“Actually, it teaches we are born again, then we respond in faith. Grace proceeds faith.”
Not what scripture says.
“...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
There is no scripture saying life is given before we respond in faith. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...”
It doesn’t say we are given life so we can believe, but that by believing we may have life.
Grace precedes faith because we would have nothing to respond to if God hadn’t reached out to us. His grace, and his plan of salvation makes life possible, but we receive a new life by believing. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life...”, not, “Whoever I give eternal life to will believe....”
This is an explicit teaching found in scripture. Faith is the word that describes what we have when we believe the promises of God.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all
John 6:63: This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.
1 Cor 2:12, 14 no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, THAT WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND the things freely given us by God...The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.