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The concept of a “wider context” argues against your view. Consider the wider context to include then the entire message of the letter to the Romans. Clearly, Romans 9 (the follow on of chap. 8) underscores that there is no human input into the decision God makes regarding whom He will rescue. I reproduce much of that argument here...

11 “...for though the twins were not yet born (Jacob & Esau) and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose ACCORDING TO HIS CHOICE WOULD STAND, not because of works but BECAUSE OF HIM WHO CALLS, it was said to her, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’ What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ SO THEN IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE MAN WHO WILLS (chooses) OR THE MAN WHO RUNS (behaves), BUT ON GOD WHO HAS MERCY...

16 You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?’ On the contrary, who are you O man who answers back to God?...”

The wider context is arguing that God alone is deciding the fate of men, not the men themselves. The order of choosing to trust Christ is critical here. You argue that God bases His rescue on your response. We argue that you respond because of His rescue. Notice, the order of these events is very important to both sides of this issue. Your view has got to have the man act first (following the common grace bestowed on all mankind). We have got to have God acting first, because we contend that is what the Scriptures state.

And, yet we notice that you continue to say, “Yes, but they also responded to grace, in that case, to Paul’s and Barnabas’s preaching (Acts 13:42ff).” Of course they responded to grace BECAUSE THEY WERE APPOINTED TO ETERNAL LIFE. The appointment occurred first, then the response occurred. That is what the text teaches. “...and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” Notice, it does not say, “They responded and were then appointed to eternal life.” That is what makes the report of Luke so very powerful and central to the point he was trying to make. The Gospel is not about men coming around, but God reaching out to rescue the unlovely. Then the men begin to come around to trust, obey and respond to grace.

But, you continue to argue that the issues of the order of acting make little difference. Then you contend that the response of man HAS TO OCCUR FIRST. Can you see this happening?

The paradigm of salvation is the raising of Lazarus. He is dead three days, beginning to stink from the rotting flesh. The crowd is angry that Jesus waited so long. He could have come earlier and maybe something could have been done. But, now...it is hopeless. Really? Jesus simply walks in to the smelly toe-tag dead corpse and orders Lazarus to rise. The dead man gets up and comes out of the tomb. This is analagous to salvation. Now, do you contend that the “free will” of Lazarus saying, “Okay, let me think about this and if I personally choose to respond, I will come back to life and get up.”?

Neither the wider context contradicts what I said: chapter 9 does not say that nothing in divine election of Jacob depended on the actions of Jacob -- who after all acted quite a bit on his own behalf to earn his election, at least, from his father. I, on the other hand, never denied that God plays a fundamental role in supplying the grace and leading the elect to their glory.

Another part of the wider context is then the first passages of Roman 2, where St. Paul teaches the role of works presumably undertaken freely, in our justification. In a condensed reprise of Matthew 25, he says:

[God] will render to every man according to his works. 7 To them indeed, who according to patience in good work, seek glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life: 8 But to them that are contentious, and who obey not the truth, but give credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation. 9 Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek. 10 But glory, and honour, and peace to every one that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 2)

In the raising of Lazarus Mary and Martha interceded, Apostle Thomas volunteered his own life to persuade Jesus to come to Bethany, and of course Lazarus had earned somehow Jesus's friendship, -- we just don't know the details. It is indeed another example when God in the person of Jesus allowed a period of time for people to act without His divine intervention, and even, it seems, contrary to His expressed wishes.