I am a little hesitant to get into the most controversial question in Christianity, not so much that I am afraid of it, but rather, because it is so contentious I don’t have enough space or time to properly deal with the subject in a Facebook post. I think I would really need an hour long sermon. Entire books have been written, arguing the subject one way or the other, so even an hour would probably not be adequate.

So the scope of this post will be strictly limited to this particular passage and will in no way be a definitive doctrinal treatise on whether or not it is possible for a Christian to lose their salvation. We are only going to deal with what the language says right here.

The word, “disqualified,” is an adjective that means something that does not stand the test. It is something that is not approved. It is something that is unfit to be used.

The word was used in the metal working and coin making industry. If a metal was “disqualified,” it meant that it was either the wrong type, or else it was so impure that it couldn’t be used for the intended purpose.

This was a very important standard when it came to making coinage. Was the metal nugget made of gold, or was it made of iron pyrite? Outwardly, they looked very similar. Most people could not tell the difference with their naked eye.

But the metalsmith would test the metal and determine its true value and purity. If it passed the test, it was able to be used in the minting process. But if it failed, it was thrown in the trash.

A nugget of gold was priceless. A nugget of iron pyrite was worthless. But the average observer couldn’t tell the difference. It was only after passing the test of purity that the metal could be declared genuine.

Paul is saying here that it isn’t his preaching to others that is the test that shows he is the genuine article. It is entirely possible to preach to others and yet not be the real deal.

This is actually a very sobering and cautionary statement. Just because a man or woman has a large church or following cannot be the determination of their genuineness. It is entirely possible to be a good actor and deceive multitudes. It is even possible to deceive yourself.

So what then is the factor that we use to determine the genuine from the disqualified? Are we just waiting until the day we stand before Jesus to determine whether we have passed or failed, with no certainty of the outcome until we get there?

That would be a horrible way to have to live your life. Never knowing if you were pleasing God or completely missing it.

The Good News is that you can have CERTAINTY in your relationship with Jesus. You can know for sure that you have passed the test for the genuine article.

The only requirement for passing the test and knowing for sure that you are pure gold and not iron pyrite is faith in Jesus. It is only God’s grace working through your faith that changes the essence of your nature from something disqualified into something genuine.

But when your nature changes there will begin to be signs of outward proof.

Paul calls this outward proof “discipline.” This verb literally means, “to beat black and blue.” It is a continuous action verb that is showing us that he is no longer letting his body tell him what to do. Rather, he is following what Jesus is telling him to do. But the process is often a knock down drag out fight!

You can know you are the genuine article when you are no longer the boss of yourself. But until you decide to enter that particular boxing contest, you will never be able to outwardly tell for sure that you have passed the test.

Your outward behavior cannot save you. But it will become the test that proves whether you are following the truth or whether you are living in deception.

Gold will be proven to be gold. But iron pyrite will never be able to pass the test.

If you aren’t changing, it is an indication that your condition may not be the genuine article. If you aren’t involved in a boxing match with yourself, where you are literally beating yourself black and blue to make sure that Jesus is your Boss and that your own desires are being forced into subjection, there is a glaring possibility that something is dreadfully wrong.

We are saved by grace through faith. We maintain our salvation by grace through faith. We cannot maintain our relationship with Jesus through good works.

But there will be proof of what happened to you. Gold always passes the test. But iron pyrite can never pass the test, even if it looks religious. However, the iron pyrite of religion is outwardly difficult to differentiate from gold until the test is administered.

The test is discipline.

This passage doesn’t actually answer my initial question of whether or not a Christian can lose their salvation. Too bad I’m out of space. Hah!