ELECTION VS FREE WILL - THE MOST HATED DOCTRINE, PT 2

 

ELECTION VS FREE WILL, PT. 2 - DEAD OR JUST SICK?

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” — Ephesians 2:1

In the ongoing discussion of Election and Free Will, one question is often overlooked: What is the true condition of humanity apart from Christ? The Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:1 are clear—spiritually, we are not merely wounded or weakened by sin; we are dead in it. Understanding the depth of our spiritual condition is essential to grasping why salvation must be entirely the work of God’s grace.

To illustrate this truth, Scripture gives us the powerful story of Lazarus. When Mary and Martha’s brother fell ill, they urgently sent for Jesus, knowing that only He could heal him. Yet Jesus delayed His coming, and by the time He arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead four days. His body lay in the tomb, lifeless and sealed. No effort, no decision, and no act of will could bring him back. He was utterly and completely dead.

Then came the command that changed everything. Standing before the tomb, Jesus prayed to the Father and then cried out, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43). In that moment, life returned where death had reigned. The same voice that spoke creation into existence now spoke life into the lifeless. Lazarus emerged, still wrapped in grave clothes, a living testimony to the power of divine command.

Lazarus did not contribute to his resurrection. He did not choose to live again. It was the sovereign word of Christ that called him from death to life.

This event serves as a vivid picture of spiritual regeneration. Just as Lazarus could not will himself back to life, so too no one can will themselves into spiritual life. Humanity is not spiritually “sick” in need of moral improvement; we are spiritually dead in need of resurrection. Only the life-giving power of Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can awaken the soul and draw it to faith.

When Jesus calls, His call is effectual—it accomplishes what it commands. As He called Lazarus from the grave, so He calls His people from spiritual death to spiritual life. This is the heart of salvation by grace alone: not that we found God, but that He found us; not that we chose Him, but that He called us, and by His Spirit, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).

The story of Lazarus is not only a miracle of physical resurrection—it is a divine illustration of regeneration, the new birth that only God can give. Christ’s power over physical death confirms His authority over spiritual death, revealing the same truth that underlies the Doctrine of Election: salvation is not initiated by human will, but by divine mercy.