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“On the other hand, if faith is something we generate as Mr. Rogers stated, then what is the point of CynicalBear’s Romans 12:3 verse?”

“God has given each believer some faith by which to serve him. By his involved word play on various forms of the verb phroneo, “to think”, Paul emphasizes human pride is wrong partly because all natural abilities and spiritual gifts are from God. As a result every Christian should have a proper sense of humility and an awareness of his need to be involved with other members of Christ’s body.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, pg 488.

Let me repeat the section in question, which HarleyD & CynicalBear think limits “whosoever” to ‘those on my list of names to save’:

3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

I say the “measure of faith that God has assigned” is the gift (or gifts) that God has given us individually to function in the One Faith, One Body. Why? Well, maybe because the next sentence is:

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

And the next one after that starts:

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them...”

There is One Faith, and we each have a measure of it, given us by God. There is One Body, and we each are members serving one another under Christ, the Head.

This passage closely parallels Ephesians 4:

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”

9( In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. - Ephesians 4

Who can receive eternal life? Whosoever believes. There is only one qualification - or work, if you want to imitate the Jews of John 6 - and that is “believe in him whom he has sent”.

Once you believe, you become part of the body of Christ, and God will assign you a “measure of faith” - a portion of it - to use in building the Body of Christ.

I don’t know how anyone can look at that passage and conclude that God gives faith to some men to be saved, and denies it to others. Particularly not when scripture is excruciatingly clear that faith is something we posses, something from us. When Jesus said he had never found faith like the Centurion’s before, why was he surprised, if faith came from Him before the Centurion could have it.

If faith is given by God, then why was Jesus amazed at the unbelief of his home town? After all, unbelief is merely what exists when Jesus doesn’t first give it - so why was he amazed to find he hadn’t given them faith?

Goodness, even John Calvin admits faith is something found in us, or not, and that it doesn’t describe something God first gives us: “Those who infer from this passage that faith is the gift of God are mistaken; for Christ does not now show what God produces in us, but what he wishes and requires from us.” (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom34.xii.iv.html)