Can We Not Also Say That It Is God That Caused or Made the Unbeliever to Choose Not to Believe?
1) Direct Answer
No—not in the same way. God is not the author of unbelief or sin. Unbelief springs from man’s own fallen heart and love of darkness. Yet the Bible also shows that God judicially blinds and hardens those who refuse the truth, and He withholds saving revelation from those who are not His sheep.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- James 1:13: God “tempteth no man.” He does not create evil in the heart.
- John 3:19–20; John 5:40: Men “loved darkness rather than light… Ye will not come to me.” The refusal is theirs.
- Acts 13:46: “Ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life.”
- John 10:26: “Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep.” Those not given do not believe.
- John 12:39–40 (Isaiah 6): “Therefore they could not believe… He hath blinded their eyes.” Judicial hardening after rejecting light.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12: Because they “received not the love of the truth… God shall send them strong delusion.” Judgment fits their chosen unbelief.
- Romans 1:24–28: “God gave them up” to their own desires.
- Romans 9:18: “He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
- Acts 13:48: “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” God grants faith to His own.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- God positively grants faith to His sheep; that is grace.
- Man, left to himself, already loves darkness and will not come.
- God never forces a willing heart to reject Christ; rather, He righteously leaves some to their own choice and then seals that choice in judgment (hardening/blinding).
- So we must not say, “God made them not believe,” but rather, “God did not give them saving grace, and He judicially hardens those who reject the light.”
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, the Gospel separates: as many as are ordained to life believe, and those who spurn the light are blinded by the very light they refuse. God authors faith in His own; unbelief is man’s sin, and hardening is God’s righteous judgment.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 3:E-48
These false apostles are the grievous wolves that Paul spoke of. He said, "Once I am gone they will try to come and claim equal revelation; but their purpose is not to help you, but destroy you." Acts 20:27-32, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolv...
Pardoned
63-1028 §12
And now may the blessings of God rest upon you. And if you have your Bible, I would like to get quickly to the Word, because I know many of you work tomorrow. And I will speak to you tonight from a scripture that I want to read out of the book of Romans--Romans the 8th chapter. And we want to begin at the 28th verse and read down to 32nd verse inclusive. Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are ... called according to his purpose. For whom he did forekno...
The same Jesus tonight
55-0826 §5
Let me tell you; she must believe for the impossible now. That's what you've got to do. You've got to believe the impossible in order to have new life. Let me also say this as God's servant, 'cause I know from what I speak: the impossibles are made real, when God is taken at His Word. When any person will take that same Word, it'll bring the same results every time, every time you ask it.
The unwelcomed Christ
55-0911 §17
I said, "Well, if you want to believe, you're a believer. If you don't, then you're not a believer; that's all." And I said, "I can't explain it. There's no need of me trying it. For, if I'd try to, I would try to explain God. And who can explain God? And God has made it so that none of us can explain God. We believe God by faith, not by sight, not by knowledge; but by faith, we believe God. God has to be accepted by faith, unexplainable. You have to receive it. If it's explainable, then you don't no more have to u...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 7:E-80
This is not to suggest that there will be no more names from the tribes of Israel remaining in the Book of Life, for many of these (but not multitudes) through the principle of election will be in the Gentile church age and come into the body of Jesus Christ, showing that their names did indeed remain in the Book of Life. Also, as we will show, according to the fifth seal multitudes of martyred Jews will be given white robes and eternal life by the Lord. Also the hundred and forty-four thousand will be sealed at Hi...