I don't believe it is off topic to ask, or address this, your stance if I understand you says some are born destined to be elect, others it is a requirement of obedience, and this is where I don't see the logic...
If some are predestined, and some are not, and this is a decision that could only be made by God, then if this were true, what do we do with this verse:
Acts 10:34 (KJV)
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
We can talk about it, I just want to make sure we are weaving whatever we talk about into the OP. Luckily the OP is ambiguously stated, because when we talk about faith and obedience, we are sort of drawing a line between what mankind is capable of and what he is not.
So that we are clear, I will say that mankind is not capable of having faith of his own. He is not born with it, does not desire it, know it, have it, muster it....or whatever on his own. It is a pure gift of God to those whom God chooses to receive it.
The good news is that no one has to understand this. It's not required in any way, but it is puzzling and presents a huge problem in our minds, especially when we try to apply it to scripture. Not because scripture does not agree with it, but because it does. Is it true? that God would choose some and not others? I say it is. Many say it is not. Those who say it is not have several reasons and motivating factors for saying that. Some say it does not seem fair that God would do this. To that I say it is just. God is about Justice, and to be fair he should not save anyone. Just end the bible after Gen 3 and we're done. Banished from the garden to death. But, that's not the whole story is it?
Some say a loving God would not just choose some. But I say a Loving God would choose just one. He does not just choose some, he chooses many. Some, many, what is that to anyone saved? It's nothing to anyone not saved.
Some will say that he wants all to be saved. We'll he does, but all are not saved are they?
So lets tackle that verse and see how it fits to predestination, or disproves it.
I like the NIV BTW. "I Like the way it talks um-hum."
New International Version (NIV)
Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism. .....
and we'll add the next line for good measure..... 35 but accepts from every nation
the one who fears him and does what is right.
This is not saying that God shows favoritism in whom he chooses. That's what it is saying, and because of that it says this to qualify the next line, which some read as a qualification for whom God chooses even after Peter says he does not show favoritism.
Let's rewrite this the way many people read it.
God does not show favoritism. anyone who does right and fears him he accepts regardless of who they are....as long as they fear him and do right. What's wrong with that statement? It's a negative statement. That's like Henry Ford saying you can get any color model T you want, as long as it's black.
I agree with Peter, because If I have faith God will give it to anyone. If he will save me he can save anyone.
So ask this question, do you deserve salvation? Have you done anything special for it? If you say you have then you can't really say that God does not show favoritism since you'd be saying you did something then you where saved. But, if you say you don't deserve salvation and you did not do anything special for it, then Peter is right. He does not show favoritism, but Love, mercy and forgiveness.
To repent, means to know you are a sinner. otherwise you've nothing to repent. But, to know you are a sinner is to have faith first because you have to have something to compare your sin to first.
