Part 1 – The Scriptures
Hebrews 12:2 - Jesus is the author (originator) and finisher (completer) of faith. Translation: You Have Nothing To Do With It
(Sidenote: Much of the so-called "faith" we witness in our religious leaders was not authored by Jesus, it's a product of human nature under the law, for the purpose of serving ourselves, not God.)
Romans 10:17 - So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (spoken) word of Christ.
What comes? Faith, or the option to accept or reject faith? (They're not the same thing.) To say faith comes, then we must choose to believe is non-sensical.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 - And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
A demonstration of the power of God persuaded them. When the power of God is the source of persuasion, people don't remain unpersuaded. (Note: The Greek word translated faith means persuasion or persuaded. God is cause (persuasion), we are effect (persuaded.)
Philippians 1:29 - For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake.
Belief in Him (faith) granted by God, contradicts, "you must choose to believe."
If you stubbornly interpret this to mean we must choose this "granted faith," then you must apply the same "logic" to the second half of the verse, which no one has ever done, because no one in their right mind believes suffering is a choice. The text plainly states God granted them belief and suffering. Now, we all know the idea we must choose suffering before we can receive it is ridiculous, and equally so is the notion we're required to choose faith before we receive it.
When God grants faith, you have faith; there's no "you must choose to receive it" step.
2 Peter 1:1 - To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of God our Savior Jesus Christ.
The word translated obtained in Greek is lagchano, and means 'obtain by casting lots.' Reflect on that for a second. Receiving faith through excercising "free-will choice," and receiving it by casting lots are opposites. Both can't be true. Why do people cast lots? They do so to determine who gets what. Once the lot has been cast in a person’s favor, do they then "choose to believe" the lot was cast in their favor? Of course not. That makes no sense. Casting lots, by definition, excludes human causality (choice) in the process and the outcome, which is precisely why Peter used the word lagchano to define how faith comes. God is once again making it clear that You Had Nothing To Do With It.
In close to thirty years of directly engaging Christian culture, I don't recall ever hearing about casting lots, yet the use is widespread in the NT. The words inherit, inheritance and heir (used approximately 40 times in the NT) imply we receive Gods inheritance by casting lots. Do I think God cast lots to decide who inherits eternal life? No. My take is God used this language intentionally to demonstrate we play no causal role in receiving from Him, and in this context, there is no causal role in receiving faith from Him; we're not responsible for choosing it.
Perhaps no one teaches about casting lots, even though it’s use is prominent in the NT, because it contradicts the core Christian belief (which ironically is not in the NT) that we must use "free-will" to choose repentance, faith, and obedience going forward. If salvation and blessing depend on our choices and behavior, we need Christian and Catholic leaders to clarify and establish acceptable choices and behavior. We need them to inform us of what we can and can't do, what we should and shouldn't do, and most of all, what we MUST do. (Eg. Be baptized a certain way, pray a certain way, repent a certain way, confess a certain way, live your life a certain way, etc.) When salvation and blessing depend on what we believe and do two things happen: 1 - We become divided, and 2 - We teach and preach idolatry through exalting the "religious elite" and relying on them to lead us.
Thankfully, salvation and blessing DON'T depend on what we believe and do, they depend on what He's already done for everyone in Christ and Him making this known to us. Upon hearing the truth from God, faith comes; it's not the other way around...You Have Nothing to Do With It.
Acts 3:16 - And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith that comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness (healing) in the presence of you all.
This man had faith in the name of Jesus, and the faith came through Jesus. Jesus authored the faith.
John 6:28-29 - Then they said to Him, "what must we do to work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
According to Jesus, our faith is the work of God.
God is cause, your experience of faith is effect.