There is a kind of faith that is a gift from God---but this kind is given to
some Christians and not to
other Christians (1Cor12:9). There is a measure of faith God gives to each man (but this may fall under the "Semitic view", which ascribes things to God which are not necessarily His {for instance, Pharaoh's hardening---Exodus 9:34-35 clearly says "Pharaoh hardened his OWN heart", and the next verse 10:1 ascribes it to GOD...})---Rom12:3).
But the faith that is called, "
faith-unto-salvation"---is this from MAN, or is it unilateral from GOD?
Louis quoted:
A gift from God that none should boast
...this would seem to be from Ephesians 2:8:
"For by grace have you been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works lest anyone boast.
Let's try this verse two ways, first YOUR way:
"For by grace through faith have you been saved, and FAITH is not of yourselves, FAITH is the gift of God, FAITH is not as a result of works lest anyone boast.
Now let's read it another way:
"For by grace through faith have you been saved, and THAT SALVATION (by grace through faith) is not of yourselves, THAT SALVATION is the gift of God, THAT SALVATION is not as a result of works lest anyone boast."
Can "FAITH" be elevated to a second subject? Not honestly. Besides, in the Greek, "That" is neutral gender, "FAITH" is
not---for Paul to have really
meant "FAITH IS NOT OF YOURSELVES", he would have matched genders. It is clear that there is only ONE subject and FIVE MODIFIERS:
Subject: "That Salvation"
Modifiers:
1. By grace
2. Through faith
3. Not of yourselves
4. Gift of God
5. Not as a result of works lest anyone boast
Paul also wrote Romans, which in chapter 10 says, "Faith
comes from HEARING"---either faith is a GIFT from GOD,
OR it comes from hearing---
it must be one or the other, it cannot be a UNILATERAL GIFT, and come from hearing.
They are described as men that can't stop sinning. (1Pet2)
I agree with you that the FALSE PROPHETS/TEACHERS cannot stop sinning. Here is your problem---those FALSE ones are "stains and blemishes, followers of unrighteousness, NEVER cease from sin and slaves to corruption". In verses 14 and 18, the
false entice the
true. In verse 19 the
false promise the
true freedom, while they the
false are slaves of corruption. Yet in verse 20, you ("PE" proponents) firmly contend that
the NEVER-CEASE-FROM-SIN-FALSE, nevertheless DO escape the defilements through the TRUE KNOWLEDGE of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Why is it that even though, Scripturally, the FALSE entice the TRUE, why is it that you are willing to believe that the FALSE DEGENERATES who never CEASE from sin,
DO cease from sin? Can you not see a bold
contradiction of theology? The false ones, those dedicated to unrighteousness,
according to you ESCAPE the defilements through the epignosis-saved-true-knowledge of the LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ! How's that? The
"unreasoning animals born to be KILLED, accursed children HAVE THE EPIGNOSIS-KNOWLEDGE-of-the-LORD-and-SAVIOR-JESUS-CHRIST???"
Do you know what "epignosis" MEANS?
How about, "epiginosko"? As in, "Far better to have never KNOWN (epiginosko) the way of righteousness (these same who follow balaam and UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, you think they KNEW THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS???), than having KNOWN it, to epistrepho-ek-turn-away-from the holy commandment."
Turn away? According to you, they were never IN it, how can they turn away?
To believe the FALSE ONES ever ESCAPED, through true knowledge of Lord & Savior Jesus, creates unmistakable contradictions. Why not simply read verses 18-21,
together? "The FALSE seek to entice the TRUE; for if after ESCAPING the defilements through the TRUE KNOWLEDGE of the LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome, the LAST state is worse than the FIRST (worse than before they were saved). Far better to have never KNOWN the way of righteousness, than having KNOWN it, to have turned away from the holy commandment.
If you persist in believing the FALSE are the ones ESCAPED (even though the EXACT SAME WORDS for "escaped, true-knowledge, Lord&Savior Jesus" are
unquestionably referring to SAVED in chapter1), then you have contradiction.
If you consider that the "dogs & sows", were
for a time SHEEP, but were again entangled in worldly defilements and overcome, and then became dogs & sows again (because of the vomit & mire in which they dwelt), then there is no contradiction.
...but, you would, of course, hafta consider that "predestined-election" is NOT what the Bible teaches.
Which shall we believe, Scripture, or
doctrines-of-men?
They are the ones that hear the message, get excited about it (emotionally) and then don't follow through making empty promises to God, who knows their heart, and false confessions.
OK, where is this occurance in Scripture?
Again, once saved, always saved. 
