Reply to Misdirection
Rom 8:13, God choose his elect before the foundation of the world and secured their eternal salvation by the adoption of children by Christ on the cross Eph 1. Even those elect, when they are born into this world as natural beings until God quickens them to a spiritual life were in a covenant relationship with God by his choosing them before he formed the world while they are in the state of being natural beings. They are secured by the work on the cross even in a state of being but natural. Eph 1:13, They "trusted" after they heard and believed(being regenerated). Being "sealed"(confirmed that you have been regenerated), with that Holy Spirit of promise. Eph 4:30, And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. In the old testement the Holy Spirit was "UPON" them. Our faith comes as a fruit of the Spirit. You cannot pick an orange except from an orange tree, you cannot have faith unless it comes from the Spirit because it is a fruit of the Spirit.
1. Romans 8:13 says if we live by the Spirit we will live. While true, this as nothing to do with the issue. Ball one.
2. God did choose His elect before the foundation of the world, leaving aside whether He chose them corporately or individually. Strike one
3. God did not adopt His elect on the cross. He predestined His elect to adoption before the foundation of the world, again leaving aside whether He chose them corporately or individually. strike Two
4. Even no matter how garbled you make the claim, no charge can be brought against the elect, therefore individual election must occur after we have lived without mercy. Strike three.
5. Ephesians 1:13 clearly states were are put into Christ after we have believed, therefore we were not individually chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world.
6. We are regenerated, i.e. made alive, after we are put in Christ, for we are made alive together with Christ, and not when we are separated from Christ, Ephesians 2:5.
7. Yes, faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit, but our faith provides our access to the grace we stand in before we are placed in Christ. We are saved by grace through faith, not we are saved by grace and given faith.
Forest, it appears you have been sold a bill of goods rather than trained to study the bible.