About your objection, here's the problem:
The passages you quote about belief / believing are not possible without God first raising a person to spiritual life. A believer's faith actually originates with God.
1 Peter 1:21
Who
by Him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1 Samuel 26:23
The Lord render to every man His righteousness and His faithfulness; for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed.
Romans 12:3
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Galatians 2:16 & 20
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ,
that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For
I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 3:2-5 & 22
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you,
does He it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin,
that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Ephesians 3:11-12
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence
by the faith of him.
Philippians 3:9
9 And be found in him, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Colossians 2:12
2 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Jude 3
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you,
and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 (actually defines faith as a work)
3 Remembering without ceasing
your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
2 Thessalonians 1:11
11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness,
and the work of faith with power:
While I agree with this statement, I would caution to anyone reading that an overemphasis on one's 'election' is an unhealthy pre-occupation. Pondering too much on the domain of God (which is what election is, a divine right of God's, not man's) can turn someone into a dogmatic elitist, equating himself to God, surpassing God even.
How can one "over emphasize" something that is clearly spoken of in Scripture?
How can one become a "dogmatic elitist, equating himself with God, surpassing God even" when they clearly understand this was
NONE of their doing? It seems more likely to me that one "becomes elitist, equating himself with God, surpassing God even" when he insists on having a "free will"!