The fact is that the predestination is not even dealing with salvation but with eternal security, that the believer, being seen in Christ, IS predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ (ultimate glorification).
Now the reason for this is Predestination is a preforeseen faith, which puts the believer into Christ(Eph.1:4).
This is all New Testament doctrine, not occuring in the Old Testament.
The Calvinists make Sovereignity the dominate attribute of God, ignoring all others (love, wisdom etc), when in fact, God's sovereignity is not even an attribute, but the result of His other attributes.
The dominate attributes of God's essence is Holiness which cannot be compromised, and Love, which motivates everything God does, including judgement on sin.
If salvation is determined by "foreseen" faith, how is that not a work of righteousness on the part of the sinner?
IIRC you are one of the few Arminians who actually admits that WOULD BE a work of righteousness.
However, you are then left with contradicting all of Romans 8 and 9.
Men sin every day of their lives. We cannot stop sinning, and thus, we cannot ever atone for our sins because while we may ask for forgiveness today, tomorrow we'll go right on sinning.
Fortunately for us, Christ stands between us and the perfect judgment of God. Christ shoulders our guilt and pays for our sins Himself, every one of them, today's, tomorrow's and yesterday's. So now we stand blameless before God, NOT because of our own righteousness (of which we have none), but because of CHRIST'S righteousness.
The distinction is profound and explicit.