What you fail to understand is that the Holy Spirit can deal with a lost man through the preaching of the gospel and lead him to an understanding. It is up to the lost man to believe/trust.
With the help of the Spirit. One doesn’t have to be indwelt by the Spirit for the Spirit to work on a man.
You'll notice a consistency in Calvinism and certain of the Reformed Doctrines that ascribe to the TULIP formula; those who insist we cannot understand scripture until we're regenerate are assured they are so as they judge others whom they imply in those remarks, are not.
But what does the
Book of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 say? We find Jesus through His gospel. Which is the breath, spirit, of God.
Of course an omniscient, eternally knowing God, would know in advance whom would cleave to The Word and His Gospel. This does not mean that God picked whom He would save as individuals, and conversely, whom He'd leave to die in their sins. It means that God knows for whom His word will resonate as truth. And for whom it shall not.
If God had picked whom He would save, as individuals and by name, prior to creating anything at all, including the world, Eden, Adam, Eve, it would mean He is the author of sin. And that the verses that tell us, whosoever believes......are false when God actually meant to say, those whom I predetermined to believe shall I save.
That though is not in scripture is it?
The confusion in the community of faithful in Christ is due to the teachings of errant egocentric men, like John Piper, Sproul, John Calvin, etc... who imagine God picks whom He'll save from what is essentially Himself, as judge of the world. And then these men presume to tell you that the Gospel that arrived after the fulfillment of John 3:16, by God's will, was only for those God predetermined as one's He'd save.
But if that were true, and God saved a people, individuals, before the world came to exist, why would there be need to teach people the Good News of Salvation? When only certain people have been picked to be saved already? And by God, and before anything came to exist at all?
See, that right there is what demolishes into dust every petal of TULIP. The Gospel! When TULIP's god predetermined whom would be saved, and by name, prior to all of creation coming into existence, and a sinful person, is unable to understand the Gospel until they, as that predetermined saved one, is let to understand, the Gospel then becomes of none effect. Because that predetermined saved one doesn't need to believe in anything when God has pre-selected them to be saved before the Gospel, and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, came to be.
The Gospel is meant for everyone! Jesus sacrifice on the cross wasn't for the one's He'd already chosen to save. His sacrifice on the cross was as the
propitiation, as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world's people. That whosoever believes in that good news of Jesus, that is Jesus, shall not perish but have immortal life. And no one will take us from Jesus' hand. Those who are in Christ do not make a habit of sinning, we are redeemed from being dead in sin, and are renewed in the spirit of Holy God, washed clean of our former faults, risen as a new creation in the image and likeness of Christ and His message.
All Biblical. All Love. All God.
Never let anyone tell you that only the select number of individuals God chose to save before He created anything at all are able to understand His word, and are saved.
That's not true!
The natural man, that sinner in love with the world, doesn't think to read the Bible. However, that one who for whatever reason is called to read, is called into a church on Sunday, is called to get on their knees and pray maybe for the first time, the calling due to whatever strife they're seeking to overcome, is that one that is led by the Holy Spirit of God into the Holy Spirit truth of His Good News!
As God said.
Trust GOD! Not the traditions of men who's legacy is a denomination erected in their memory, that leads seekers unto confusion and dismay and insecurity.
Jesus was not of any denomination. Jesus was God. Trust then in the Truth of Jesus Christ as brought to you by His Holy Word and by His Holy Breath, when you feel led to pray.
God LOVES YOU!
Never let anyone tell you the "YOU" in that statement is for members only as predetermined before all creation by God.
Think of what kind of god that false teaching is leading you to believe in. One that decides to save only a select number of people before he insures there is something to be saved from in the first place. So that his plan comes to fruition. That's not god. That's the other guy hoping you'll believe that and miss the truth and the life that is and always has been, Jesus.