Because according to the Law I'm a dead man! The issue really is not the Law, for it is Holy, Righteous, and Good. Rather, the consequences of not following the Law or in other words, breaking it (Sin). One would say being Obedient or Disobedient to God!
Am I wrong in believing that failing to follow the Law makes us disobedient and we thus lose our Salvation if we ever had it? Yes, Maybe, No
I await your answer so we can continue.
Rom 3:23; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 6:23; For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
"If we ever had it". - For this discussion I would prefer to leave OSAS out of it for the time being. Too easy to get side tracked.
For this discussion it doesn't matter if I am backslid or never was saved. The bottom line is nether is saved.
Am I wrong in believing that failing to follow the Law makes us disobedient and we thus lose our Salvation if we ever had it?
I know the "D" word is bad word in Christianity these days. (denominations) and I have gone to churches of several different denominations.
The denominations I have attended most of my life do not believe in unconditional grace. I have to qualify that statement however.
I would divide all people into three groups.
The unsaved, the newly saved, and those who have been saved for an extended period of time.
For the unsaved, there is unconditional grace at the moment of salvation. No sins are too bad to keep you from getting saved.
and nothing you do can make you saved other than believing in Jesus. Obedience to the commandments does not save you.
Then there are the newly saved, infants in Christ so to speak. Still only able to drink milk and not ready for meat yet.
They don't know all the rules yet, they haven't been tested yet, (God knows when they are ready) some are not producing fruit yet.
But they are learning, and they are seeking. God gives them extra grace, because they tend to make more mistakes.
Then there are those who have been saved for years (decades even). This is a different length of time for every person.
But I don't think it is those who have only been saved days, weeks or months. There is still grace for them, but it isn't always unconditional.
By now these people know the rules, they know what God expects. They don't really have any excuses.
We all make mistakes and sin sometimes, I know I do at least. But there is a difference between making the occasional mistake, and deliberately
choosing to sin or even "live" in a sinful lifestyle. There is a difference between "practicing righteousness" and "practicing lawlessness".
John 3:21; Rom 1:32; Rom 7:19; Rom 13:4; 2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:21; Php 4:9; 2 Pet 1:10; 1 Jn 2:29; 1 Jn 3:4; Matt 7:23; etc...
I used to play a lot of basketball, I used to practice quite a bit, but that doesn't mean I never missed a shot or made a mistake.
There is grace for this. If I give up and start playing for the other team, - not so much.
I am reminded of some funny "blooper" sports videos where people accidentally scored a basket or touchdown for the other team.
It happens on accident sometimes. Even in professional sports errors made, shots are missed, balls are dropped or fumbled.
But these aren't the normal things that happen every play. No one practices "missing shots". We can do that quite easily without practice.
I believe there are those who "willfully" go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of Christ.
I believe there are those who turn the grace of Christ into a license to sin.
1 Cor 6:9; Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
1 Cor 6:10; nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
I believe there are "Christians" who are deliberately choosing to live the lifestyles above. Were they never saved in the first place?
Were they saved and then backslid? I don't know, it doesn't matter that much to me. The bottom line is, they aren't saved now.
When did this happen? Some people don't give up until years after they have been saved (or at least thought they were saved ) some people don't quit "overcoming" or quit "standing firm" until the trials and testing happens. The trauma of a death, or a divorce, or something else really bad is too much for them. They put their trust in other people, in themselves, and not in God. They didn't start out that way, but after a period of time, obedience to God just doesn't matter anymore.