When Paul speaks about running the race to obtain the Prize, is he talking about the Prize of Salvation, or a prize which is a reward for deeds?
See 1 Cor. 9:24-27. "The prize" being here identified Is a "crown" and is not Salvation. A crown is a reward.
See Phil. 3:12-13 where Paul says he has "not obtained the prize." Is that supposed to mean he has not obtained Salvation? No. It means he has not obtained the reward for Godly service.
People constantly in error confuse Salvation with Discipleship. These people are known as Lordship preachers and Calvinists. We can pray for and help them.
Paul himself says he has to subjugate his flesh daily, lest after preaching salvation to others, he end up a castaway.
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring itinto subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a CASTAWAY.
The word castaway is also ADOKIMOS in the Greek - reprobate - castaway and rejected by God.
G96 (Strong)
ἀδόκιμος
adokimos
ad-ok'-ee-mos
From G1 (as a negative particle) and G1384; unapproved, that is, rejected; by implication worthless(literally or morally): - castaway, rejected, reprobate.
Total KJV occurrences: 8
Paul said he could end up a reprobate if he didn’t subjugate his flesh with its sinful desires, daily.
Albert Barnes exegetes the verse:
“The simple idea of Paul is, that he was afraid that he should be disapproved, rejected, cast off; that it would appear, after all, that he had no religion, and would then be cast away as unfit to enter into heaven”.
John Wesley also exegetes 1 Corinthians 9:27:
This single text may give us a just notion of the scriptural doctrine of election and reprobation; and clearly shows us, that particular persons are not in holy writ represented as elected absolutely and unconditionally to eternal life, or predestinated absolutely and unconditionally to eternal death; but that believers in general are elected to enjoy the Christian privileges on earth; which if they abuse, those very elect persons will become reprobate. St. Paul was certainly an elect person, if ever there was one; and yet he declares it was possible he himself might become a reprobate. Nay, he actually would have become such, if he had not thus kept his body under, even though he had been so long an elect person, a Christian, and an apostle.
Paul never taught unconditional eternal security - in fact he taught the opposite.
Paul said he could end up a reprobate if he didn’t subjugate his flesh with its sinful desires, daily.
And he also wrote many conditional statements about continuing in the faith to remain in Christ, one of which follows:
Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in yourmind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled,and benot moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, andwhich was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Albert Barnes commentary exegetes the above passage:
If ye continue in the faith - In the belief of the gospel, and in holy living. If this were done, they would be presented unblameable be fore God;if not, they would not be.The meaning is, that it will be impossible to be saved unless we continue to lead lives becoming the gospel.
The many conditional statements Paul made are ignored by Calvinists and the OSAS camp, because they are fatal to their doctrinal scenario of unconditional eternal security.