Its like this... Being in Noah's ark saves you. But if you jump out of the ark you are no longer saved, even though you were saved. If you jump out, can you jump back in before it's too late? Yes- this is the prodigal son situation. And what did that father say about his son? That he was dead and is now alive.
When we get baptized into Christ we rise to newness of life (spiritually alive). So is it possible to walk around spiritually dead? Yes. This is what Jesus meant when He said "Let the dead bury the dead." He meant let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. God is the God of the living not of the dead.
When Paul spoke of running the race, he mentioned that even he has to be careful so that he doesn't get disqualified for the prize. The prize is salvation.
In the parable of the servants, the one who hid his masters talents was genuinely the master's servant. But when the master returned unexpectedly to settle accounts, he said to throw this servant out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It is not enough to get saved, we have to stay saved- that is the difference between the Elect of God and the Very Elect of God.
The Bible says it is hard for the righteous to be saved- therefore not all the righteous will be saved. And where do we get our righteousness? From Christ- no one is self-righteous. So when we are baptized into Christ we are saved, we then have to run the race trying not to get disqualified and lose the prize- which is God's grace.
Did anyone jump out of the ark?
God gave the dimensions and those who were to go onto the ark.
All were saved, none were lost.
You quote Paul running the race so he does not get disqualified, that is that he loses his salvation.
You have come to this understanding based on your research on this (I hope)
However others come to a different conclusion that to be disqualified from the race was for him to be disqualified from his ministry of bringing the Gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles but not a loss of his salvation.
How do you interpret the following
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 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, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
It is not enough to get saved but we have to stay saved. How do we do that?
You ask "Where do we get our righteousness and you say correctly from Christ as no one is self righteous.
So I ask if we try to keep ourself saved then are we not being self righteous?