J. S. Kennedy

A woman who was drowning was saved by a lifeguard, and so ended up living - though at first, she was unresponsive. When she eventually came around and was told she had been saved by the lifeguard, her response was one of gratitude and joy. It would have been absurd for someone to have instead told her, "If you say and really believe that this lifeguard saved you, then you will be saved." This absurdity would have become cruelty by then adding, "And if you don't say and believe that he saved you, he's going to have you waterboarded; and by the way, you only have a certain amount of time to say that he saved you." At this point she might reasonably ask, "How much time do I have to say this?" The absurd and cruel answer would be, "Your time's up when your time's up!" Her realizing she had been saved did not cause this woman to be saved.
The salvation she had already passively - unconsciously - received, she eventually actively received when she responded to the message that she had already been saved; and it changed her life forever. How did your new life begin?... by responding to God's message to you." (Gal. 3:2-3 MSG) It is through the faith that comes by hearing God's message to us that we realize we have already been saved by grace (Rom.
10:17, Eph. 2:8a). This faith is "the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8b KJV), and it is given "to every man" (Rom. 12:3 KJV) - each and every human! God not only wants everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth that they have already been saved (I Tim. 2:4); through that message, which everyone will eventually hear and actively respond to, whether in this lifetime or in an age to follow, He gives everyone the faith needed to come to that realization.