I want the readers to think about this verse before commenting as this is very important about our salvation and faith in Christ as many teach we are already saved, but according to Matthew 24:13 we are not yet saved until the return of Christ.
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
I believe this is what we are missing as the end has not come yet as Christ has not yet returned to save His own. Salvation has nothing to do with being saved, but has everything to do in order for us to be saved in the end when Christ returns for His own. Salvation is about building upon our faith in Christ as when we are weak, God's grace is sufficient for us as our strength is made perfect in weakness if we trust in Christ Jesus and learn of Him, 2 Corinthians 2:9; Colossians 2:6-15.
SALVATION – delivered from sin, promise of our welfare brought about by faith in Christ Jesus.
Salvation means to be whole mind, body and soul as we surrender our will to God and allow his will to work in our lives by applying Gods word to every aspect of our lives. This allows us to know the mind of Christ and all the promises of God for our own well being so we can face anything that tries to come against us while here on this earth. We can triumph and be victorious through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus as when we are weak in faith we need to be drawing on His strength as God helps us grow our faith in Him.
Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts. We have to renew, rebirth - born again, Gods Spirit within us in order to be called a child of God and see the kingdom of heaven, John 3:5-7. We now put off the old man (flesh) and put on the new man (Spirit), Ephesians 4:17-24. We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things.
Temporary salvation is nothing more than temporary faith, here today and gone tomorrow for faith was never built upon as it lacked understanding, never built upon to allow the grace of God to strengthen it, never built upon for it had no fellowship with the Father and His Son Christ Jesus. Those that walk away from faith, which is Christ Jesus who is our faith, never truly diligently sought after Him in order to know the mind of Christ.
A righteous person is not yet saved and remains in this fleshly body until Christ returns. If a righteous man stands steadfast in his faith as he believes and trust in the Lord no matter the circumstances that comes against him, like that of the thorn in Paul's flesh, they will do well unto the coming of the Lord. Not everyone that starts out being a virtuous person stands steadfast in their faith as they let life circumstances consume them causing them to leave their faith and rejecting Christ as their Lord and Savior as they begin to walk in hatred towards Him. Seen this happen many times as their hearts become hardened against the Lord even though they were warned by others not to turn away, but to trust in the Lord no matter what Satan has set before them, Ezekiel 3:20, 21.
Christians in this life have the promise of eternal life (2 Jn 2:25). This promise is conditional upon the Christian remaining faithful, obedient to Christ. The righteous person has this promise but can lose it by becoming unfaithful. One either possesses this promise or not.
The idea that if one casts his faith aside falling into unbelief proves he 'never really was saved' has no Biblical basis. One can gain the promise of eternal life but also lose that promise. For one to 'lose' some thing implies he must have first possessed it.
From what you post, are you claiming there is no such thing as an apostate?
646 apostasía (from
868 /aphístēmi, "leave, depart," which is derived from
575 /apó, "away from" and
2476 /histémi, "stand") – properly, departure (implying
desertion);
apostasy – literally, "a leaving, from a previous
standing."
What does the word 'fall' mean?
Heb 4:11
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
1 Cor 10:12 "
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
Thayer - fall:
to fall from a state of uprightness, i. e. to sin: opposed to ἑστάναι,
1 Corinthians 10:12; opposed to στήκειν, with a dative of the person whose interests suffer by the sinning (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 31, 1 k.),
Romans 14:4; to fall into a state of wickedness,
Revelation 18:3; Lachmann's stereotyped edition; Tr WH text (see πίνω).
A person 'always lost, never saved' cannot fall for he is already fallen. The word 'fall' as the word apostate carries the idea one's position has changed. One who was 'always lost never saved' position has remained the same.
