"But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know the, for they are spiritually discerned." I Cor. 2:14

The Holy Spirit only convicts (convinces) a person of sin who has been born again. A person cannot believe until the see spiritually (John 3:3). Only the Spirit can use the law as a schoolmaster to bring one to Christ. The grace God that the Spirit uses on the elect is an irresistible grace, which works effectually in God's plan to saves sinners through the righteousness of Christ. The sinner who is given spiritual life is now able to willingly seek God, understand the things of God, believe God, and repent of sin. This is a process that once started, God does not stop. The Spirit does not TRY to save anyone but the Spirit effectually, irresistibly, victoriously, calls the sheep of God to meet their Shepherd by the means of the gospel of grace.

An unsaved spiritually dead sinner can only be convicted (convinced) by the law through his or her own conscience (Romans 2:14-15). The natural man is ignorant of the righteousness of God and as a result he is going about to establish a righteousness of his own (Romans 10:1-4). He has made a covenant with death. At his BEST he is altogether vanity (Psalm 39:5). He has no fear of God before his eyes. They have no ability to believe God or come to Him. They are not willing to do so either. The natural man receives not conviction, nor faith, nor repentance from the Spirit because these are spiritual gifts given to people with spiritual life. The Spirit does not convince, convict, persuade, woo, draw, or call the non-elect sinner. If there is any work of the Spirit in the non-elect that is effectual it is in the sending "them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (II Thes 2:11).