What a special word.... "distinctives." What does that mean, exactly? Does it "distinguish" between the elect and non-elect? Does having the wrong "distinctive" even matter, in terms of who and who is not "elect?" You behave as if it does ... which contradicts what you say about election.
Since you apparently consider yourself among the "elect," your "distinctives" are pretty much the same as what the Pharisee said in Jesus' parable.
Sorry, but it’s the free-willer who stands there and says “I am smarter than the unbeliever because I “choose” Christ.”
That's "running dog lackey free-willer" to you, FRiend. Do you have any more perjoratives to add?
Nope.
Have a nice life.
Can we please clarify one point before this goes any further?
The Reformed Christian believes he is numbered among the elect only by inference. We do not claim to have objective knowledge of our own election, let alone anyone else's. Such knowledge is purely subjective based upon the following simple logical process:
Premise 1: I know I am saved Premise 2: All who are saved are numbered among the elect Conclusion: Therefore, I know I am numbered among the elect
It would be every bit as fitting for you as a non-Calvinist to believe you too are numbered among the elect (assuming of course that you do believe God efficaciously preserves His adopted children in their faith unto full and final salvation). Such conclusion is by no means exclusive to Calvinists.
I just want to clear that up because I've seen it all to often used in an insulting manner towards the Reformed, and comparing it to the perspective of the Pharisees is simply not accurate. They made their claims based on the objective fact of their biological lineage, whereas we hold our view based on a logical conclusion drawn from the subjective evidence of our own salvation.
We are admonished in Scripture to seek such subjective assurance of our salvation and election. It makes little sense to ridicule those who do so :)