You need to realize that in this very large group of Hebrews that God delivered out of Egypt and not all of them were genuine believers. Hence, later destroyed those who did not believe, so of course immorality and idolatry would have been a manifestation of their unbelief. This is not talking about the righteous falling into immorality and idolatry and losing their salvation. That is your eisegesis.
At the outset, I want to remind everyone that your view was unknown, it is foreign to, historic Christianity. The early Church did not hold to it. It is a recent innovation, and that is why it runs in to problems with every Scripture.
Now, deliverance from slavery in Egypt by the blood lambs is
itself a type of salvation from slavery to sin, so it corresponds to Christians saved by the blood of the Lamb--since there is no "false deliverance from slavery in Egypt by the blood of lambs" in view (either you're
in Egypt, or
delivered/saved from Egypt), there is no "false believer" in view.
Yes, those who do not continue in faith, who do not continue to walk in faith,
will, as you say, be cut off--precisely what I said Paul was saying in 1 Co 9:26-1 Co 10 (if he doesn't make his flesh his slave, and instead lives as a slave of his flesh, if he lives in the sins he mentions, he will be "disqualified" for the prize of continuing in faith, walking in faith, running the race of faith, which is eternal life, as he says, "fight the fight of faith, lay hold on the eternal life to which you were called"--we know that sin can "harden the heart" so that it becomes "an evil heart of unbelief" leading one to "fall away from the living God" (Heb 3:12,13), so, yes, "disqualification" refers to falling into unbelief/not being in the race of faith, thus loss of eternal life).
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is describing the sinful lifestyles of the unrighteous.
In context, he is shocked by, responding to, the Corinthian church's own unrighteous behavior.
In Galatians 5:19-21, these are the same unrighteous people who practice such sins.
He's responding to their own departure from God through following a false Gospel (Gal 1:6-9, 3:1-3, 5:8), and their no longer running the race of faith (Gal 5:7).
No one who is born of God practices sin (1 John 3:9) so these are not genuine believers who lost their salvation.
1 John addresses Gnostic heresy, which teaches all matter is evil, and, because of that, among other things, a) Christ didn't incarnate (bc He'd had been sinful), and b) Christians will continue in grossest sin.
Clearly, that's what John is addressing.
Now, did the Judaizers deny that Christ was incarnated? (I think even Muslims agree with that.) No. Yet we would not agree that, based solely on that, their spirit is "of God". So, we know that that statement was made particularly against Gnostic heresy, and it doesn't apply in every instance.
So, the statement that "no one who is born of God continues in sin" is specifically about the gnostic heresy.
Not only that, but notice he adds the stipulation "because His seed abides in him"--but we know that not all remain in Him and His Word (seed) in the (1 Jn 2:28), they are drawn away by "idols" (1 Jn 5:21).
If someone falls away from faith in a way that is irreversible (God is just, and He knows there are different reasons why people err from the faith, and treats cases differently, like with the ones in Hebrews 6 versus the audience written to in the epistle--"we are persuaded of better things concerning you, though we speak this way", or the Galatians), God "forgets" their righteousness (of faith--faith is counted as righteousness) as Ezekiel says (Ez 3:20), so that it is as though they were never saved at all. When they blotted out, their name is not visible, so it's not in the Book. There is no memory of them, hence, "they were never of us", "I never knew you", etc.
Interestingly, this exposes another deficiency of your view: Christ is "the same yesterday today and forever", yet, in your view, Christ doesn't blot names out His Book (and specifically for sinning against Him), as He had already shown He does in the past (Ex 32:33).
The righteousness you are talking about is 'self-righteousness' which is in contradiction with (Romans 4:2-6; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9 etc..).
No, it's God's righteousness that is "revealed from faith to faith" (Ro 1:5,16,17, 14:5,23; Php 3:9).
There are multiple crowns in scripture which are imperishable.
1. The imperishable crown
2. The crown of rejoicing
3. The crown of righteousness
4. The crown of glory
5. The crown of life
Do you believe that all of these crowns are synonymous with receiving eternal life and all believers will receive them?
These are all one and the same. Righteousness is what results in eternal life.
Because Christ loved righteousness, God anointed Him with oil of gladness.
The Spirit of Glory rests on the righteous.
"Imperishable" is merely a juxtaposition to the "perishability" of the wreath which winners of the earthly race are crowned with, it's not a "special crown" that is separate from some other "crowns".
In Revelation 19 we read about the coming of Christ and in verse 12, we read - His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns... So, what do those crowns represent? Are they all synonymous with receiving eternal life as well?
He is King of kings--the saints, who are "a ROYAL priesthood", all cast their crowns at His feet, and He is apparently wearing them.
Scripture cannot contradict itself. Paul is on record all throughout the New Testament stating that salvation is by grace through faith, apart from works. (Romans 4:2-6; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9 etc..). It would make no sense for him to be saying we work hard for and earn eternal life in a race just like we would work hard for and earn a gold medal in an Olympic race when salvation is a free gift that is not based on works.
Nothing of what you say makes any sense.
In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul is talking about being disqualified for the prize (NIV) and not disqualified for the gift of eternal life. In context, Paul has been discussing preaching the gospel. In verse 18 he says, "What is my reward, then?" In verses 24-27 he illustrates this thought of his reward by the picture of a race run for the prize. Salvation is a gift that we receive by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8,9) and not a prize that we race for, win and earn.
1. Again, the logical conclusion of your view is that Christians can commit the sins he covers in what follows (1 Co 10) and still have eternal life, whereas he already said you don't inherit God's Kingdom if you commit those sins.
2. Eternal life is both a gift (and it comes about through the gift of slavery to righteousness actually if you read Ro 6) and a repayment to doers of good at the future judgment (Ro 2:6-16) or a harvest you reap in due time from doing good deeds (Gal 6:6-10). Again, I don't believe just one sliver of Scripture, I believe it all.
The reason it's both a gift and a repayment is because it's given to us by faith, but we also retain it by remaining in Christ by walking in faith ("in Christ" there is "no condemnation" (Ro 8:1), but the believer who does not walk in faith is "condemned" (Ro 14:5,23)--ie, he's not remaining in Christ, and is "storing up wrath").
3. Same goes for salvation--we WERE saved, we ARE BEING SAVED, and WILL BE SAVED. All are in Scripture.
Prize (brabeion) - the prize awarded to a victor, the reward (recognition) that follows triumph. That does not sound like a free gift to me. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8) 1 Corinthians 3:14-15 mentions - If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, (of reward) though he himself will be saved.
1 Corinthians 9:24 - "Do you not know that those who run in a race ALL run, but ONLY ONE receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." In an Olympic race, all runners run but only one receives the gold medal. So, what happens to the runners that receive the silver medal or bronze medal or finish the race with no medal? Are they disqualified from the Olympics or for the prize? Everyone who falls short of winning a gold medal is not disqualified from the Olympics.
Lol Paul said he could be disqualified from the race of faith, so it refers to falling away from the faith, and it's specifically about sin--which can "harden the heart", causing a believer's heart to become "an evil heart of unbelief", whereby they "fall away from the living God"--so, yes, it's about eternal life.
Paul does not seem to indicate any insecurity about his position - Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8) Do you believe that the other 4 crowns were laid up for Paul as well?
No, I don't believe in different crowns, just the one crown referred to in various ways.
Because Paul lived the right way--as he said, "my conscience is clear"--he had "confidence", as 1 John 3 says.
