So speaks the heresy called Calvinism. This reductio shows the utter bankruptcy of Calvinism. The man dead in trespasses and sins can drink the water of life (John 4), can eat the bread of life (John 6), can receive the power to become the sons of God (John 1), can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, if he is willing. God made it possible.
We are saved because we believe. We do not believe because we are saved.
"And brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:30,31)
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)
This is the gospel pattern. A preacher preaches the word. The word is heard. The believer either allows Satan to snatch the seed out of his heart, or he believes it and it will be in him a well of water springing unto everlasting life. (John 4:14)
Not corpses (an utterly inaccurate analogy), but the walking dead, who do eat, who do drink and do believe a great many things--able, but unwilling.
“So speaks the heresy called Calvinism. “
Heresy? Once upon the time, you were the heretic.
Spurgeon:
“[I]t is often said that the doctrines we believe have a tendency to lead us to sin....I ask the man who dares to say that Calvinism is a licentious religion, what he thinks of the character of Augustine, or Calvin, or Whitefield, who in successive ages were the great exponents of the systems of grace; or what will he say of the Puritans, whose works are full of them? Had a man been an Arminian in those days, he would have been accounted the vilest heretic breathing, but now we are looked upon as the heretics, and they as orthodox. We have gone back to the old school; we can trace our descent from the apostles....We can run a golden line up to Jesus Christ Himself, through a holy succession of mighty fathers, who all held these glorious truths; and we can ask concerning them, “Where will you find holier and better men in the world?””
“The man dead in trespasses and sins can drink the water of life (John 4), can eat the bread of life (John 6), can receive the power to become the sons of God (John 1), can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, if he is willing. God made it possible.”
Without the Holy Spirit, no man can call Jesus the Christ.
1Co_12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
There is no one good, no one who seeks after God.
Rom 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
“This is the gospel pattern.”
And what did Jesus say to those Jews who would not believe and who did not understand Him?
Joh 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. (26) But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. (27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (30) I and my Father are one.
Joh 6:43-44 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. (44) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Indeed, those who the Father has not given Him, cannot believe, cannot see, for they are in their sins, and their natural inclination is to deny Christ.
Joh 12:39-41 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, (40) He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. (41) These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.