The answer is quite simple really. God has chosen a people from all eternity to be the object of His love. It is not based on their merit but rather according to God's good pleasure. So, His love is not based on any intrinsic attribute of virtue or anything of the sort. He grants a new heart one that submits to His righteousness amidst the Satanic lies of self-righteousness.
Gen 3:5
"For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
See man has a presumption that they can attain righteousness by their doing. They will receive their reward for no man is righteous. No, not one.
I liked my analogy from yesterday. It's kind of (but not exactly) like we're at a poker table. There's this one character. Somehow inexplicable He communicates that He indeed has the winning hand, the Royal Flush. The channel in which this is communicated is faith. No matter how good you think your hand is. It's not going to be good enough.
The soul that sins shall die. We're not talking merely overt deeds that man knows is wrong. No, Jesus showed us that the bar is much higher than that to the intentions of our heart. So, all it takes is one fleeting "no-no" thought and you're toast. But see where the card analogy fails is there is only one righteousness that is accepted by Him and this acceptance was affirmed by the resurrection. It is only the righteousness of His Son, who was obedient even unto death on the cross.
The only way is faith in His death. We are not saved by faith, however. No, we are saved by the object thereof. Again, that is His death in which His elect are baptized. A supernatural event that I surmise is beyond the comprehension of natural man. Only God can grant that you should believe and that would reveal He has reckoned His righteousness even to you. He is both the Author and the Finisher of faith.