13 Things a Lost Person Cannot Do

Monergist · Nov 2, 2002

13 Things a Lost Person Cannot Do
by Curtis A. Pugh
That the lost sinner must cast himself wholly on the mercy and grace of God must be obvious to those who read and believe the Scriptures. But the Bible knows nothing of such foolish man-made ideas as "praying the sinner's prayer", or "making a decision for Christ", or "inviting Jesus into your heart" or "going forward to receive Christ." No New Testament preacher ever used such terms or tactics! To tell spiritually dead sinners that there is something they can do to bring about their salvation is damnable heresy for by its false hope sinners are taught to trust in what they have done rather in Christ who has done all.

Consider these thirteen spiritual things an unsaved person cannot do:

1. HE CANNOT THINK AS GOD DOES:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

2. HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND GOD:

". . . thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself . . ." (Psalm 50:21)

"Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than hell; what canst thou know?" (Job 11:7-8)

3. HE CANNOT SEE SPIRITUAL THINGS:

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

4. HE CANNOT KNOW HIS OWN HEART:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

5. HE CANNOT PROPERLY DIRECT HIS OWN PATHS:

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12)

6. HE CANNOT FREE HIMSELF FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW:

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Galatians 3:10)

7. HE CANNOT RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT:

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not . . ." (John 14:17)

8. HE CANNOT HEAR (receive & understand) GOD'S WORDS:

"He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God." (John 8:47)

"But the natural (unsaved) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." (1Corinthians 2:14)

9. HE CANNOT BIRTH HIMSELF INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD:

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God." (John 1:13)

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." (Romans 9:15-16)

10. HE CANNOT PRODUCE REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN CHRIST:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

". . . for all men have not faith." (2 Thessalonians 3:2)

"For unto you it is given . . . to believe on him . . ." (Philippians 1:29)

". . . if God peradventure will give them repentance . . ." (2 Timothy 2:25)

". . . to them that have obtained like precious faith with us . . ." (2 Peter 1:1)

11. HE CANNOT COME TO CHRIST:

"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him . . . Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." (John 6:44, 65)

12. HE CANNOT BELIEVE ON CHRIST:

"But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you." (John 10:26)

13. HE CANNOT PLEASE GOD:

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. . . . So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:5, 8, 9)

SO THEN, MANKIND IS SHUT UP TO THE FACT OF HIS OWN TOTAL INABILITY TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT HIS LOST CONDITION.
Click to expand...

From the article at http://users.aol.com/libcfl/13.htm

BobRyan · Nov 2, 2002

And yet ALL agree that the John 12:32 DRAWING power of God - solves ALL of the above.

So the discussion needs to get past step one and on to step two.

Bob

npetreley · Nov 2, 2002

Excellent post, TimothyW.

KenH · Nov 2, 2002

Originally posted by BobRyan:
And yet ALL agree that the John 12:32 DRAWING power of God - solves ALL of the above.

Click to expand...

Then, Bob, you saying that God fails to save a lot of those whom He intends to save.

My God never fails.

Ken
A Spurgeonite

ForumChaplain · Nov 2, 2002

Originally posted by Ken Hamilton:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by BobRyan:
And yet ALL agree that the John 12:32 DRAWING power of God - solves ALL of the above.

Click to expand...

Then, Bob, you saying that God fails to save a lot of those whom He intends to save.

My God never fails.

Ken
A Spurgeonite </font>[/QUOTE]Kenneth:
All I do is chase you from one thread to another correcting your mistakes.

God never fails, you know that, His purpose is to save believers, and he saves every one that believes in him. Even you admit that. Yet the falsity that you attempt to perpetrate with this truth is that God has to force himself upon them. Not so Kenneth.

What time is super served??? Southern cooking, Uummm, uummmn, good...

[ November 02, 2002, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: Chappie ]

Rev. G · Nov 2, 2002

And yet ALL agree that the John 12:32 DRAWING power of God - solves ALL of the above.

So the discussion needs to get past step one and on to step two.
Click to expand...

Quite right. BUT, let me ask you... What is the Greek word used in John 12? What is the Greek used in John 6 when it speaks of God's "drawing"? Perhaps that will help to clear some of this up for us.

BobRyan · Nov 2, 2002

The "difference" is not in the "total depravity" of man - "Man's innability without God", NOR is the "difference" that the John 12:32 DRAWING of God is accepted to be "sufficient" to "enable" where there was only "innability" before.

Rather the "Difference" is that Arminians claim that John 12:32 says "God draws ALL MANKIND unto himself" and the Calvinist claims it merely says "God draws ALL TYPES OF MANKIND but not ALL mankind".

So that when it turns out that God is not the Calvinist God drawing merely "TYPES" - the Calvinist response is sometimes

Ken
Then, Bob, you saying that God fails to save a lot of those whom He intends to save.
Click to expand...

Which is the best argument - and the worst argument left to Calvinism. Its premise is that IF God loves them and IF God enables them to choose then they MUST choose God or God has FAILED to be Calvinist - has FAILED as God.

That SAME argument may be applied to the case of Lucifer and Adam to show its utter collapse - as we all know. BOTH of those examples demonstrate the FAMILY of God - "sons of God" as Angels and Adam the "son of God" Luke 3:38 - LOVED by God, ENABLED by God to "Choose" yet failing to CHOOSE God.

Charging the failure of the creature upon the creator - is the only argument left to Calvinism when it is shown that the "difference" is not in the starting point of man "total depravity" but the "difference" is in the starting point of GOD "So loving the WORLD, not willing for ANY to Perish, drawing ALL mankind unto Him".

I salute Ken for being bold enough to point that out.

In Christ,

Bob

BobRyan · Nov 2, 2002

Timothy
That the lost sinner must cast himself wholly on the mercy and grace of God must be obvious to those who read and believe the Scriptures. But the Bible knows nothing of such foolish man-made ideas as "praying the sinner's prayer", or "making a decision for Christ", or "inviting Jesus into your heart" or "going forward to receive Christ." No New Testament preacher ever used such terms or tactics! To tell spiritually dead sinners that there is something they can do to bring about their salvation is damnable heresy for by its false hope sinners are taught to trust in what they have done rather in Christ who has done all.
Click to expand...

Many thanks to Timothy for pointing out that Calvinists "SHOULD not be using the Arminian forms of evangelism listed above - yet as has been pointed out on this board by BOTH Calvinist and Arminian contributors -- they DO".

IN christ,

Bob

KenH · Nov 2, 2002

Originally posted by BobRyan:
they DO
Click to expand...

What? Because Arminians preach about the cross of Jesus and the command of God to repent and believe, Calvinists can't do so without using "Arminian" methods? The difference between Calvinists and Anti-Calvinists is not in the imperatives of Scripture but in the indicative of Scriptures.

Ken
A Spurgeonite

KenH · Nov 2, 2002

Originally posted by BobRyan:
That SAME argument may be applied to the case of Lucifer and Adam
Click to expand...

Bob,

We are not told of any intention on God's part to save Satan. We know the intention on God's part to save His elect.

Ken
A Spurgeonite

Rev. G · Nov 2, 2002

Can we go back a bit? What is the Greek word / root for "draw" in John?

Rev. G

BobRyan · Nov 2, 2002

God gave Lucifer life and brought him into being as one of those in Job 1 - "the sons of God".

God chose to give Adam BOTH spiritual and physical life and brought him into family relatinship as Luke says "the son of God".

But the one that God loved - and gave "CHOICE" to and "intended for LIFE" - chose death. -

Adams death was such that he needed a savior - he needed the new birth. The wages of sin was 'death" for Adam - not 'eternal life'. He needed Christ after choosing rebellion.

Did God "fail to give eternal spiritual life" to one that He intended to give eternal life to?

Is their failure to be charged against God?

Can we really define "choice" as "a failure on God's part"?

And yet - that is the Calvinist argument sometimes.

But this discussion is now centered on the "real difference" between the two models - not the supposed difference of "depravity" the starting condition of fallen man without God.

IN Christ,

Bob

npetreley · Nov 2, 2002

Originally posted by Rev. G:
Can we go back a bit? What is the Greek word / root for "draw" in John?

Rev. G
Click to expand...

It's the same word used in John 6:44 (No man comes to me unless the Father draw him and I will raise him up at the last day)

New Testament Greek for ' draw '

1670 helkuo {hel-koo'-o} or helko {hel'-ko}
probably akin to 138; TDNT - 2:503,227; v
AV - draw 8; 8
1) to draw, drag off
2) metaph., to draw by inward power, lead, impel
(strong's number 1670)

Rev. G · Nov 2, 2002

Thanks, friend. Notice the word "drag" in your definition. It is found elsewhere in Scripture in the Book of Acts, when Paul and his traveling companion were "dragged" by the crowds. It is also found in James, ch. 2, "Do not the rich oppress you and DRAG you into the courts?" This doesn't seem like the rich were "wooing" them, or that Paul was "wooed" by the crowd. Hmmmmmmm.

Rev. G

npetreley · Nov 2, 2002

Originally posted by Rev. G:
Thanks, friend. Notice the word "drag" in your definition. It is found elsewhere in Scripture in the Book of Acts, when Paul and his traveling companion were "dragged" by the crowds. It is also found in James, ch. 2, "Do not the rich oppress you and DRAG you into the courts?" This doesn't seem like the rich were "wooing" them, or that Paul was "wooed" by the crowd. Hmmmmmmm.

Rev. G
Click to expand...

It's that special "romantic" sense of "woo", as in a cartoon caveman who clubs his woman over the head, grabs her by the hair and "woos" her away.

BobRyan · Nov 2, 2002

To lead - to draw?? Hmm so the translators DID know what they were doing?

How surprising!

And how about "I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and OPEN the door I will COME IN"..??

Sounds like an "invitation" for the "ENABLED" one on the INSIDE to -- Open the door to the one on the OUTSIDE.

It is so obviously laid out in scripture after scripture - you would think it was written by an Arminian.

In Christ,

Bob

[ November 02, 2002, 10:35 PM: Message edited by: BobRyan ]

Rev. G · Nov 2, 2002

Bob,

Do we have to get into that whole discussion again about Rev. 3:20? It is written in the context of the Church at Laodicea. Remember?

Rev. G

BobRyan · Nov 3, 2002

Those in Laodicea THINK they are saved - think they are covered by the robe of Christ - but instead are "poor, miserable, blind and naked" and Christ is on the "OUTSIDE" knocking and waiting to "COME IN".

Nowhere in all of scripture is the "Poor miserable blind and naked' condition described as "the New Birth".

IT is most definitely IN the context of Laodicea that the point is being made.

In Christ,

Bob

tyndale1946 · Nov 3, 2002

Originally posted by BobRyan:

And how about "I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and OPEN the door I will COME IN"..??
Click to expand...

I believe that follows after Ephesians 2:1... A dead man will never hear the knock... Must be born again... regenerated first!... Brother Glen

Rev. G · Nov 3, 2002

BTW, Bob, you never dealt with the "drag" issue.

13 Things a Lost Person Cannot Do

Monergist New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

npetreley New Member

KenH Well-Known Member

ForumChaplain Guest

Rev. G New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

KenH Well-Known Member

KenH Well-Known Member

Rev. G New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

npetreley New Member

Rev. G New Member

npetreley New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

Rev. G New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
Site Supporter

Rev. G New Member

Useful Searches

13 Things a Lost Person Cannot Do

Monergist New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

npetreley New Member

KenH Well-Known Member

ForumChaplain Guest

Rev. G New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

KenH Well-Known Member

KenH Well-Known Member

Rev. G New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

npetreley New Member

Rev. G New Member

npetreley New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

Rev. G New Member

BobRyan Well-Known Member

tyndale1946 Well-Known Member Site Supporter

Rev. G New Member

tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
Site Supporter