If we are saved by faith. this would mean faith is a means by which we are saved is it not?
it is the work of the HS which gives us a means to repent I agree. But he gives the same means to all people. He was not just sent to convict the elect of righteousness, judgment and sin, but the whole world. The people who repent are those who humble themselves. If one does not come to humility, they will never repent. No repentnance will bring about no faith. no faith = no salvation.
It is what you chose to do wiht the conviction of the HS which will determine if you are saved or not.
There is a major problem with this line of thinking.
1. Why are wre dead? SIN
2. What then must be removed before we can be made alive? SIN or the penalty of sin (justification)
You have people regenerated before sin is removed. This is imposible. God can not deal with sin, thus intil the sin issue is removed, we will be separated from God (dead) and not be able to relate with him. The sin issue must be removed before we can ever be made alive.
Why do they have no fruit? Because they do nto have faith. why do they have no faith? because they have not repented. They are still in self. and still have rejected the true gospel. for true faith WILL SHOW true work (fruit)
That is why John said, they departed (fell away) but not because they lost salvation. they never had it, for if they had it they never would have left (fallen away)
And what separates these people from the above people? These people heard the same message. they were convicted by the same holy spirit of the same things. But unlike the former people. these people had some humility, truly repented. and truly trusted in Christ (faith) which is why you saw the change, because their sin was removed at the point of faith, and as a result they were born of the spirit (born again) and sealed by the spirit, and given the spirit to help them change.
the former people experienced non of this, because they did not have faith.
Rom 1 and eph 4 tells us why
They hid God in their heart and became darkenned because they loved sin more than God. They did not want a judgmental God. so they made their own Gods. and his the true one in their hearts. But as Romans 1 says, they will have no excuse. because they KNOW they are rightly judged. no matter how much they deny it.