I saw the discussion on losing your salvation because you went back to following the law.

 

In Galatians 5 Paul is trying to teach the believer how to live a "balanced" life. He first tells them that people who are free do not need to get tied up into thinking they must keep the law. But he also goes on to tell them to not follow the desires of the flesh. Either extreme does not take away someones salvation. The believer is saved and will be in the rapture.

 

Galatians 5:10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

 

in the NLT that is translated "I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teaching"

 

Paul is telling them that he knows the Lord will keep them from believing these false teaching. He is more upset with the ones doing the teachings

Galatians 5:12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

 

in the NLT Paul says he wishes they would mutilate themselves, the ones who are trying to get the believers to go back to the law.

 

Now look at the next verse and Paul is telling them NOT to use their freedom to go on sinning and giving in to the desires of old nature.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

 

He goes on to tell them what happens to the ones who do these things

Galatians 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

But he tells them and I quote the NLT here

Galatians 5:24 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them their."

 

You see the good news is Christ paid for the sins we committ past present and future. They were NAILED to the cross. So when he is making a statement like he did in verse 21 he is saying the UNBELIEVER will not inherit the Kingdom of God because he(unbeliever) did not nail his sins to the cross because he (the unbeliever) did not accept the free gift.

 

The unbeliever in this case is the person who is still trusting the law. A believer who may seem to be deceived still has the Holy Spirit sealed inside himself and if his sinful nature tries to make him think he needs to go back under the law, the Holy Spirit will show him the right way. He may be fallen from grace in the since that at that moment he has lost his freedom and joy. But that sin was also "nailed at the cross"

 

Is it not amazing that Paul covered both scenarios in the fifth chapter of Galatians. Both extremes were covered. 1-Going back under the law and 2-satisfying your sinful nature.

 

As far as quotes from John and Hebrews, these books were written to the Jews and are more or less telling them they need to be overcomers ,AFTER the dispensation of grace comes to an end. Those are not the teachings that apply to the "church" and should be read for information to help us but not as doctrine.

 

Please remember that the Gospels were teaching the Kingdom of God to come back then. If the Jews would have not rejected Jesus the 7 year tribulation would have started then and Christ would have already come back. But since they did not he gave us Gentiles a mystery Gospel Free from the law. But if you try to mix the books written to the Jews and the ones written by Paul to the church you will get things really confused.

 

thanks

Mike W