That's right back to
John 3 -- whether they prefer to come into the light, or not, by personal choice.
I tried to read most of the posts in this thread and the focus is all over the place which always causes some measure of confusion. Also, I have attempted to keep a very narrow focus for the sake of simplicity and comprehension. Yet, my direct question always invokes a response similar to the one above.
Some prefer the light while others do not because their deeds are wicked. But if there is none good, if there is no one who seeks after God and His light, how and why did some seek while most did not?
This question deals with a man’s inner desire which is continually wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and also prideful. Some folks today have been nurtured into the faith by their loving families and churches. Some folks grew up within Muslim or Buddhist societies. Other folks were emotionally and physically abused by their own fathers and will naturally respond to “
The Lord your God is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14) in their own way based on their experience.
If your response to my questions pertains to the “free will” of man, you haven’t thought about the questions. It may be easy to flood the posts with scripture passages that don’t address the issue but confusion only helps you make your case but it is obviously not attempting to discover God’s truth. If there are some people who desire to come into the light, there is good reason for it. That reason cannot rationally be that they don’t allow their pride to get in the way. Sure, that goes without saying. But that isn’t answering the question.
Is God’s calling effective? Does anything change when God calls and the calling falls on the good soil? Where did the good soil come from? Some have ears to hear? Only His sheep hear His voice? Why don’t we all have the exact same conditioning, disposition and bent toward, not only believing in the biblical Christ but also loving Him?
If God does not intervene in the heart of His predestined children He shows a disinterest in His crown jewel of creation. Leaving justification up to chance is, in a sense, showing favoritism toward those who were nurtured to love and care and believe. You can’t expect those who are spiritually DEAD
in their sinfulness to miraculously desire the light unless a miraculous and divine work has been done upon their deep desires of the heart.
If there is any direct and understandable explanation for this transformation from a carnal condition of disdain for God to one of love for Him, other than what I have stated, I would love to hear it. But please don’t respond that some people are more prideful than others because that does NOT answer my question.
Doug