Old Regular, you just don't quit do you? I have already showed you several times that Ephesians 1:13 shows the specific order that takes place in salvation.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
I did not write this again for you, as you have already shown you will resist the clear teaching of scripture. I wrote this so others would not fall into your error.
You have also said that it is impossible for the spiritually dead to hear and understand God's word. This is false also, and I will show you from scripture that it is not true.
When Adam and Eve were in the garden, God gave them but one rule, that they could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and in the day that they would eat they would surely die.
Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
And we know that Eve first and then Adam did eat of this tree. But did they physically die that very day? No. They died spiritually.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
When Adam and Eve ate this fruit they did not die physically. But the Lord said they would die "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die". God said they would die that very day. So we know that God is not speaking of physical death because they did not physically die that very day.
But they did die spiritually. Their eyes were opened. Before this time they had only known good, now they also knew evil. They knew they were naked and were ashamed. They tried to cover their sin with their own works (apron made of fig leaves). They also became fearful of God for the first time and hid themselves from his presence.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
And this is where you go wrong. Spiritual death always means separation from God. When a sinner dies he does not cease to exist, but he is forever separated from God.
But they could still hear God's voice, and they could understand God.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
So here was Adam and Eve, both spiritually dead, insufficiently covered in their aprons made of fig leaves, ashamed and afraid of God. But they could both quite clearly hear God's words and understand them. They were unsaved at this point.
But God made a promise to them to send a saviour who would bruise the head of the serpent who had fooled Eve and brought about their fall. And Adam and Eve both believed this promise. So again, we have the order of hearing the word of God, and then believeing.
Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
So here was the first promise. And faith is believeing the promises of God. And we know they believed because when Eve became pregnant with Cain she mistakingly thought the child was of God.
Gen 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Eve was mistaken here, the child was from Adam. But she believed when God gave the promise that from her seed a saviour would come. She even understood that the father of this child would be God himself.
After believeing God's word and promise Adam and Eve were saved. And then God killed an animal, shedding it's blood, a picture of Christ, and covered them.
Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Now they were saved, now they were born again, now their sins were forgiven and covered by the blood of Christ.
And we also see in Luke that an unsaved man can hear and understand the word of God.
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Here the rich man died, was buried, and was in hell. But he was fully able to communicate with Abraham who was saved. And we see here that sin separates a man from God, there was a great gulf between the saved and lost here than cannot be crossed. But again, they could still communicate.
And notice when this rich man asked Abraham to send someone from the dead to warn his five brothers, that Abraham showed these unsaved men could hear and understand the scriptures.
Luke 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
So we see here that Abraham said let these five unsaved brothers hear the scriptures (Moses and the prophets). The rich man objected and said no, let someone who rose from the dead go to them. This is speaking of Jesus.
But Abraham showed that if they would not listen to the scriptures, then neither would they listen to Jesus. But it is not that they cannot hear and understand the scriptures, it is because they willfully refuse to listen to them.
So, the scriptures clearly show that a spiritually dead person can hear, understand, and even respond to God's word.
John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
And this verse from Jesus himself absolutely shows that a spiritually dead person can hear and understand God's word. And those that do choose to hear and believe will be made alive.
No getting around John 5:25, Jesus himself said the "dead" can hear his word.
