According to the doctrine of Unconditional Election, both the faith to believe and the salvation the elect receive are imposed upon them by God's sovereignty, overriding entirely their alleged human incapacity to choose and their depraved will's rejection of the gospel. The Calvinist objects to the phrase "imposed upon them" and insists that God simply removed from the elect their natural resistance to the gospel.

Any removal, however, of the alleged natural rejection would have to change a rebellious sinner's desire. On the contrary, no one can be made either to love or to accept a gift, much less change his mind without the willingness to do so. That willingness must come from the heart; it can't be created out of thin air, because no one can be forced to change their mind. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is..." (Heb. 11.6). Jesus said, "According to your faith be it unto you" (Matt. 9.29). The expression "your faith" is found twenty-four times: "your faith is spoken of..." (Rom. 1.8); "if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain..." (1 Cor. 15.17), etc. "Thy faith" is found eleven times: "thy faith hath made thee whole..." (Mark 5.34: Luke 8.48); "the communication of thy faith..." (Philem. 6), etc. "His faith" is found twice: "his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4.5), etc., and "their faith" three times: "Jesus saw their faith" (Mark 2.5), etc. These are odd expressions if no one can have faith unless God sovereignly regenerates him-then give him a faith that is not his own but totally of God.

Scripture repeatedly depicts God as appealing to man's reason, conscience, and will in order to persuade him to repent and believe. The entire story of God's dealing with man-past, present, and future, as revealed in Scripture-is a meaningless charade if Unconditional Election is true. And so it is with all of TULIP.