Spiritual Deadness Isn’t What You Think | Michael Heiser

A question about regeneration, predestination, and the fall prompts Mike to challenge the Calvinist framework by redefining “spiritual deadness” not as an inability to think, respond, or believe, but as estrangement from God, the source of life; he argues that Calvinism overloads the metaphor of death by importing all aspects of a literal dead body (especially lack of consciousness) into theology, which leads to the conclusion that a person must be regenerated before they can even respond to the gospel, a view he sees as incoherent because human experience—including conversion testimonies—shows people consciously reflecting, feeling drawn, and making real decisions prior to belief, rather than functioning as passive, non-aware “automatons.” Instead, he maintains that people retain self-awareness and volitional capacity, allowing genuine free will in responding to the gospel without prior regeneration, while regeneration itself is better understood as being brought into God’s family and indwelt by the Holy Spirit; this preserves both human responsibility and divine initiative, with the Spirit empowering perseverance but not eliminating the ongoing need to believe, since faith is a present, continuous reality (e.g., John 3:16), and the Spirit’s presence can be resisted or forfeited through unbelief. Transitioning to Lance’s question about believers as “priest-kings” in the new creation, Mike explains that such rulership language is metaphorical and not about restraining sin (since sin is absent) or fulfilling any need in God (who lacks nothing), but about participation with God in stewardship and governance for the benefit of redeemed humanity; he suggests that varying rewards imply some form of hierarchical roles, yet without detailed descriptions, and emphasizes that these roles reflect shared participation with God rather than necessity, cautioning against speculation beyond what Scripture explicitly reveals. #jesus #gospel #christ #michaelheiser #baptism #jerusalem #satan #Babylon All rights to this material belong to their respective owners. Direct links to the original videos will always be provided when possible. This video is presented in combined format for ease of viewing and educational purposes. Channel Disclaimer: This channel is not operated by or affiliated with Dr Michael Heiser or his official platforms. Comments here do not reach Michael's team. I'm just a fan who saw a need to share his ideas in bite-sized form and make them more accessible for lay audiences here on YouTube, which I believe aligns with Dr Heiser's mission and honours his legacy. If you feel called to give back, please support the Michael S. Heiser Foundation. By joining the DRMSH Community, you are supporting the Michael S. Heiser Foundation. Your participation makes a real difference! Thank you so much, and let's keep Mike's legacy going! Join DRMSH Community here: https://community.drmsh.com/ I encourage you to visit: Dr Michael Heiser's site: http://drmsh.com/ Naked Bible Podcast: https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/