In the debate between monergists (those who believe only one power is operative in regeneration, namely God’s power alone) and synergists (those who believe more than one party is at work in regeneration, namely God and man) I believe it is fair to say that only the monergist takes the “cannots” of the Bible seriously. Though man can do a great many things, Scripture is clear as to his limitations. Just as it is impossible for man to jump to the moon or run a mile in less than a minute, so it is outside of man’s natural capabilities to do certain spiritual things.

In John chapter 3:3-5, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Jesus made it clear that unless someone is first born again, he CANNOT enter or even see the kingdom of God. The monergist affirms this. The synergist does not. Rather, the synergist embraces a scheme that has non born again people seeing and entering the kingdom in order to be born again.

In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus made it clear that no one (a universal nagative) has thew ability to come to Him unless drawn by the Father. He also affirmed that the one drawn in this way is raised up to eternal life, such is the power of this drawing. Monergists affirm this effectual drawing on the Father’s part. Synergists do not. Instead the synergist believes that someone drawn in this way can indeed be lost – that in the three stages of drawing, coming and being raised up to eternal life, many fall through the cracks.

The Apostle Paul made it clear that unregenerated man cannot submit to the law of God. In Romans 8, he wrote, “7 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. 8 Those who are in the flesh CANNOT please God.”

Once again, the monergist affirms this, the synergist does not. Nothing pleases God more than when someone submits to the command of coming to Christ. The monergist believes man is incapable of doing so unless God first changes the natural disposition of the heart by taking out the heart of stone and making it a heart of flesh. The synergist believes that unregenerate man can indeed please God by submiting to Christ while still in the flesh in his unregenerate state.

In response to this, synergists often cite Deut 30:11-14 to show that man can turn to God of his own natural capacities.

“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.”

However, as John Hendryx makes clear, “as is the case in most error, they have not carefully read the passage for context. A few verses earlier the Lord says that our hearts first need to be circumcised by God’s own hand for us to love him, which is what makes obedience possible. (Deut 30:6) – “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”” (reformation theology blog)

In writing to the Corinthians, in 1 Cor. 2, Paul wrote, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” The natural or soulish man is the man who only lives by the dictates of his soul. It speaks of man in his unregenerate condition. The phrase “he is not able to” is the equivalent of a “cannot” statement, for it reveals what man cannot do outside of the power of the Holy Spirit. Only the spiritual man can discern the things of the Spirit of God. Once again, the monergist affirms this. The synergist does not.

Passages such as 2 Cor 4:4-6 tell us that unbelievers are blind to the beauty of Christ. A blind man is not a mere short sighted man. His problem is that he CANNOT see, no matter how much light is shone in his pathway. A blind man needs more than healing if he is to see. He needs a miracle. He needs new eyes. Once again, the monergist affirms this. The synergist does not, believing that man can indeed see the full beauty and treasure of all that Jesus is, and then make a decision as to whether or not he will embrace him. Read this passage with these two views in mind:

To the Christians at Corinth, Paul wrote (in 2 Cor 4:4), “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. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Once again, monergism is affirmed.

Unregenerate man is spiritual dead. He is dead to God and the things of God. He is deaf to God’s Word, not because he does not have the capability of hearing sounds, but because he does not wish to hear it. He loves darkness rather than light and will not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed. His heart is hostile to God. He is a child of wrath. His eyes are blind. His works are evil. He finds no pleasure in righteousness and it is impossible for him to do so, except for the intervention of God.

Perhaps you read this and are shocked. In hearing about how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples of Jesus “were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matt. 19:25,26. Thank God! No one is beyond the sovereign effectual grace of our God.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Tim 3:16). Every word in the Bible is important. This includes all that is implied by the “cannots” in God’s word.