Whilst I agree with you that Christ died for everyone as the Scriptures teach: ("For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe". 1 Timothy 4:10 ESV) and that this was Luther's position, I can't agree with you that through the Gospel the Father tries to draw everyone to Christ by the Holy Spirit and that the reason why people are damned is because they resist the Holy Spirit's attempt to convert them. This just isn't the teaching of Scripture and nor was it Luther's position.
With respect to Luther Ive read all of his sermons edited by Lenker, and other sermons and most of What Luther Says by Plass amongst other things, and Luther doesnt teach what the Formula teaches. Yes with respect to Gods revealed will Luther teaches that people are damned through resisting the Word and in that sense are resisting the Holy Spirit, but not that they resist the Holy Spirits attempt to convert them. For instance Plass quotes Luther in WLS saying:
As Paul was converted so others are; for all of us resist the Word. But the Holy Spirit draws us through the ministry of the Word when He pleases 1024
Christ here says: Only he comes to Me and only he receives faith whom the Father draws to me 1023
But working on the will of him who resists He moves the will to consent 1025 (i.e. irresistible grace)
Whoever comes to faith can only say that the Holy Spirit comes when and where and to whom He pleases at the time He pleases. 2057
We do not learn with the heart; there God alone is the Master, revealing the Word to whom He pleases, how and when He pleases 4736 (i.e. the Holy Spirit doesnt try to convert all who hear the Gospel but only those He wills to)
Also theres a revealing passage in Luthers Table Talk which teaches the same things:
Some few divines allege, that the Holy Ghost works not in those that resist him, but only in
such as are willing and give consent thereto, whence it would appear that free-will is only a cause
and helper of faith, and that consequently faith alone justifies not, and that the Holy Ghost does
not alone work through the Word, but that our will does something therein.
But I say it is not so; the will of mankind works nothing at all in his conversion and justification;
Non est efficiens causa justificationis sed marerialis tantum. It is the matter on which the Holy
Ghost works (as a potter makes a pot out of clay), equally in those that resist and are averse, as in
St Paul. But after the Holy Ghost has wrought in the wills of such resistants, then he also manages
that the will be consenting thereunto.
They say and allege further, That the example of St Pauls conversion is a particular and special
work of God, and therefore cannot be brought in for a general rule. I answer: even like as St Paul
was converted, just so are all others converted; for we all resist God, but the Holy Ghost draws the
will of mankind, when he pleases, through preaching.
Even as no man may lawfully have children, except in a state of matrimony, though many
married people have no children, so the Holy Ghost works not always through the Word but when
it pleases him, so that free-will does nothing inwardly in our conversion and justification before
God, neither does it work with our strengthno, not in the least, unless we be prepared and made
fit by the Holy Ghost.
The sentences in Holy Scripture touching predestination, as, No man can come to me except
the Father draweth him, seem to terrify and affright us; yet they but show that we can do nothing
of our own strength and will that is good before God, and put the godly also in mind to pray. When
people do this, they may conclude they are predestinated. CCLXIII.Hazlitt
We can see that in the quote above that Luther teaches irresistible grace in that the Holy Spirit makes us willing when we are all unwilling to believe, and that the Holy Spirit doesnt attempt to convert all who hear the Gospel because He only converts those He pleases and not everyone who hears the Gospel. Luther likens the Holy Spirits operation to married couples who dont all have children, so just as men dont always beget children through their wives, so the Holy Spirit doesnt always convert through the Word. And this isnt because men resist the Holy Spirits attempt to convert them but because the Holy Spirit wills not to convert them (i.e. He works not always through the Word ). This is Luthers teaching because he affirms that the reason why not all are saved is because of predestination i.e.No man can come to me except the Father draweth him, So everything is dependent on whether the Father draws a person through the Holy Spirit to Christ. And this is the teaching of Scripture because in John 6 it says:
[64] But there are some of you who do not believe. (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) [65] And he said, This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. (John 6:64-65 ESV)
So we can see from this Scripture passage that Christ is teaching that the reason men dont believe is because the Father hasnt drawn them to Christ through the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit has consequently made no attempt to convert them. So this passage in itself shows that the doctrine of the Formula that men are damned through them resisting the Holy Spirits attempt to convert them is false doctrine. And Luther would have agreed. So only those predestined to be saved will be irresistibly converted by the Holy Spirit. The rest the Holy Spirit makes no attempt to convert because they are predestined to be damned. This is a general statement. Im not denying that there may be some exceptions in that some may be converted only to eventually fall away and be damned. I dont believe in once saved always saved. (Also Luther in The Bondage of the Will teaches irresistible grace. See for instance Packer & Johnston, page 311; Luther's Works, Vol. 33, pages 285, 286; Cole, section 162).
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