romans 9 deals with this question, in that election is God’s divine prerogative, and he has mercy upon whom he has mercy. It isn’t up to mere humans to question God's election, any more than it isn’t up to humans to question why God saved only eight people in Noah’s day from the Flood, or why he chooses to eternally punish sinners.

At any rate, those who are in bondage to sin and Satan reject God, so he is simply allowing them to continue in their choice. The fact that he has an elect remnant is a pure act of mercy. If he does not extend the same mercy to others, he is not being unfair, since they deserve eternal punishment, just like those he extends mercy to. God is not obligated to extend mercy to every person.

Contemporary Westerners, in particular, have an entitlement mentality that really does not fit into the Christian worldview. Their belief is that God is obligated to extend mercy to all, even though there are numerous events in Scripture where God exacted judgment upon entire groups.

FREE-WILLER POSITION OF RESISTIBLE GRACE (THEIR POSITION)

• The focus of free-will theology is man’s free will decision.
• There is no distinction in their theology between internal and external calling.
• All sinners are morally able to exercise faith and repentance.
• The determining factor is the person’s free will decision, which can choose to respond to the gospel message at any point of time.
• Free-willer theology attributes man with the power of contrary choice, or the ability to exercise choice against their own nature.
• The Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes and repents, therefore the sinner must somehow produce faith and repentance in order to receive the heart of flesh that loves God and wants to please him.
• Faith and repentance are man’s contributions, and they precedes and makes possible the new birth.
• Free-will theology is, in essence, decisional regeneration; the sinner exercises faith and repentance, from a stony heart, in order to receive a new heart, instead of being given a heart of flesh by God so that they can respond to God in faith and repentance.
• God’s grace is not irresistible by anyone; all men can resist God's calling.

NOTE: I am using the phrase free-willer to describe the Arminian position, as well as the position of many others with similar theology. I am simply to accommodate their preference. Some prefer to be called free-willers rather than Arminians, and I understand because I do not like to be called a Calvinist. By condescending to using this free-willer term, though, I do not acknowledge their assertion that Reformed theology teaches that man, is, in effect, a “robot” who doesn’t make any type of choices himself. Man makes choices, but he does not have libertarian free will or autonomous free will. Unregenerate man’s choices are limited by his fallen nature. He has “creaturely free will”. Man’s free will is subject to his nature and is subject to external influences including God’s sovereign will.

I will present the Scriptural defense for the Reformed position. I am not obligated to produce Scriptures defending the other view, as that would be time consuming, and since I don’t hold their view, I wouldn’t be predisposed to representing it as accurately as they can.

Free-willers can feel free to dispute any point above, and to correct any misunderstandings of their position. Realize that I am making generalizations by necessity. Some individual free-willers may deny portions of my remarks, but I believe they are accurate concerning the group as a whole.

Also, please note my main assertion throughout this thread: free-willers believe in decisional regeneration, and I am convicted that this view is defective. Their claim is that one must dredge up faith and repentance from a stony heart, in order to receive a heart of flesh, which loves God and seeks to please Him. My conviction is that God regenerates the elect person, giving him the heart of flesh that he needs in order to respond in faith and repentance. The stony heart of the unbeliever cannot dredge up faith and repentance in order to receive a heart of flesh. This is a backwards view, and it is not God-honoring.



Free-willers underestimate the degree of damage that has been caused by the Fall. Instead, they claim that mankind still possesses the faculties to respond positively to the Gospel with faith and repentance, without a new heart of flesh that is given by God. They believe in partial depravity, at best, and claim that some individuals are salvageable because they are not as hardened as others. In other words, they often point toward inherent characteristics as the reason why some are saved rather than others. So, there is a denial of the damage to man that has occurred in the Fall, and this often leads to a glorification of the man’s innate characteristics as the determining factor in salvation.

Additionally, my position would be, given God’s omniscience and exhaustive knowledge of the future, the free-willer view is absurd. If I accept their presuppositions, God is persistently trying to woo every single person, fully knowing that they will reject Him in the end. By the way, that is one reason why so many free-willers are open theists, and deny God’s exhaustive foreknowledge of the future.

Finally, I encourage you to look up the Scriptural references that I provide. Ask yourself if I am considering the context of the Scriptures. For instance, if the verse is in a letter that is addressed to believers, then the Scriptures in the letter apply to believers, and not non-believers, so the context of the book is important. Additionally, look at the surrounding Scripture in order to determine the context of the given passage. Cultural context is also important; for instance, the apostles were continually emphasizing that salvation was for both Jews and Gentiles, therefore in some cases, "all" implies both Jew and Gentile, not every single individual. Free-willers often use Scriptures from this context to claim that election is a false teaching. Context is something that many free-willers ignore.

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES FOR THE REFORMED POSITION OF IRRESISTIBLE GRACE (EFFECTUAL CALLING)

God has a chosen people, called “the elect”

Matthew 11:27 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Matthew 22:14 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 24:22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Matthew 24:24 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Luke 18:7 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?

Romans 8:28-30 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Colossians 3:12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

1 Thessalonians 5:9 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

1 Peter 2:8-10 8 …They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Revelation 17:14 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

God chose, or elected, these individuals for salvation

Mark 13:20 0 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake

2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

This choice, or election, occurred before the foundation of the world

Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

Revelation 13:8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

Revelation 17:8 And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

This choice, or election, is not due to personal merits, but is related to God's grace

Romans 9:9-18 For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The Father gave the elect to the Son as his possession as part of the eternal redemptive plan

John 6:35-40 5 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Titus 2:14 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Jesus, the second Adam, reverses the effects of Adam's sin, including death and condemnation, upon the Cross, achieving the salvation of the elect

Romans 5:15-21 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 3:8-10 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Matthew 20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 26:28 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep

John 10:14-18 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

John 10:24-28 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 17:1-11 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

John 17:20 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Ephesians 5:25-28 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Romans 8:32-34 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Hebrews 9:15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Hebrews 9:28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Revelation 5:9-10 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

All unredeemed mankind is in Adam and is spiritually dead, and separated from the life of God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Ephesians 4:17-18 17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Colossians 2:13 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

The unsaved are in bondage to sin, Satan and the kingdom of darkness, and being deceived by him.

John 8:34 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Acts 26:16-18 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Romans 6:20-23 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 5:6-11 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them

Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

The unsaved reflect the character of Satan and reject God’s authority in their lives.

John 8:43-44 3 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1 John 3:8-10 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

The unsaved are sinners by nature and love their sin.

John 3:19 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Ephesians 2:1-3 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

The unsaved have stony hearts that are unable and unwilling to respond to God’s commands of faith, repentance, and obedience, because they are still in the flesh. They need to be given spiritual life through regeneration (also called being “born again”, “born from above” or “spiritual circumcision”), and have the laws of God written on their hearts through it

Deuteronomy 29:4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear

Deuteronomy 30:6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Ezekiel 11:19-20 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 36:25-27 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.



John 3:1-8 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Hebrews 8:10-12 0 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”

Romans 8:5-9 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him

Spiritual information does not penetrate the thoughts of the unsaved, and they do not seek God. In fact, they are enemies of God and hate him and his law. God must regenerate them, giving them the mind of Christ, before they can understand the truths of the kingdom of God.

Romans 1:28-32 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Romans 8:5-9 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Romans 3:10-18 0 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Colossians 1:21-23 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 0 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God

The unsaved are under the wrath and condemnation of God

Ephesians 2:1-3 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Ephesians 5:5-6 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

The unsaved need to be regenerated, being made alive again, by the power of the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 2:4-6 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

God calls all mankind to repentance, regardless of election status, through a general calling.

Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen

Acts 17:30-31 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

God is sovereign over all matters, including salvation, and always accomplishes his decreed will.

Isaiah 55:10-11 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Ephesians 1:3-6 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Romans 8:28-30 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God calls the elect with an effectual calling, which involves hearing the gospel, realizing the intentions of his decrees concerning the elect individuals’ salvation.

John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day

John 10:16 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

John 10:27-28 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Acts 13:48 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Romans 8:29-30 or those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.