The 'call' to be raised from the dead is Universal, since all will be raised from the dead, either to spend eternity with God or to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. However, it happens at various stages. In fact, you had some dead being raised right after the Crucifixion (Mat.27:52-53)!
Since you are trying to make an analogy out of a dead man rising from the dead, all dead will arise so what does that prove? Also, Lazarus died again physically, can you die again spiritually?(shades of Arminanism!) Also, Lararus was called directly by name because Christ loved him(Jn.11:36) and his sisters, and Lazarus (and the sisters) had responded to that love.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, Believest thou this?...Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that , if thou wouldest believe,(what? God wasn't giving them the faith?) thou shouldest see the glory of God?(Jn.11:26,40) Sounds like God was glorifed by the faith shown by the sisters who believed that Christ could raise the dead!Finally, Do the 'dead' cease to think and feel?(Lk.16)
It is from their false concept of man's depraved nature that the Calvinists attempt to bolster their doctrine of Total Depravity. There are three analogies that are used to do this:dead men, babies, and creatures...By comparing an unregenerate sinner to a dead man, a baby and a creature, Calvinists attempt to prove that man has the ability to repent and believe the Gospel. But as we shall presently see, each of these analogies is disparged by no less a Calvinist than Aruther W. Pink. The first is very important to the Calvinist since it actually mentions the fact of man's spiritual death...all Calvinists, without fail, make analogy between their doctrine of Total Depravity and physically dead men n general, or in an attempt to get scriptural, to Lazarus in particular...Pink expressly discounted this analogy that his fellow Calvinists are so fond of:'instead of attempting to draw analogies between spiritual and physical death and deriving inferences from them, we must stick very closely to the Scriptures and regulate all our thoughts by them...another reason these analogies all break down when viewed as an exact parallel to the salvation of a sinner is the matter of responsibility...if you make an exact parallel between a physically dead man and a spiritually dead dead man and say that neither one can believe on Jesus Christ, then you likewise have to say that neither one cannot not believe, If a dead man can't accept Christ because he is dead then he can't reject him either. A dead man cannot believe on Jesus Christ, but a dead sinner can(The Other Side of Calvinism, Vance,p.220-223)
The call is specific FTD..in this case it was specific to Lazarus . At the end of time it will be a general call, a call to reward and punishment. One does not exclude the other. As you pointed out the graves were opened when Jesus died..but not all the graves of all men. Just those that were called forth.
Isaiah 49:1
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
another reason these analogies all break down when viewed as an exact parallel to the salvation of a sinner is the matter of responsibility...if you make an exact parallel between a physically dead man and a spiritually dead dead man and say that neither one can believe on Jesus Christ, then you likewise have to say that neither one cannot not believe, If a dead man can't accept Christ because he is dead then he can't reject him either. A dead man cannot believe on Jesus Christ, but a dead sinner can(The Other Side of Calvinism, Vance,p.220-223)
This is foolish double talk Ftd...Man is dead because Adam rejected God..the spiritual death is a "gift" from Adam to us. We inherited physical death (a sure thing) and spiritual death (also a sure thing).
The author makes the point well. A spiritually dead man does not even consider believing on Christ. It is not a matter of acceptance ot rejection is is a matter of desires. Unregenerate man does not seek after God, so rejection is not an issue.
Ftd you can not desire what you do not understand, or what you can not see
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Sister, you are right! Vance doesn't even define our position accurately to begin with and I wonder if Vance even understood that he is making our point for us. Of course a dead man cannot believe on Jesus Christ. Of course a dead sinner can believe on Christ as well. LOL!
FTD, when you are able to articulare our position on Total Depravity [and Irresistible Grace], you will understand how this doesn't do anything to overthrow our position.