Saved or Not? Can You Be Saved Without Being Predestined?

Let’s jump right into it—can you be saved without God planning it in advance? Nope. Not a chance. The idea of being saved without God predestining it is like thinking you can surprise God with your faith—newsflash, you can’t. God’s not up in heaven scratching His head saying, “Well, I didn’t see that one coming!”

Predestination might seem like one of those “churchy” words that’s hard to wrap your head around. But stick with me, and we’ll break it down. It’s actually pretty awesome once you understand it.

God’s Got the Plan

Here’s the deal: we’re all a mess on our own. The Bible says in Romans 3:10–11,

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” 

That’s all of us. Left to our own devices, we’d never choose God because we’re too busy doing our own thing.

Imagine you’re stuck in quicksand, sinking fast. That’s us in our sin. We can’t pull ourselves out. Someone has to come and rescue us. That’s what God does when He predestines us. Jesus said,

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6:44). 

God’s the one pulling us out of the quicksand.

And here’s the cool part: God didn’t just start planning this yesterday. Ephesians 1:4–5 says,

“He chose us in him before the creation of the world.” 

Before God said, “Let there be light,” He had you in mind. That’s love, folks.

But Don’t I Get a Choice?

Yes! From our perspective, it feels like we’re making a choice to believe in Jesus—and we are. Romans 10:9 says,

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

But here’s the kicker: even the faith you have to believe is a gift from God. It’s like being handed a golden ticket to eternal life. You didn’t earn it. You didn’t buy it. God just gave it to you because He loves you. Ephesians 2:8–9 makes it clear:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

So yes, you choose to believe, but God’s the one who makes it possible for you to even want to believe in the first place. It’s like when you were a kid, and your mom made you vegetables in a way that you actually liked. You thought you were choosing to eat them, but really, she did all the work to make it palatable.

Gratitude Every Day

If you’re saved, let me tell you this: you should be on your hands and knees in gratitude with every breath of every day. No exaggeration. God didn’t owe you salvation. He didn’t look at your résumé and think, “Wow, they’re really something special.” He saved you out of pure love, grace, and mercy.

Think about it. He rescued you from eternal separation from Him. He pulled you out of the darkness and into His light. If that doesn’t fill your heart with gratitude, nothing will. Every day you wake up is another opportunity to say, “Thank You, Lord, for loving me even when I didn’t deserve it.”

Gratitude isn’t just something you feel; it’s something you live. It shows up in how you love others, serve your community, and share the gospel. Your life becomes a giant “thank you” to God.

What About People Who Don’t Believe?

Now, some folks say, “That’s not fair! Why doesn’t God just save everyone?” Let’s clear that up. First off, no one deserves to be saved. Romans 6:23 says,

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

If we got what we deserved, we’d all be in big trouble.

But God, in His grace, chooses to save some. Does that mean God is turning people away who are begging to get in? No. Nobody’s lining up to be saved. We’re all naturally

rebellious. The truth is, if you reject Jesus, it’s because you want to. If you accept Him, it’s because God worked in your heart to make you want to.

Even Jesus Had Family Drama

Think your family’s tough? Jesus had siblings who didn’t even believe in Him at first! John 7:5 says,

“For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” 

Imagine being the sibling of the Son of God. You’d think they’d get it, right? Nope.

It wasn’t until later that His brother James came to faith and became a leader in the early church. That’s a reminder that proximity to Jesus doesn’t save you—faith does. You could go to church every Sunday, listen to worship music on repeat, and have a Bible in every room of your house, but without faith, it’s all just noise.

Why Share the Gospel If God’s Got It Covered?

Some people might think, “If God’s already decided who’s saved, why bother telling anyone about Jesus?” Good question! Here’s the answer: because God told us to.

Romans 10:14–15 says,

“How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” 

We’re part of God’s plan. Sharing the gospel is like being the delivery driver for the best news ever. You don’t bake the cake, but you get to bring it to the party.

The Final Question

Let’s fast-forward to the day you stand before God. Imagine He asks you, “Why should I let you into heaven?” What are you going to say?

If your answer is, “Well, I was a pretty good person,” or “I went to church every Sunday,” or “I gave to charity,” you’re in trouble. Those things are great, but they don’t save you.

The only right answer is, “Because Jesus died for my sins, and I trust in Him alone.” If you point to yourself instead of pointing to Jesus, you’re missing the mark. Matthew 7:23 warns us about people who think they’re good enough on their own. Jesus will say,

“I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your incredible love and for choosing us before the world began. Thank You for sending Jesus to rescue us from our sin. Help us to trust in Him alone for our salvation and not in our own efforts. Lord, give us boldness to share the gospel and be part of Your plan to bring others to faith. Keep us humble, grateful, and focused on You. And when that day comes, may we confidently say that our hope is in Jesus and His sacrifice for us. We love You, Lord, and we thank You for Your amazing grace. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.