In responding to the Arminian charge that the phrase "you always resist the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51) implies that the Spirit’s work is resistible by all people, it’s crucial to consider the context and nature of those who are being described. The full verse states: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.”
First, notice that Stephen addresses his audience as "uncircumcised in heart and ears." This phrase implies a state of spiritual deadness and rebellion—one that is consistently associated with unregenerate people throughout Scripture. In Reformed theology, this uncircumcised heart represents a hardened, unresponsive disposition that characterizes the unregenerate. Paul also describes this spiritual condition in Romans 8:7-8, where he explains that "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot." Those who are uncircumcised in heart lack the capacity to respond positively to God because their wills are enslaved to sin (Ephesians 2:1-3).
When Stephen accuses his audience of resisting the Spirit, he is speaking to unregenerate people whose hearts have not been softened or made receptive by God’s grace. This resistance is the default response of fallen humanity when confronted with God’s demands. The passage does not imply that the Holy Spirit is resistible by everyone, including the regenerate. Rather, it describes the natural response of unregenerate people to the Spirit’s general call—such as through the proclamation of God’s Word.In 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, Paul distinguishes between this general call, and the internal effectual call: He declares, "...we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
In the Bible there is a clear distinction between the general or external call of the Spirit, which can be and often is resisted by those who are spiritually dead, and the effectual call of the Spirit, which overcomes resistance in the elect. In John 6:37, Jesus explains that "All that the Father gives me will come to me." This “giving” is not merely a gentle persuasion but an effectual act that brings the chosen individual to faith. Thus, while unregenerate people resist the Spirit's general call due to their hardened hearts, God’s effectual call in the lives of His elect will never fail to bring about salvation.
Therefore, Acts 7:51 reflects the condition of unregenerate people who, because of their “uncircumcised hearts,” persistently resist God. This verse does not imply that the Spirit’s regenerating work is resistible; rather, it highlights humanity’s natural resistance to God when left in a state of spiritual death. When God intends to save, His Spirit effectually regenerates the heart, making it willing and able to respond to Him in faith (Ezekiel 36:26-27).