The elect are animated to action by God's regenerating them in Christ. The works are the evidence, not the cause, of their salvation.
God doesnt pre-choose based on knowing who turns to Christ of their own free will, because nobody is good enough to do that, instead God has selected people (based on His purposes and nothing to do with those people) to regenerate into Christian saints who will be transformed and remain in Christ until they perish.
Genesis 4:7
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Isaiah 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Ezekiel 18:30-32
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Acts 17:30
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Romans 1:20
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
