BUT they didn't did they!? You know why? Thy could NOT without the inner call (i.e. irresistible grace)! The could not believe because Jesus was
not willing to grant them life that would have raised them from their spiritual tombs and empowered them to believe (Jn 5:21). Nor were they chosen of God to enter his courts
and to live with him for all eternity (Ps 65:4a).
How different their spiritual situation and eternal destiny was from the Thessalonians whom God chose to save and appointed to be saved!
1 Thess 5:9-10
9
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10
Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep,
we should live together with him.
KJV
And,
2 Thess 2:13-14
13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14
And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
NASB
It's God's GRACE or LACK THEREOF that separates the wheat from the chaff --that determines whether one responds positively to the gospel or negatively. Grace is the DIFFERENCE! And notice how salvation always involves two components to that Grace: Empowerment by the
Spirit for the purpose of Faith in the [Gospel]
Truth. These two elements
together invariably will produce the New Birth from above.
And lastly, notice
for whom Christ died! He died for
US, which I suppose you will pervert to mean the entire world!?
