Paul said, “I die daily”.
He knew that the desires of the flesh are always there.
The little word ‘if’ is found throughout the epistles, and the epistles were written to souls that were already born again (saints, sanctified), or already knew how to, but hadn’t yet received the baptism of the Holy Ghost (the faithful).
How do you interpret the ‘ten virgins’ and the seeds sown by the ‘sower’?
What is your opinion of Paul’s words: “But I keep my body, and bring it under subjection: lest that by ANY MEANS, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1Cor. 9:27
It is not a coincidence that the next chapter has Paul showing the example of unfaithfulness displayed by the Israelites.
And what is your opinion of Demas ‘loving this present world’? Paul KNEW that man; had worked along side of him for who knows how long.
God is faithful. He changes not.
Man has to deal with change for good, or for bad. The ‘old’ man was lost and serving sin; no hope. The ‘new’ man has to keep the ‘old’ man in the grave,....daily. God gives the power to overcome the world. One chooses to keep the power. That’s my take on Paul’s teachings.
Demas seems to have turned back. That didn’t work out well for Lot’s wife. Lot, his wife, and two daughters were all led by the hand to safety. She left Sodom and had escaped to Zoar, and was saved, but looked back, thinking she was leaving behind the life she preferred after all.
Could you please elaborate on the " already knew how to but hadn't yet received the baptism of the Holy Ghost"? I've never heard this statement and wonder where in scripture I would find it.
The ten virgins are not the church.
The ten virgins are at the wedding feast of the bride and bridegroom.
We, the church, are the bride.
As far as the seeds, I'm thinking that you're referring to the four types of soil, Jesus explains that one so we don't need to.
As Paul Harvey used to say, and now, the rest of the story.....
Problem is we don't have the rest of the story. All we're left with is that Demos had deserted Paul. We know nothing of what happened to him and his relationship with Christ after this.
To draw a conclusion would be making a presumption.
I don't think we're in a position to do this.
If the casual reader of the NT read the account of Peter denying Christ without the rest of the story, would they draw the same conclusion as you regarding Demos?
Context gives the answer in this case. Back up to 1 Cor 9:15 and read through v27.
If we took one verse out of context we could read into v24 the notion that only one person would win the prize of salvation. But we know that is not the case.
Paul is not talking about the loss of salvation here.
Read the text again, in context, and see if you get the meaning.