Galatians 6:
7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
The one who is continuously (Greek present tense) sowing to his own corrupt, flesh which is opposed to God and unrenewed by the Holy Spirit shall of the flesh reap corruption. Our life here is sowing of one kind or another. But he who sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life. In opposition to reaping corruption, eternal life is reaped by those who sow to the Spirit, which is only those who have placed their faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Jesus Christ for salvation. (John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 11:25,26; Romans 3:24-28; 4:5-6; Ephesians 2:8,9 etc..).
The actions which follow will determine if that faith is maintained.
The actions which follow confirm our faith. Salvation is neither obtained or maintained by works.
Romans 6:
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
The answer is NO.
Also as the scripture said:
Hebrews 3:
12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of UNBELIEF, in departing from the living God.
The persons being warned here are brethren, hence they have believed and they are saved. They could depart and hence they were with God and they are saved. The reason for departing was a breakdown or loss of faith. What would be the evidence of this? It would be the same as it was for those being used as the example. (Hebrews 3:16-19)
Hebrews 3:
13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Just because the letter is addressed to
brethren, doesn't mean that everyone in this large group of professing Hebrew believers are genuine believers. All the letters are addressed to believers, yet it's not hard to find make believers mixed in with a group of genuine believers. It's also not hard to find them at various Christian churches today or on Christian Chat. Nowhere in this passage of scripture do we find the words, "lost faith or lost salvation." Those who depart from God demonstrate that their faith was never firmly rooted and established from the start.
Hebrews 3:8 - Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said,
'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.' Not descriptive of genuine believers. There is no loss of salvation here. Only a failure to receive it. Verses 18-19 - And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that
they could not enter in because of unbelief. That explains the hardened heart. It took them in the opposite direction of God. Heard the truth for a time, but then hardened heart and departing from God became their final answer. Jude 1:5 - The Lord delivered His people (the Israelites) out of Egypt, but
later destroyed those who did not believe.
Hebrews 3:14 - For we
have become [past tense Gk. verb, gegonamen, meaning we have become already] partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Notice that this is essentially a repeat of verse 6, where we have read: but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house -
whose house we are, if we hold fast
if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. The wording is not - "and you will become partakers of Christ/will be saved (future indicative) if you (future indicative) hold the beginning or our confidence stedfast to the end." It is rather - "you have been, and now are, partakers of Christ/are saved, (demonstrative evidence) if in the future you hold the beginning of your confidence stedfast to the end."
The point is that not all of these Hebrews have become partakers in their promised Messiah and of course, the only ones in the end who will be identified as truly born again Hebrews who have partaken in Messiah, will have been those who have held fast the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the end.
Those faltering Hebrews who depart from God begin with loud confidence and profession of loyalty. But later? Future perseverance is proof of genuine conversion.
In Hebrews 4:1-2, we read - "For indeed the
gospel was preached to US as well as to THEM; but the word which
THEY heard did not profit THEM, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For
we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest," although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. *Obviously, not all of these Hebrews were genuine believers. Notice that verses 2-3 make a
distinction between US who have BELIEVED and do enter that rest and THEM who heard the word but did not mix faith with what they heard and will not enter that rest because of UNBELIEF.
Sin would be the evidence of that breakdown or loss of faith. Hence it is not a case of superior faith as you and others imply by your statements but a case of enduring faith as the scriptures teach.
Saving faith in Christ endures and is not some shallow, temporary belief that has no root, produces no fruit and withers away.
"Without the sacrifice of Christ that is very true but God also said:
I John 3:
7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
You seem to believe that salvation is obtained/and/or maintained by a combination of faith and works. 1 John 3:7 - Little children, make sure no one deceives you;
the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8
the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. Here is a CONTRAST between children of God and children of the devil. Those who are born of God practice righteousness BECAUSE they are righteous and not in order to become righteous.
John is writing to those who are sons of God. (I John 3:1-5) Do you understand why the sacrifice of Christ makes a difference? Do you understand why the person outside of Christ will have no hope regardless of how perfect he has been, but that this is not so for those in Christ as the scripture above shows?" Answering these questions by using the scriptures and not your opinion will lead you to the truth.
If you were standing at the gates of heaven right now and Jesus Christ asked you why He should let you into heaven, what would be your exact answer? Your answer to this question will demonstrate exactly what you are trusting in for salvation.