Does this mean that it is impossible for persons to fall so far from grace once received that they will never end up in Hell? By no means. Hell is surely the potential destination for all who are not living into "that holiness without which no one can see God" (Hebrews 12:14, a phrase frequently quoted in the sermons and journals of John Wesley).
The NASB reads - Pursue peace with all men, and the
sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14). Without justification, there is no sanctification. Our ongoing sanctification has no bearing on our justification. That is, even if we don't reach entire sanctification/sinless perfection in this lifetime (which we won't) we are still justified by faith in Christ.
How many people who are justified will end up being glorified? Romans 8:30 - Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified. ALL of them.
2 Peter 2:21Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them.
Those who are truly born of God have received a new nature, a divine nature, and they have new and different appetites and desires. They have been transformed from pigs and dogs into sheep. The change is more than just cosmetic, as in 2 Peter 2:20. *These cleaned up on the outside dogs and pigs were never sheep.
*Compare 2 Peter 1:4 -
"partakers of the divine nature," having escaped the
corruption - Strongs #5356 that is in the world through lust with 2 Peter 2:20 - with they escaped the
pollutions - Strongs #3356 (different Greek word) of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, yet they are again entangled therein, and overcome. *Notice that 2 Peter 2:20 did not mention them being "partakers of the divine nature."
Corruption (Strongs #5356) (to shrivel or wither, spoil , ruin , deprave, corrupt , defile, to destroy by means of corrupting, to spoil as does milk). Corruption - describes decomposition or rotting of an organism and the accompanying stench. The utter depravity of the fallen flesh and the resultant moral decomposition of the world opposed to God is driven by it sinful lusts or evil desires.
Internal corruption.
Pollutions/Defilements (Strongs #3393) ("pollutions", "filthy things", "contaminations", "world's filth") describes the state of being tainted or stained by evil and refers to impurity, impure, tainted, defilement, foulness or pollution.
Pollutions/Defilement refers to what is on the
outside (2 Peter 2:20). But genuine believers have
escaped the "corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).
*Corruption is deeper than pollutions/defilements on the outside: it is decay on the inside.
Having the knowledge of Jesus Christ does not save a person if there is
no heart submission to that knowledge. The latter end is worse than the beginning for these men because rejecting this knowledge will make them more accountable at the judgment.
So we see if the gospel is truly taught that will produce true faith and with true faith comes the works or commandments of God. Hand in hand 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. So with true faith and obeying God we will see the fruit of the Spirit.
Faith perfected by works means bring to maturity, carry to the end, to complete like love in 1 John 4:18. It doesn't mean that Abraham was finally saved based on his works in Genesis 22. When Abraham performed the good work in Genesis 22; he
fulfilled the expectations created by the pronouncement of his faith in Genesis 15:6.
Galatians 5:22-26Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faith,[a]23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. 26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Nothing here about salvation by works.
We are saved by True faith AND Obeying God.
So how much obedience does it take? How much obedience must we accomplish and "add as a supplement" to Christ's finished work of redemption in order to help Him save us? We are saved by true faith that trusts exclusively in Christ for salvation and true faith results in obeying God. Faith is the root of salvation and obeying God after we have been saved through faith is the fruit.