Calvinistic confusion - 2 - Mistaking separation for annihilation with regards to spiritual death

2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you aresaved! Ephesians 2

Calvinists use this passage regularly to describe the spiritual death as annihilation of the image of God which negates free will decision for Christ and which necessitates Unconditional election and irresistable  grace.

But Spiritual death according to bible does not mean the complete annihilation of the image of God. What it does mean is Separation from God. What is death anyway ? Separation of  body and Spirit. Spiritual death is separation of man from a Holy God because of man's  sin.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.Isaiah 59:2

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.James 3:9

This verse shows very clearly that we humans still bear God's image even after the fall.

All of us other than adam are born separated from God. We are born without a relationship with God. The Human nature is affected because of the separation , but it not so much that man cannot make a free will decision for Christ when presented with the Gospel. God has preserved enough of the image of God and the ability to make free will decisions that he holds us accountable for not responding to the gospel with eternal damnation.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. John 3.

This famous passage clearly states that whoever does not believe stands condemned because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. People are condemned for their choice of not believing in Jesus. They are not sent to hell because of  the Sovereign choice of God who did not elect them. In that case they would not be responsible.

We are born without a relationship with God. The Human nature is affected because of the separation , but it not so much that man cannot make a free will decision for Christ when presented with the Gospel. God has preserved enough of the image of God and the ability to make free will decisions that he holds us accountable for not responding to the gospel with eternal damnation.