Eternal security believers believe this...
1st Cor 3:10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise master builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one being snatched from the fire.
I trust you stand corrected.
In 1 Corinthians 3,
What (Who) is the foundation for the building?
Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Who lives within the building?
The Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 3:16).
What (Who) is the building?
The church (God's people) (i.e. the Temple of God). (1 Corinthians 3:9) (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Who makes the building to grow?
It is God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7).
Are we working alone (or is our works all our own)?
No, we are said to be fellow laborers with God (1 Corinthians 3:9).
What is the material that makes up that building?
Works (1 Corinthians 3:12).
The different types of materials like gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble are a representation of what thing?
The type of works one has.
Works that are burned up are made out of a lesser material (Meaning, they are works that are lesser or inferior).
We receive reward(s) if our work is not burned up.
If work is burned up, the builder loses rewards but they are still saved.
(1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
Is there a builder present in this story who did not build upon the foundation (or did not have works) and was saved?
No.
What happens to the man who defiles the Temple of God (i.e. the church, themselves or other believers)?
God will destroy them (1 Corinthians 3:16).
What is the reason God will destroy those men who defile the temple?
Because the Temple of God is holy (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Please take note that the man who defiled the temple of God does not have the same destiny as the builder who had inferior works.
No doubt it is sin (that leads unto spiritual death) that defiles the temple.
Seeing this picture is relating to the spiritual world, it is logical to assume that the entire analogy remains unchanged and the destruction of the Temple is a destruction of one's soul spiritually.
For the verse above it (verse 15) was talking about how the builder was saved despite their inferior works being burned up.
Clealy the man in verse 16 has an entirely different destiny than salvation because God is destroying them for their defilement of the temple.
Obviously this entire analogy or picture is to show how those who wrongfully said they were of Paul or Apollos (i.e. those who committed faults or sins that do not lead unto spiritual death - See 1 John 5:16-18) will have works done in the name of Paul or Apollos which is likened to hay or stubble whereby it will be burned up. They are still saved as long as they are on the foundation of Jesus Christ (i.e. they are of the belief that they are ultimately serving Jesus Christ (i.e. Who is the foundation of the building, i.e. God's church). For no man can lay any other foundation but Jesus Christ.
Side Note:
Oh, and just in case you were wondering:
What is a sin that leads unto death?
Sins unto death are sins that lead to the Second Death or the Lake of Fire.
Such sins would be Murder, hate, lying, unbelief, idolatry, theft, adultery, and drunkeness, etc. (Revelation 21:8, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:3-6).
What is a sin that does not lead unto death?
Not being baptized is a sin that does not lead unto death (1 Peter 3:21).
Being boastful in one another in Christ is not a sin that leads unto spiritual death (i.e. the Lake of Fire) even though it is a sin or a fault. For the Corinthians were called carnal (sinful) for boasting in each other (and causing divisions) and yet they were also called brethren. Also, their error was related to hay and stubble that would be burned up (and yet, they themselves would be saved, too) (1 Corinthians 3).
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