Are sinners capable of having faith in Christ?

-Jon Irenicus

Can a sinner actually believe and trust Christ as his Lord and Savior?"

Naturally, your response to this question would be "Yes." Why in the first place would Christ command his disciples to preach the Good News to all nations if the hearers are incapable of responding to the Word of God by faith? If that's the case, then how did I became a believer when I was yet a sinner? These are the basic arguments that I used before to disprove the doctrine of Total Depravity. But I was wrong.

The Bible clearly teaches that all sinners (the unregenerate ones) are Totally Depraved and incapable of believing the Gospel. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:14,

• The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1Co 2:14 (ESV)

• For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Romans 8:6-7 (ESV)

All sinners are slaves unto sin (Rom 3:9-12). They are totally hopeless under the bondage of their sinful nature (Eph 2:1-5). All sinners are spiritually blind and deaf because they are under the power of Satan (Acts 26:17-18; Eph 4:18). It is Satan who makes them spiritually blind, so that they will never understand and receive the truth of the Gospel. As it is written,

• In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor 4:4 (ESV)

Even in Christ's earthly ministry, many of His hearers rejected His teachings. They heard Christ's words, but they did not understand (Jn 8:43). They saw His miracles, but they did not believe. Why? Because they are totally depraved! Christ explained this matter in Matthew 13:13-14,

• That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, 'When you hear what I say, you will not understand. Matthew 13:13-15 (NLT)

When Christ asked his disciples about what other people say who the Son of Man is, His disciples answered: "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets" (Mat 16:14). Obviously, these people were totally mistaken in their understanding of who Jesus Christ is. They simply don't know the truth. But when the Lord asked His disciples regarding their own understanding about the identity of the Son of Man Simon Peter replied:

• He [Jesus] said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am? Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matt 16:15-16 (AMP)

Peter said the right thing! He has the correct understanding about the true identity Jesus Christ. Then immediately, Christ answered:

• Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [d] to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven. Mat 16:17 (AMP)

Therefore, the reason why some believe and others don't lies in the fact that by man's own ability, he can never fully discern (with conviction) any spiritual truths from God unless it was revealed to him by the Father. This revelation is given only to those who are unconditionally chosen by God eversince the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4-5, 11; Phil 1:29; 2 Thes 2:13).

It is clearly taught in the Bible that all unregenerate men (the sinners to be exact) are totally unable to respond to the Good News by faith. They are spiritually dead, meaning they are totally incapable of discerning the mysteries about the Gospel of Jesus Christ ("the dead know nothing"). Therefore, if the sinner is totally unable to have faith in Christ, then God must take the initiative. Christ said in John 6:65,

• He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." Joh 6:65 (NIV)

This special enablement from God is Spiritual Regeneration (Jn 3:3). A spiritually dead person can never see and respond unless he is first resurrected from being dead (Eph 2:4; Col 1:13). The unregenerate person is a sinner whose heart is totally hardened, and unless it is replaced with another heart, he can never turn himself to God:

• Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Eph 4:18 (KJV)

• And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: Eze 11:19 (KJV)

Genuine Faith and Repentance are gifts from God (Acts 11:18, 18:27; Eph 2:8; Phil 1:29). Christ reveals himself to those whom he wills to reveal himself:

• "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Mat 11:27 (NIV)

• And he said to them in answer, To you is given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Mat 13:11 (BBE)

Conversion to the Gospel is a gift of God that leads to salvation. To the reprobates, this gift is not given but to the elected ones alone (1 Cor 1:18, 21). That's the reason why when we share the Gospel, some believe, and others do not. Christ explained why,

• "For many are invited, but few are chosen." Mat 22:14 (NIV)
  

Those whom God has chosen from eternity and has given to the Son will eventually come to Him (have faith in Him):

• All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Joh 6:37 (KJV)