"The ones he was speaking of"? You mean in
Hebrews 6:4-6? Are you saying Paul is referring to the Galatian Christians in
Hebrews 6:4-6? If so, how do you know that, exactly? I don't think the writer of Hebrews was describing genuine believers in chapter 6. More likely, the writer of Hebrews was describing the "tares" of whom Jesus spoke in his parable. For why I think that read:
Eternally Secure In Christ | Christian Forums
You have laid out the groundwork in those texts? How so? As far as I can see, you've merely quoted a series of verses from Paul's letter to the Galatian believers, lifting them from their immediate context and stringing them together as though they were meant to be read in such a way. How is this "laying out the groundwork"?
In any case, on his words, "Christ shall profit you nothing," Paul does not expand as you do. He certainly
doesn't say, "You will have no life, no salvation, nothing." That's because such a conclusion is unwarranted. One may have a car that has engine trouble and ceases to run, but this doesn't mean one no longer possesses the car. It may not be "profitable" or of use and/or beneficial in its broken-down condition, but it is not, therefore, lost to its owner as a possession. So, too, in one's relationship to Christ. Working to be righteous via the law makes the grace of God extended to us in and through Christ of no effect (ie. unprofitable). He who would be righteous by way of obedience to the law cuts himself off from the grace and liberty found in Jesus. Does this mean such a man is
unsaved? Of course not. He is no more unsaved by working for his righteousness through obedience to God's law, than a man who uses a toothpick to empty the water from his leaky boat instead of the bilge pump is, therefore, no longer the owner of his own vessel. Such a man is foolish, to be sure, and using a toothpick can do nothing - no matter how hard he works - to deal with the water in his boat, but his ownership of his boat and his position in his boat is not automatically dissolved by his foolishness. The boat owner is cut off from the benefit of the bilge pump by his choice to use a toothpick to empty the water from his boat,
but he is still in the boat. Likewise, the believer who uses the "toothpick" of obedience to God's law as the means of his righteousness instead of the "bilge pump" of Christ's imputed righteousness, is cut off from the benefit of Christ's righteousness, but he does not therefore automatically lose the "boat" of his salvation.
And how does this translate into "You've lost your salvation"? Forming the character of Christ in the misled Galatians is a matter of
correcting understanding, not of regaining lost salvation.
Well, so far, you're a long, long way from proving OSAS false.
I don't think James is indicating what you have about the effect of our sin. Perhaps I'm not understanding you, but when I read the above passage it seems to be saying that when we sin, we transgress the law of God and thus become guilty before Him no matter that we may have committed a transgression of only
one of God's laws (vs. 10). But being guilty before God of transgressing His law does not mean we are under the law as the OT Israelites were, or desire to be.
The last part of
Romans 8:1 (who walk not after the flesh, etc...) is a later addition to the verse and is not, therefore, included in many newer translations of the Bible. I would not, then, argue from it. In any event, you are right: believers
are called to walk full-time in the Spirit. The very fact that Paul is explaining this to the Roman believers in chapter 8 indicates, however, that they were not doing so. But Paul thinks, nonetheless, that he is writing to
born-again believers (
Ro. 1:7, 8). Their not walking in the Spirit did
not mean they were un-born spiritually, only that they had growing in their faith to do.
Here is an alternative translation of this verse from the NASB:
James 5:19-20
19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The NKJV renders it this way:
James 5:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Young's Literal Translation translates the verse:
James 5:19-20
19 Brethren, if any among you may go astray from the truth, and any one may turn him back,
20 let him know that he who did turn back a sinner from the straying of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.
Reading from these translations, the idea of lost salvation is not at all clear. Instead, the idea of
correction is in view, of returning a believer who has wandered off the right course to it once again, not re-redeeming a once saved person. And the death a person encounters as a consequence of their sin - saved or not - is not necessarily eternal death, but death of fellowship (not relationship) with God, of joy, peace, contentment, physical life and health, relationships, etc. These verses, then, by no means secure an SAL (saved-and-lost) point of view.
While this may be true of some proponents of OSAS, it is not true of all. The passage from
2 Peter 2 is not necessarily referring to believers who lose their salvation. Context makes that very hard to support.
Eternally Secure In Christ | Christian Forums
So let him that glories, glory in the Lord,!Cor1:31; whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of the Lord 1Cor10:31. Even Jesus said walking as man He never did anything on His own, only what the Father showed Him, John 5:19-20 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
