Faith does precede life, regeneration , salvation but its not Gods faith, its the faith that man places in Christ to save them.
See below from Jesus own teaching. After-all He is the Savior in whom salvific faith is placed in right ? He should know.
Jesus never once taught that faith was given , granted or a gift .He said " YOUR FAITH " has saved and healed you. Not the faith I gave you healed you.
Luke 7:50
And he said to the woman,
Thy faith ( not the faith I have given you )
hath saved thee; go in peace.
Luke 8:48
"Daughter," said Jesus, "
your faith (not the faith I have given you )
has healed you. Go in peace."
Luke 17:19
Then Jesus said to him, "Rise and go;
your faith( not the faith I have given you )
has made you well!"
Luke 18:42
"Receive your sight!" Jesus replied. "
Your faith(not the faith I have give you )
has healed you."
Matthew 8:10
When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, "Truly I tell you,
I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Matthew 8:13
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! As
you have believed, so will it be done for you." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
Matthew 9:2
Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw
their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.
Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take courage, daughter," He said, "
your faith has healed you." And the woman was cured from that very hour.
Matthew 9:29
Then He touched their eyes and said, "According to
your faith will it be done to you."
Matthew 15:28
"O woman," Jesus answered, "
your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Mark 5:34
"Daughter," said Jesus, "
your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction."
Mark 10:52
"Go," said Jesus, "
your faith has healed you." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
John 4:53
So the father knew that
it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and
himself believed, and his whole house.
Gods universal love below :
See Barnes the calvinist below :
The world - All mankind. It does not mean any particular part of the world, but man as man - the race that had rebelled and that deserved to die. See
John 6:33;
John 17:21. His love for the world, or
for all mankind, in giving his Son, was shown by these circumstances:
1. All the world was in ruin, and exposed to the wrath of God.
2. All people were in a hopeless condition.
3. God gave his Son. Man had no claim on him; it was a gift - an undeserved gift.
4. He gave him up to extreme sufferings, even the bitter pains of death on the cross.
5.
It was for all the world. He tasted "death for every man,"
Hebrews 2:9.
He "died for all,"
2 Corinthians 5:15. "
He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world," 1 John 2:2.
That he gave - It was a free and unmerited gift. Man had no claim: and when there was no eye to pity or arm to save, it pleased God to give his Son into the hands of men to die in their stead,
Galatians 1:4;
Romans 8:32;
Luke 22:19. It was the mere movement of love; the expression of eternal compassion, and of a desire,
that sinners should not perish forever.
See Calvin on John 3:16
For God so loved the world. Christ opens up the first cause, and, as it were, the source of our salvation, and he does so, that no doubt may remain; for our minds cannot find calm repose, until we arrive at the unmerited love of God. As the whole matter of our salvation must not be sought any where else than in Christ, so we must see whence Christ came to us, and why he was offered to be our Savior. Both points are distinctly stated to us: namely, that faith in Christ brings life to all, and that Christ brought life,
because the Heavenly Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish.
