According to your doctrine, a wayward Christian is a sign one was not really saved, or was saved and lost their salvation. Either way, it's off to hell with them.
If you mean falling away, yes, it is off to hell with them. Whether they ever really believed to begin with, or stopped believing, doesn't matter. People who do not believe and are 'living like this' (Galatians 5:21) when Jesus returns will not enter into the kingdom. I know you are taught by your church that even unbelievers will enter into the kingdom when Jesus comes back (as long as they used to believe somewhere in the past), but the scriptures are clear that the person living in unbelief
is not born again.
God is patient with His children. His discipline is to cause growth - not to punish for sin. We have no sin to pay for. If we did, Jesus would have to come back and die to pay for them - and that's not gonna happen.
That's a good reason why the death in 1 Corinthians 5 is not physical death. Physical death does nothing to make it "so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus"-1 Corinthians 5:5.
Paul is very clear that this person has to die to his flesh
so he can be saved. But you are changing the plain words to say he must die to lose reward.
There have been Christians who have refused God's correction - those who sully the name of the One who bought them - that God has removed. As Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 11.
We know there are those disobedient Christians who die physically because of sin. But Paul plainly says the matter of the sinner in 1 Corinthians 5 is about
salvation (vs.5), not punishment and loss of reward.
But their salvation is secure!
Paul is speaking of the man who is sleeping with his father's wife and would not stop. Paul says to turn him over for the destruction of his flesh, knowing that his soul is saved.
We know he's not already saved (used to be, or not, doesn't matter) because Paul he has to die to the flesh "so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus"-1 Corinthians 5:5. You can't be living in the flesh when Jesus comes back and be saved. Won't happen. And it doesn't matter if you used to not live in the flesh, but now do because you no longer believe. Either way, you aren't going to be saved when Jesus comes back.
You sin every day, Ralph.
What I do not do is live in the deeds of the flesh. Do you? Apparently you do since you refuse to make the distinction between the unsaved sinning person and the saved sinning person. The unsaved person lives in the flesh. The saved person lives for God and is no longer in bondage to the flesh.
Which one are you? I know you will not answer the question because even though you don't make the distinction you can't bring yourself to say you still live in sin.
And as far as seeking His forgiveness - forgiveness for what?
Ask John:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."-1 John 1:9
It's like you don't even read the Bible.
How many sins didn't the blood cover, Ralph?
The sin of willful rejection of Christ.
There is no sacrifice given for that offense. Doesn't matter if you were ever saved, or not. Christ's blood does not cover the sin of choosing to live in a rejection of his blood.
If we have a single sin to pay for, we'd better hope Jesus comes back to be crucified again.
Don't have the sin of living in a rejection of Christ's blood and you have nothing to worry about. Go back to your old life in unbelief, that is where Christ's blood will not cover you.
You are not obeying God's commandments because the Bible says no one can fully obey them.
That's where the blood of Christ comes in. Is this really that hard for you to understand?
It's only when I depart from the blood in a willful return to the world in unbelief that I am condemned to the lake of fire. As long as I don't do that I am living in obedience to the commands of God. Don't forget that part of his commands are to seek forgiveness when you sin. You are being obedient when you seek the forgiveness of God for the time you do not keep a command of God. Obedience is not sinless perfection. It's simply living for God and seeking his forgiveness and cleansing when you fail. The only thing that can condemn you as being disobedient is a return to unbelief. In which case NONE of your sin is covered.
And if you somehow could obey all of His commandments, you wouldn't need Christ.
You did not realize part of obeying his commands is to seek forgiveness when you fail.
The only sin he can't cover is not believing in the blood that covers your sin.
I have always said we should live as holy a life as we can, as a witness to men.
Yeah, forget about living holy FOR GOD.
Good grief, listen to yourself, man.
But good works don't prove one is saved, because the lost can do the same good works.
You seem to not even realize you directly contradict plain scriptures when you and others say this. I'm amazed at how you people can claim something directly contradictory to what the Bible plainly says. It's an interesting phenomenon. But that is how spiritual blindness is.
Many Christians won't die for their enemies either.
And if they stay that way they will not be saved when Jesus comes back.
Dying to self is the sign of the believer, not the unbeliever.
You know exactly what I mean by good works. Feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, clothing the naked, etc.
Jesus said the fruit of the righteous LASTS. It's not a fly-by-night, buck in the Salvation Army kettle, once a year thing. It's a matter of lifestyle. A change of nature.
And then there's the matter of what you brought up before-the things unbelievers simply CAN'T do. But you just blew that off.
An unbeliever can persevere in suffering. Millions of people from false religions call it "righteous" as well.
Nope. False religion is noted for his murderous attitude toward it's enemies.
So, it finally boils down to "suffering" with you, huh? Your inner martyr is showing itself again. Your insatiable need to "prove" yourself to God and others. Oh, the praise you must drink up for being so "humble" and so "holy", as you stand bravely before the onslaught of those who think you are simply full of yourself.
One is a Christian if they believe in Jesus for salvation - whether they suffer a little, a lot, or not at all.
Period.
Like I say, it's like you don't even read the Bible:
"They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God."-Acts 14:22
"For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps"-1 Peter 2:20-21
If YOU are not suffering for Christ you will not enter the kingdom of God. This means doing right even when it costs you. A simple example would be choosing to be patient with someone in traffic, or in the grocery line even doing that (doing right) will cause you to be late for an appointment or late for work. See how that works? Probably not, but it's out there for those who have ears to hear.