Calvinism teaches all people are not only born under the curse of sin,

but all people are born spiritually blind.

The ultimate problem of every human being is not merely that we are bent against God, which we are, but that we are blind

to God.

That means all people are born fallen and therefore cannot even spiritually see, hear, or understand the gospel appeal to be reconciled from that fall.

Now, we can all agree with our Calvinist friends that we are born without knowledge of our

Savior, and therefore truth must be revealed before we can believe.

After all, Paul himself says in Romans 1014, how then can they call on the one whom they've

not believed in, and how can they believe in one whom they have not heard, and how can they hear without

someone preaching to them? The implication of this question is that if we do hear the gospel,

we may believe it, and if we believe in him, we may call on his name for salvation. But you

understand on Calvinism, even if the gospel is plainly spoken, the lost person

is spiritually unable to see, hear, understand, and repent in response to that gospel appeal.

Because on Calvinism, this is a condition from birth, or what would be called a natural condition, which means people

have no control over it. Just like you cannot control the color of your eyes or your skin, so too

you have no control over your spiritual blindness from birth on the Calvinistic worldview.

But are people really born blind and

unable to see spiritual truth? Or can they become blind by choosing to close their eyes and harden

their hearts? Let's look at a sermon in Acts chapter 28 by the Apostle Paul, who is preaching an evangelistic

message to a group of Jews, some of which come to faith, and others who refuse to believe.

And let's see what he says is the reason for their resistance.

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the

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