“Be very sure of this–people never reject the Bible because they cannot understand it. They understand it too well; they understand that it condemns their own behavior; they understand that it witnesses against their own sins, and summons them to judgment. They try to believe it is false and useless, because they don’t like to believe it is true. An evil lifestyle must always raise an objection to this book. Men question the truth of Christianity because they hate the practice of it.” – J. C. Ryle
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I agree wholeheartedly with J. C. Ryle’s statement here ,but this seems quite inconsistent with Calvinism. According to Calvinism aren’t men so dead that they can’t even hear much less understand the Gospel message that convicts of sin, judgement and the provision of Christ.
The bible says men are dead in sin and unless God through the power of the Holy Spirit awakens them (or stirs them or quickens them) they are not able of themselves to respond to the gospel or even stir towards righteousness. That’s why we pray to God for fruit when the gospel is openly preached and proclaimed. Their natural predisposition pushes them towards rejecting God and his word.
Amen, I find that to be quite true the more you get to know the situation of someone rejecting the Word.