Why Does Satan Blind Those Born Already Blind?

[atpollard]

My point is that metaphor and analogy are just that, meaning they cannot rightly be taken woodenly at every point. But what happens is that in presenting arguments the corpse is given will and desire and all manner of animation when it suits, but cannot have anything of the sort when it doesn’t suit. This sort of flagrant inconsistency prevents clear and fair discussion. No sense flogging a dead horse.

Just a thought, but in Genesis 2, God breathed His “breath/spirit” (same Hebrew word) into the physical corpse of Adam to make man a living being (also the word breath/spirit). Later God warns that on the day he eats of the forbidden tree, man will die.

I suggest, that the day Adam ate of the tree, he died spiritually that very moment. Separated from the guidance of the Holy Spirit within, man instantly knew fear, shame and responded by hiding and blaming others.

This is the ‘dead’ that we are all born into (as described in Ephesians 2). It is not metaphorical, it is very real. It is a spiritual death that is the source of our sin and the reason we are incapable of choosing God on our own strength.

Only Christ, the second Adam, could restore life ... it happens when the Holy Spirit is restored to his place as our comforter and guide.

Just something to think about.

 

[Dave G]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state something that is obvious to some, but may not be so obvious to others:

God's word doesn't need interpretation, it needs believing.

As some have stated, context is everything, but I've personally seen those that agree with loss of salvation ( for example ) developing their "context" in strange ways, and usually by implication, not declaration.

 

[Alcott]

Why Does Satan Blind Those Born Already Blind?

Because they never see him coming?

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Well then the word 'life' can be a metaphor as well. The words 'love', 'hate', 'wrath', &c can be metaphors, too. That way we can 'splain away the whole bible.

Just a thought, but in Genesis 2, God breathed His “breath/spirit” (same Hebrew word) into the physical corpse of Adam to make man a living being (also the word breath/spirit). Later God warns that on the day he eats of the forbidden tree, man will die.

I suggest, that the day Adam ate of the tree, he died spiritually that very moment. Separated from the guidance of the Holy Spirit within, man instantly knew fear, shame and responded by hiding and blaming others.

This is the ‘dead’ that we are all born into (as described in Ephesians 2). It is not metaphorical, it is very real. It is a spiritual death that is the source of our sin and the reason we are incapable of choosing God on our own strength.

Only Christ, the second Adam, could restore life ... it happens when the Holy Spirit is restored to his place as our comforter and guide.

Just something to think about.

So, then you disagree with Y1, right? You are saying that it really does mean corpse, thus no will, no desire, no sensation, no animation of any sort—blind, deaf, dumb, completely inactive, completely unconscious—a corpse. If not, describe/define your "corpse."

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state something that is obvious to some, but may not be so obvious to others:

God's word doesn't need interpretation, it needs believing.

As some have stated, context is everything, but I've personally seen those that agree with loss of salvation ( for example ) developing their "context" in strange ways, and usually by implication, not declaration.

I’m not sure you really mean that completely. Most say the Bible should interpret the Bible. You might call it comparative interpretation. Context unimportant? Surely you know the joke about stringing isolated verses together that would have you committing suicide? We all want to believe the truth, but as has been pointed out, you needn’t understand all the fine details of it to be saved. Thank God!

 

[SovereignGrace]

So, then you disagree with Y1, right? You are saying that it really does mean corpse, thus no will, no desire, no sensation, no animation of any sort—blind, deaf, dumb, completely inactive, completely unconscious—a corpse. If not, describe/define your "corpse."

Man's inner being, his/her spirit is dead, yet the flesh is alive. That's what its means to be physically alive and spiritually dead. A person in their lost condition lives via the desires of the flesh. That's why its imperative for God to quicken(make alive, born again, born from above) the inner man to life. That is the only way they can respond favorably to God. Unless God first works, they can not do the first work.

 

[th1bill]

When I converted I understood Christians, committed believers fell into one of two camps and that all Baptists were Calvinists, in belief. It was not long before that notion was dispelled.

My Pastor, the man that helped me make my Public Profession of Faith, soon taught me there is a third view point that reconciles the scriptures into a single view point on the scriptures called, Biblicist.

As a Christian that has felt the Baptist Doctrine is the closest to YHWH's teachings, that is where I stand, a Biblicist who believes there is no conflict in scripture. And as my disease progresses my mind is growing duller than it used to be but the idea that men have perverted the Holy Word, often heard, is biblcally unsound.

When I read Yashuah's warning at the https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+1:5&version=NASBwarningend of The Rev. 20 I was excited ad applied it to all of scripture. One Deacon agreed with me and one other told me that was applicable, only to the book of The Revelation and not to the entire Bible. As I read through the Bible a few times, the Spirit, more and more, revealed other instances of the same warning beginning with Duet. 4:2. There are other instances but they have slipped from my mind.

Now, that the warning to neither add nor to subtract any words is recorded, I believe it is four times tells me that it is important to YHWH, Yashuah ha'Mashiah and to Ruah. I don't recall them having High-lighters before the 20th Century but YHWH has IMO highlighted points throughout the Scriptures and from this point I have concluded that the scriptures we have, all of them, are the Word of God.

In Mal, 3:6a we find that, YHWH is not so much like man that He changes. No, our Elohim ix constant, the one never changing person. It is popular, today, to teach that Yashuah, Jesus in Greek, is the God of the New Testament and God, the Father, was the God of the Old Testament but because someone teaches that heresy does not make it a fact. No, if a Christ Follower has studied to know Him closely they have read John 1:1-3 and they know that Yashuah is also the God of the Old Testament.

There was not a Shift Change during the 400 years of the silence of our LORD.

Now to my point, here. YHWH is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. i know it is difficult to comprehend but, just as we learn that we can go nowhere to hide from YHWH. If we travel to Mars, YHWH, remaining on the Earth is there on Mars with us.

At the same time, our LORD is not grasped by and locked into the Space/Time Continuum He created for our benefit. YHWH was before we are, before there was an Earth or any of the Stars we see. We read Genesis 1 & 2 and meditate with prayer to see this truth.

Then we go to the Revelation of Yashua 6:14 and Isaiah 34:4 where we find everything we see in the sky dissolving and/or eing rolled up as a scroll The Bible is true and is real but is what we see real? Te answer is, of course, yes but we neglect to factor YHWH into that equation and His unlimited abilities.

We are His children but we must learn the Hard Lessons also drop the bottles we have been feeding from.

 

[atpollard]

So, then you disagree with Y1, right? You are saying that it really does mean corpse, thus no will, no desire, no sensation, no animation of any sort—blind, deaf, dumb, completely inactive, completely unconscious—a corpse. If not, describe/define your "corpse."

I doubt that I am disagreeing with "Y1", I have generally agreed with his posts in the past. You will need to link to the specific post for a better answer.

That said, the rest of your characterization of my post is 100% wrong. Disappointingly so.

If Adam had the Holy Spirit before he sinned and lost the Holy Spirit (died spiritually) the moment that he ate the fruit, do you really think that means that he was ... "thus no will, no desire, no sensation, no animation of any sort—blind, deaf, dumb, completely inactive, completely unconscious—a corpse". How then did Adam feel shame, try to cover his nakedness, hide from God, blame Eve when God confronted him?

On the other hand, do any of Adam's acts after eating the fruit (shame, hide, blame) sound like a WWJD moment?

***********

Let's look at another candidate. King Saul had the Holy Spirit come upon him. How did he act as king under the influence of the Holy Spirit? ... That is "spiritually alive". The Bible says the Holy Spirit departed from King Saul and he was tormented by an evil spirit. How did he act as king without the Holy Spirit? ... That is "spiritually dead". When the Holy Spirit left King Saul, was he "thus no will, no desire, no sensation, no animation of any sort—blind, deaf, dumb, completely inactive, completely unconscious—a corpse"?

Was there any difference between Saul with the Spirit and Saul without the Spirit?
That is the difference between being spiritually "alive" and "dead".
Ephesians 2 speaks of us starting out "spiritually dead" and being made "spiritually alive".

 

[Yeshua1]

Man's inner being, his/her spirit is dead, yet the flesh is alive. That's what its means to be physically alive and spiritually dead. A person in their lost condition lives via the desires of the flesh. That's why its imperative for God to quicken(make alive, born again, born from above) the inner man to life. That is the only way they can respond favorably to God. Unless God first works, they can not do the first work.

All born the first birth are spiritual dead in sin natures, so are physically alive, but dead to things that are spiritual in nature.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Just a thought, but in Genesis 2, God breathed His “breath/spirit” (same Hebrew word) into the physical corpse of Adam to make man a living being (also the word breath/spirit). Later God warns that on the day he eats of the forbidden tree, man will die.

I suggest, that the day Adam ate of the tree, he died spiritually that very moment. Separated from the guidance of the Holy Spirit within, man instantly knew fear, shame and responded by hiding and blaming others.

This is the ‘dead’ that we are all born into (as described in Ephesians 2). It is not metaphorical, it is very real. It is a spiritual death that is the source of our sin and the reason we are incapable of choosing God on our own strength.

Only Christ, the second Adam, could restore life ... it happens when the Holy Spirit is restored to his place as our comforter and guide.

Just something to think about.

Thank you for stepping through this. I think it may need a little more fleshing out though. It sounds confused regarding the spiritual corpse interpretation. Here is what I understood, rephrased. Please correct where needed.

Man was first created a corpse, physically dead. God breathes into the man-corpse and he is alive. Later, the living man eats of the forbidden fruit and as foretold dies, but only spiritually, not physically, that is, he does not return to the original corpse state here.​

Have you not left out something, something fundamentally important to your interpretation?

I do sense that the issue gets back to how we understand the creation of, and original sin of man. We must consider his state before and after that sin, especially his awareness of God and of himself. If we get off track here, then we will likely be off track throughout.

 

[Aaron]

Thoughts…?


“Calvinism’s doctrine of Total Inability suggests that all people are born as “spiritual corpses,” morally unable to see, hear, understand and repent even in response to God’s own inspired truth. But this seems contradictory to what some leading Calvinists teach regarding the impact Satan has in our world.

For example, in an article titled, “Satan’s Ten Strategies Against You,” Calvinistic Pastor, John Piper, mentions this about the the great deceiver, Satan:

“1) He blinds the minds of unbelievers.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). So he not only speaks what is false. He hides what is true. He keeps us from seeing the treasure of the gospel. He lets us see facts, even proofs, but not preciousness.

2) Satan plucks the word of God out of people’s hearts and chokes faith.

Jesus told the parable of the four soils in Mark 4:1–9. In it, the seed of the word of God is sown, and some falls on the path and birds quickly take it away. He explains in verse 15, “Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which was sown in them.” Satan snatches the word because he hates faith which the word produces (Romans 10:17).

Paul expresses his concern for the faith of the Thessalonians like this: “I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5). Paul knew that Satan’s design is to choke off the faith of people who have heard the word of God.”

Does this effort of Satan strike anyone as being completely unnecessary if the claims of Calvinism are true regarding man’s Total Inability from birth?

If we are born completely unable to see, hear, understand or respond willingly to the word of God, as the doctrine of Total Inability suggests, wouldn’t Satan’s work to blind people and snatch away the word be completely unnecessary and redundant?

Imagine visiting your local cemetery and discovering they hired a person to put blind folds and ear plugs on the corpses lest they respond willingly to the sights and sounds around the graveyard. Would this strike you as peculiar?

If you asked the cemetery’s director of operations why such an employee was hired and he sarcastically and confidently said, “Well, there are means to accomplish the ends. How do you think we keep corpses from responding to the sights and sounds around the graveyard except by means?” How would you reply?

Wouldn’t you ask, “But, sir, why are the means of blindfolds and ear plugs necessary given their corpse like condition?”

If he were to reply by rolling his eyes in disgust and saying, “You obviously know nothing about running a cemetery! How dare you question our methods. If you were more intelligent or insightful you would know the answer to this question already, so move along.” How then would you reply?

Would you conclude he was mentally unfit to do his job? Would you try and reason with him further? What is the appropriate response to something that appears to be blatantly contradictory and absurd?”

https://soteriology101.com/2017/10/14/the-redundancy-of-satan-on-calvinism/

Total blindness is not a tenet of Calvinism. It's Total Depravity.

But the real objection a noncalvinist has isn't the trifling of your post, it's in the bondage of one's will. That's where the rub is.

And if you believe, as the Scriptures state, that Satan is blinding the eyes of the unbeliever, that is still something imposed upon the unbeliever outside his power and will, leaving him helplessly and hopelessly in sin. And what of the birds snapping up the seed of the sower? And what plant, no matter how willing, can put its roots into stone?

Giving sight to the blind, binding Satan, opening ears and ploughing ground is all God's work, and where He does not do that work, what hope has the unbeliever? In his own will?

So far from undoing God's sovereignty in salvation with this post, you've affirmed it.

 

[Aaron]

I tend to call it, "Totally Stuck in Rebellion"

In other words, totally depraved.

 

[Revmitchell]

Just a thought, but in Genesis 2, God breathed His “breath/spirit” (same Hebrew word) into the physical corpse of Adam to make man a living being (also the word breath/spirit). Later God warns that on the day he eats of the forbidden tree, man will die.

I suggest, that the day Adam ate of the tree, he died spiritually that very moment. Separated from the guidance of the Holy Spirit within, man instantly knew fear, shame and responded by hiding and blaming others.

This is the ‘dead’ that we are all born into (as described in Ephesians 2). It is not metaphorical, it is very real. It is a spiritual death that is the source of our sin and the reason we are incapable of choosing God on our own strength.

Only Christ, the second Adam, could restore life ... it happens when the Holy Spirit is restored to his place as our comforter and guide.

Just something to think about.

Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Dead like the prodigal not like Lazarus.

 

[atpollard]

Thank you for stepping through this. I think it may need a little more fleshing out though. It sounds confused regarding the spiritual corpse interpretation. Here is what I understood, rephrased. Please correct where needed.

Man was first created a corpse, physically dead. God breathes into the man-corpse and he is alive. Later, the living man eats of the forbidden fruit and as foretold dies, but only spiritually, not physically, that is, he does not return to the original corpse state here.​

Have you not left out something, something fundamentally important to your interpretation?

I do sense that the issue gets back to how we understand the creation of, and original sin of man. We must consider his state before and after that sin, especially his awareness of God and of himself. If we get off track here, then we will likely be off track throughout.

Sure, I touched on it already but we can expand on it. It is your topic, so your bunny trails are not really "off-topic".

ADAM BEFORE THE FALL:

• Genesis 2:25 "Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."
• Genesis 3:8 "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day"

Adam could be seen for who he is and felt no shame.
Adam walked with God and talked with God in the garden.


ADAM AFTER THE FALL:

• Genesis 3:7 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."
• Genesis 3:10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
• Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Adam was ashamed to be seen for who he is and felt shame (realized they were naked).
Adam attempted to cover himself to hide who he was (the birth of the human "mask")
Adam responded to the approach of God with fear and hiding (as all men now do)

• John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
• Romans 3:10-11 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

Adam blamed others (the woman and God) for his sinful actions.

The critical issue, the missing ingredient, the radical change at the fall ... is the departure of the Holy Spirit from Adam (and all of his children). Our sin nature makes real communion with a Holy God impossible until the Second Adam (Jesus Christ) restores what was lost. Then ...

• Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Ephesians 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

 

[atpollard]

Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Dead like the prodigal not like Lazarus.

• [Luke 15:14-17 NIV] 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

Yes, dead like the Prodigal Son. However, we must not loose sight of the fact that it is not until ALL of our plans have failed and we have nothing left but starving to death, that God lifts our insanity and we are then willing to return to the Father on His terms. That is when we find just how loving Our Father really is.

The Prodigal son did not just "choose" to return, he "came to his senses" (as in stopped being a crazy person and regained his sanity)

 

[Revmitchell]

• [Luke 15:14-17 NIV] 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

Yes, dead like the Prodigal Son. However, we must not loose sight of the fact that it is not until ALL of our plans have failed and we have nothing left but starving to death, that God lifts our insanity and we are then willing to return to the Father on His terms. That is when we find just how loving Our Father really is.

The Prodigal son did not just "choose" to return, he "came to his senses" (as in stopped being a crazy person and regained his sanity)

No no, nothing said in scripture about God waiting to lift our insanity. You added that.

 

[atpollard]

No no, nothing said in scripture about God waiting to lift our insanity. You added that.

[Luke 15:17 NIV] 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

There is nothing about the father in the story being God either, but for applications of the story to salvation, God must be the one who does the saving ... I should not need to quote verses to prove that (but can if needed).

 

[Revmitchell]

[Luke 15:17 NIV] 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

There is nothing about the father in the story being God either, but for applications of the story to salvation, God must be the one who does the saving ... I should not need to quote verses to prove that (but can if needed).

When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

We are discussing dead here. He was not dead as in a corps yet his father declared him dead. His relationship with broken and the result was as if he was dead. The Jews understood this example well. We are no less or no more dead when are lost. The young man was capable of realizing his plight and making the decision when he came to his senses.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Sure, I touched on it already but we can expand on it. It is your topic, so your bunny trails are not really "off-topic".

ADAM BEFORE THE FALL:

• Genesis 2:25 "Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."
• Genesis 3:8 "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day"

Adam could be seen for who he is and felt no shame.
Adam walked with God and talked with God in the garden.


ADAM AFTER THE FALL:

• Genesis 3:7 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."
• Genesis 3:10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
• Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Adam was ashamed to be seen for who he is and felt shame (realized they were naked).
Adam attempted to cover himself to hide who he was (the birth of the human "mask")
Adam responded to the approach of God with fear and hiding (as all men now do)

• John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
• Romans 3:10-11 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

Adam blamed others (the woman and God) for his sinful actions.

The critical issue, the missing ingredient, the radical change at the fall ... is the departure of the Holy Spirit from Adam (and all of his children). Our sin nature makes real communion with a Holy God impossible until the Second Adam (Jesus Christ) restores what was lost. Then ...

• Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• Ephesians 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

But your description of man before and after the fall includes an awareness of God, and afterward even of his sin and what he has lost spiritually.

And what I’m addressing is no bunny trail; not only not “off-topic,” but dead-on (see OP).

Thoughts…?


“Calvinism’s doctrine of Total Inability suggests that all people are born as “spiritual corpses,” morally unable to see, hear, understand and repent even in response to God’s own inspired truth. But this seems contradictory to what some leading Calvinists teach regarding the impact Satan has in our world.

For example, in an article titled, “Satan’s Ten Strategies Against You,” Calvinistic Pastor, John Piper, mentions this about the the great deceiver, Satan:

“1) He blinds the minds of unbelievers.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). So he not only speaks what is false. He hides what is true. He keeps us from seeing the treasure of the gospel. He lets us see facts, even proofs, but not preciousness.

2) Satan plucks the word of God out of people’s hearts and chokes faith.

Jesus told the parable of the four soils in Mark 4:1–9. In it, the seed of the word of God is sown, and some falls on the path and birds quickly take it away. He explains in verse 15, “Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which was sown in them.” Satan snatches the word because he hates faith which the word produces (Romans 10:17).

Paul expresses his concern for the faith of the Thessalonians like this: “I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5). Paul knew that Satan’s design is to choke off the faith of people who have heard the word of God.”

Does this effort of Satan strike anyone as being completely unnecessary if the claims of Calvinism are true regarding man’s Total Inability from birth?

If we are born completely unable to see, hear, understand or respond willingly to the word of God, as the doctrine of Total Inability suggests, wouldn’t Satan’s work to blind people and snatch away the word be completely unnecessary and redundant?

Imagine visiting your local cemetery and discovering they hired a person to put blind folds and ear plugs on the corpses lest they respond willingly to the sights and sounds around the graveyard. Would this strike you as peculiar?

If you asked the cemetery’s director of operations why such an employee was hired and he sarcastically and confidently said, “Well, there are means to accomplish the ends. How do you think we keep corpses from responding to the sights and sounds around the graveyard except by means?” How would you reply?

Wouldn’t you ask, “But, sir, why are the means of blindfolds and ear plugs necessary given their corpse like condition?”

If he were to reply by rolling his eyes in disgust and saying, “You obviously know nothing about running a cemetery! How dare you question our methods. If you were more intelligent or insightful you would know the answer to this question already, so move along.” How then would you reply?

Would you conclude he was mentally unfit to do his job? Would you try and reason with him further? What is the appropriate response to something that appears to be blatantly contradictory and absurd?”

https://soteriology101.com/2017/10/14/the-redundancy-of-satan-on-calvinism/

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Total blindness is not a tenet of Calvinism. It's Total Depravity.

But the real objection a noncalvinist has isn't the trifling of your post, it's in the bondage of one's will. That's where the rub is.

And if you believe, as the Scriptures state, that Satan is blinding the eyes of the unbeliever, that is still something imposed upon the unbeliever outside his power and will, leaving him helplessly and hopelessly in sin. And what of the birds snapping up the seed of the sower? And what plant, no matter how willing, can put its roots into stone?

Giving sight to the blind, binding Satan, opening ears and ploughing ground is all God's work, and where He does not do that work, what hope has the unbeliever? In his own will?

So far from undoing God's sovereignty in salvation with this post, you've affirmed it.

What I keep coming across, and what the OP addresses, is a Calvinistic insistence on a literal corpse. Perhaps you mean not all Calvinists believe that? Your description here is far different than what some others representing Calvinism are saying in this thread. Are you representing basic Calvinism?

I do not see God’s sovereignty as an issue. Everyone agrees God could and did set things up however he wanted without asking us. The question is how he actually set things up.