11. The Fallen State of Man

.... God offers His salvation freely to all who will call on His name. Yet His generous offer runs into a purely human barrier based on man’s weak, fallen nature:

.... "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God."

(Romans 2:10-11)

.... Simply stated, the natural man would never seek God on his own, no matter what was offered to him; not so much as one single person would ever do so. God’s universal offer would be universally declined, resulting in a reluctant standoff. For man is reticent to approach God on account of his own sinfulness:

.... "A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise."

(Prov 15:12)

.... "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed."

(John 3:20)

.... Because it is not in man’s fallen nature to seek God, a further work on God’s part is always needed in order to break the ice and draw us near; to bring each man to a point of repenting, believing, and exercising a saving faith in the gospel when he hears it (Acts 11:18; 13:48; Eph 2:8). The ball is still in God’s court, and He must take another initiative. This brings us to the effective role of predestination.