24 Scriptures on Inability to Turn to God (ESV)

1. Romans 8:7

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.

2. Romans 9:16

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

3. Ephesians 2:1, 5

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

5 even when we were dead in our trespasses...

4. Colossians 2:13

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses

5. 1 Corinthians 2:14

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.

6. Matthew 7:18

A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

7. Luke 6:43

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,

8. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 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.

9. John 3:20

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

10. Matthew 11:27

no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

11. John 3:27

John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”

12. John 14:16-17

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

13. John 1:12-13

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14. John 4:44, 65

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

15. Deuteronomy 29:4

But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.

16. Matthew 12:34-35

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

17. Jeremiah 13:23

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.

18. 1 Samuel 24:13

As the proverb of the ancients says, "Out of the wicked comes wickedness."

19. Colossians 1:21

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds

20. Psalm 10:4

In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

21. Isaiah 65:1

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

22. Isaiah 64:7

There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

23. Romans 3:11

no one understands; no one seeks for God.

24. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 22-24

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God... 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.