John 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Did Lazarus raise himself from the dead?

Many holding to free will gospels would quickly respond, "No, of course not. He was dead. Jesus had to do the work of raising him. Lazarus couldn't do anything to resurrect himself."

Those in free will gospels give a wise answer to the question. They know that the physically dead cannot raise themselves. Only Jesus can raise the dead.

And yet, the very same people, when faced with the fact of man's spiritual deadness, believe that the one spiritually dead may contribute something (must contribute something) in order to be raised up in their soul existence.

Ezekiel 18:4b ...the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

You say a man must believe to be saved, but how can a spiritually dead man do anything to raise up himself?

Did Lazarus first have to believe before Jesus raised him from the dead?

No. You know that could not possibly have been the case. You know this because you understand that the dead cannot believe anything. You recognize that the dead have no ability to reason, or to exercise their will, because their reason and will is dead.

You are wise in matters of the physically dead, yet fools when it comes to the spiritually dead.

The spiritually dead cannot exercise their will because they are, in fact, spiritually dead.

‍