John 12:37-41
37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 For this reason they could NOT believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 For this reason they could NOT believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
HUH? He has blinded their minds and deadened their hearts? Who? Satan? NO!!! God did it! God blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts. GOD DID IT! And yes it was intentional. Why? Because they were not among those chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World (Ephesians 1:4). If God didn’t choose them before He created the world, He isn’t going to quicken their dead spirits, and open their eyes so they would turn to Christ and be healed! You can’t say that God blinded them because they would not believe, that would be convoluted - i.e. backwards! They COULD not believe BECAUSE God blinded them. AND this is fulfilled prophesy from Isaiah 6:10.
The Arminian may say, “Whaaaat? But that doesn’t make sense. God wants to save everyone. He is a loving God wanting no one to perish.” I’m sorry, read 2 Peter 3:9 again and get the context correct:
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any [of us] should perish, but that all [of us] should come to repentance.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any [of us] should perish, but that all [of us] should come to repentance.
The “beloved” in verse 8 turns the context 180 degrees from verses 3-7 - from talking about the lost to talking about Christians. Then that theme continues in verse 9 with the Old English “to us-ward” which in today’s English is “toward us” thereby determining the context for the pronouns “any” and “all” in the latter part of the verse. In plain English - God is patient toward us, not willing that any of us, His Elect, should perish - and what God is not willing to have happen, WILL NOT! (unless of course you don’t believe in a sovereign God)
Anyway, back to the verses above. I can hear the Arminian now, “They had a choice - in verse 37 they WOULD not believe!” But I point out that verses 38 and following explain WHY they would not believe! They would not believe because it was not revealed to them by God (38) so they COULD not believe (which trumps “would not believe”), because God blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts. And brother, if God blinds you, “you is blinded!” And you will NEVER see!
MAN IS NOT AUTONOMOUS! God just makes many THINK they are (Philippians 2:13). Don't forget, the lost also think they have a free will. It appears that after God saves some, He decides that they will continue to believe they have a free will.
It’s not by the will of the flesh (John 1:13) that we are born-again, it’s God’s will and God’s alone! We were all headed for Hell, God selected a few that WERE going to Hell, and saved them.
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