If I Am Predestinated, Why Must I Still Strive?
1) Direct Answer
Yes, you must strive. Predestination is not a license to drift; it is God’s purpose that you be holy, overcome, and walk in obedience. The very proof of predestination is that you press on.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says we were “chosen…that we should be holy” (Ephesians 1:4) and “predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). That calls for a life, not laziness.
- “Make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). If election were a reason to coast, the Scripture would not tell you to confirm it by diligence.
- “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you” (Philippians 2:12-13). His work in you makes you work it out.
- Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The predestinated sheep are marked by following.
- “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Luke 13:24). The narrow way is not careless—it’s earnest.
- “Follow peace… and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
- Grace “teaches us… to deny ungodliness” and to live soberly and godly (Titus 2:11-12).
- “Shall we continue in sin…? God forbid” (Romans 6:1-2). Real grace never excuses sin.
- The overcomer promises are to those who overcome, not to the indifferent (Revelation 2–3).
- The Bride is shown as those who came through and overcame—washed, faithful, serving, reigning (Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 20:4). That is a life of victory, not apathy.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Predestination sets the end, and God also ordains the means to that end. He ordained repentance, faith, obedience, holiness, prayer, suffering, correction, and perseverance as the pathway of the elect. The same God who wrote your name also writes your walk.
- You don’t strive to become the elect; you strive because the elect Seed is in you. Life presses. A lamb nature follows the Shepherd; a holy calling produces a holy living.
- If someone says, “If I’m predestinated, I can live as I please,” ask: Where is the fear of God? Where is the chastening that God gives sons? (Hebrews 12:6-8). Where is the following of the Voice? (John 10:27). The foundation of God stands sure—“Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19).
- Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Works don’t save, but they show the life that does.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Election gives assurance, not apathy. The Bride is ordained to overcome; therefore she strives. The Seed in you makes you walk, war, and win.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Hebrews, Chapter 6, part 2
57-0908E §28
..., elected to meet Him yonder without spot or wrinkle. Before the foundation of the world, He seen you in Glory. That's what the Bible said, Ephesians the first chapter ... fifth chapter, the first verse. God predestinated by foreknowledge! Now, if God did that---predestinated us before the foundation of the world, and knew every one of us by name before the foundation of the world, and elected us to eternal life, and sent Jesus Christ to redeem us, that six thousand years ago He saw us, that we might appear to His...
The Spoken Word is the original seed
62-0318 §238
Now watch, the true bride. Hallelujah! There's going to be one! Why? She's predestinated. She won't be denominated, because she's predestinated. She don't have to worry about some denomination, she's already predestinated to take the place. Look, like Mary... I want you to get this now and don't fail. Are you ready? Say, "Amen." When Christ comes to His bride, she will be a virgin like Mary was, for God will not bring Christ through a womb of a whore, and neither will He bring the bride. He can't bring His Word thr...
Questions and Answers, part 1
54-0103M §43
"Those whom He called, He justified; those whom He justified, He glorified." And every redeemed person in the world this morning, that's under the blood of Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Ghost, hath everlasting life and can't perish, and is already in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, and shall never come into condemnation. Already redeemed! Isn't that wonderful? See, already redeemed, sitting in Heavenly places now with Christ, and already glorified ... already glorified! You say, "Brother Bill, does the Scri...
The Spoken Word is the original seed
62-0318 §122
All right, predestinated us now unto the adoption. Now do you believe we were predestinated? Now, was Jesus predestinated? He was the Lamb of God already slain before there was a light, before there was a meteor, before there was a molecule, atom or anything. He was the Son of God slain. Oh, the greatness of God. Then these little peanut brains out of some little manufactured supernatural incubator over here tries to debate that and say it's not right. That's a shame. Who are you? Even some of them saying there is...
Planting the Vine and where to plant it
59-0920 §28
Then He soaked the ground of Palestine with the blood of goats and heifers, and bullocks, sheep. But the people would not stand; it wasn't sufficient; because the life of the bullock, the blood cell broken, the animal life came back, it would not coincide with the human life. But one day, God was determined that He'd save His people, His predestinated church. He had to do it Himself, because He predestinated it before the foundation of the world. Man's a failure, and always will be. He's a failure to start with, an...