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The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Yes, the FOOL says that! Please look at ALL of Psalm 14 or 53. The FOOL... Context! The wicked does no good. This is not refering to the righteous!

Paul qoutes from this Psalm, for example... For [there is] no uprightness in their (WICKED!) mouth; their inward part [is] very wickedness; their throat [is] an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. Declare them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out for the multitude of their rebellions; for they have rebelled against thee. And all those that put their trust in thee shall rejoice: they shall ever be in jubilee, for thou shalt cover them; and all that love thy name shall be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield. Psalm 5:9-11

Nowhere do the Psalms say that the righteous are fools or that they do not seek out God!!!

The righteousness of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, David, you, me, Paul, anyone, it is all the same righteousness -- the imputed righteousness of Christ upon our sinning hearts.

I find that nowhere in Scriptures. Please point out where the righteous of the OT or even those of Jesus' youth were imputed righteousness of Christ. That is, again, theology that twists the Scripture to say something that is plainly not there.

You must think Lazarus was just sleeping and not four days putrified until Christ caused him to live again. Christ went so far as to say He was "glad" He had waited so long to visit Lazarus that he had died in order to prove to His disciples that He was their only salvation.

You are confused, I think. Christ brought Lazarus from the dead, but there is no mention of being born "from above" or "from water and Spirit". Lazarus was healed of his "affliction", but this doesn't mean he was eternally saved. Lazarus was not "born again". He was raised from the dead.

Baptism and the sinner's prayer have nothing to do with God predestining salvation on whomever He chooses, ordained by Him from before the foundation of the world.

Baptism is the visible means by which it is made known to us that we are "born from above". How on earth would you know you are "saved" otherwise? God works through visible means. That is what people do who love. They SHOW their love for the other. Since God's graces are invisible, He works through the material world - isn't that clear enough in the Gospels?

Of course? Then how can you change it (our elect status)?

Who said anything about changing anything with God. The problem is that you continue to ignore this one fact - YOU DON'T KNOW YOU ARE OF THE ELECT. Simple as that. God knows, you don't. You can wish all you want, but quite frankly, if you honor God's sovereignty, you must admit that we, even Paul, don't know this ultimate status between us and God until the day of our judgment.

many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

We who receive Baptism have all been "ordained" to eternal life, IN OUR EYES. IF we continue in Christ Jesus, our salvation will be complete. However, if we fall away, we will lose our salvation. Some of the writers of Scripture are assuming that people will continue in Christ and not fall away - what they OUGHT to do, but this doesn't take into account the reality that people DO fall away, as Scripture mentions elsewhere.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" -- Titus 3:4-5

Yes, a good baptism verse.

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Catholics don't believe in salvation by works, but by grace. Grace is a free gift from God, both seen in our faith and our works of love. Nothing we do can earn salvation. We agree with Paul - no one can earn salvation. But it doesn't follow that we don't have to DO anything - consider 1 Cor 13:3. "...and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." This agrees with James 2, which says we must add love to our faith. Otherwise, our faith is "nothing". If you say that faith saves, I say faith without love doesn't save - it is nothing.

But now we are off topic. Can you show me in the Gospels ANYWHERE about Jesus teaching imputed justification to the Apostles? Perhaps you should look to Matthew 5:20 "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of the heavens". Please note, Jesus didn't say "MY righteousness", but "YOUR righteousness". Matthew then goes on for over TWO FULL CHAPTERS explaining how WE can be righteous and exceed the Pharisees' righteousness! We understand, then, that Christ abides within us, enabling us to achieve this righteousness within us. But nowhere are we "covered" and are no longer responsible for becoming more holy.

Regards