I believe that Pilgrim was spot on with his first response in this thread: That the objection to predestination is much more about the doctrine of total depravity than of election.

A dead person cannot "hear" nor "open the door" nor "call 9-1-1." Another must revive him first, enabling him to hear and respond with repentance and faith.

But we simply don't want to believe that the natural man is dead in sin, a slave to sin, and helpless to anything about it. He must first be raised, freed, and enabled. Then he will inevitably hear the inward call, choose to follow a new Master, and able to obey with faith provided by his new Master.

The truth about the nature of unregenerate Man is so ugly that we don't want to accept it - let alone actually include this information in our witnessing. How offensive to tell someone that he or she is rotten to the core and captive to corruption! Nobody wants to hear that. And certainly no self-respecting, upstanding citizen is going to stand for that - let alone accept and embrace it. What do we expect people to do when they hear such a horrific evaluation of their desperate condition? Actually agree with it? Ha! It would take a miracle.

Exactly right. That miracle we call Regeneration, or the New Birth. Without it, the gospel is foolishness.