God told us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. I realize many rather skip past what God directly instructed us to do in order to follow what Paul taught. But, I still believe God did not give us this command for it to be disregarded. As for your question where I believe I would end up at, definitely in Paradise.
The real beauty about the New Testament is we don't see the Disciples and the Council led by James actually following much of anything Paul taught. In fact, Paul was trying to convert Gentiles while Peter was denying them until God gave him a vision. Clearly the Disciples always followed what God personally taught them. So it leads to a great probability that Paul was not always in line with how Christ personally taught the Disciples. And that alone is enough to question the message of Paul concerning Grace, when that is not what Christ taught, nor the Disciples followed.
I think too many people have placed Paul on an equal platform with Christ. In my observation and understanding, this is a very grave mistake.
Thats the real beauty? I mean, yeah sure. Lets praise the hypocrisy of Peter when he was acting hypocritically towards the knowledge of the truth (God's grace, the liberty found therein), and put up a facade for his fellow brethren.
Galatians 2:11-14 King James Version (KJV)
11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
14 But when
I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
The apostle Paul and Peter knew the Gospel, Peter himself acknowledging the things Paul taught (though they be hard to understand). Yet, what we have here is Peter, no offense to him, "fearing them which were of the circumcision." So he knew He could eat with the Gentiles, yet he acted contrary to the truth of the Gospel.
Your dismissal of the message of grace Paul taught is a dismissal of what God has revealed through Paul. For what of scripture, is it from man or inspired by the Holy Spirit? Then why do you question the validity of God's word, of which 13 (possibly 14) books are written by the apostle Paul?
Once you start tossing out books from the Bible you've lost your objective truth. God's grace revealed through the apostle Paul and accepted even by Peter (though at times denied in fear) is a major aspect of the new covenant. To dismiss it leaves you ill-equipped to defend the Gospel.
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... We are saved by grace through our faith in Christ.. But its possible for a person to be a hypocrite and deliberately sin, so we can fall from his grace (Hebrews 10:26).. In other words, OSAS does not green light sin, you can't go out and start robbing banks and killing people because your under the assumption your saved no matter what. That to me is mocking God.. jmo
