Calvinists have a "higher" view of mankind than Non-Calvinists

Just for the record, the underlined portion above is not my teaching, just to clarify, nor is it a valid rebuttal of anything I've taught, as again, this is not representative of my teaching.

As far as your second noted paragraph above, following Christ certainly is a call to salvation, so, those who claim to be followers who don't follow, do not prove that this call is not salvific, nor does it disprove that salvation is an instantaneous act of God in regenerating the lost. It may only mean they aren't true followers afterall.

 

saved by the grace of God, walk in faith, and need to rely upon the empowering of the HS in us to be able to live as "we ought to"

 

Following Christ begins with a call to salvation but does not stop there. It extends to the end of one's life.

Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

James teaches that if one is not a doer he is deceived. That is in agreement with the command Jesus gave in Mt. 28:19, 20 to observe all He commanded. That cannot be done with sermons only but must be done by making disciples. A Talmid was one who imitated the rabbi. That is what Jesus and Paul taught. Jesus taught people to follow Him. Paul told his followers to imitate him as he followed Christ. New believers do not know much of what is required. They simply observe and imitate others.

 

I agree with this.