God called you and when you responded then He chose you. I think it is as simple as that. I experienced God's love before I was actually saved, that is how He won me over, with His love. I was not quite 14 at the time and had never read the bible. After asking God what He wanted me to do, I was engulfed in intense love and heard a voice speak to my mind(bypassing my physical ears), the first thing He said to me was, you must accept My Son as your Savior. God actually talked to me at my salvation experience, He went on to explain that Heaven and Hell were real and that if I committed my life to God then I would become His child and when I died in this life I would go to be with Him. He also explained that in my present condition I was headed for hell. Later, after I had came forward and accepted Jesus as Savior, the next morning I was shocked to hear the voice speaking out of my lower chest area and saying over and over, you are My child and I love you. During those times I would experience fountains of love springing up from within, at just the mention of Jesus. So yes, to most of your questions, and add to that 54 years of daily study of the bible. What I have learned is, above all else, God expects us to be truthful, if we are in the truth of God then the love will be there.