Galations 6:8 Eternal Life

On July 26, 2009, a pastor I have high regard for gave a message on Galations 6:9 entitled “In Due Season”.  While this pastor's teaching style is from what I refer to as the “Old School”, his messages are always well organized and give me much to consider in my heart.  This message fulfilled what I believe to be this pastor's purpose in motivating believers to keep on doing the work of the Lord without ceasing, resulting in unbelievers coming to Christ.  However, like the overwhelming teachers of today, he did not get into the true consequences of the conditional statement Paul makes in Galations 6:8. 
 This is a crucial verse since it has been misinterpreted for several centuries by the Reformed and Armanian theologians, not to mention Roman Catholicism.  The conditional statement is that, if we sow to the flesh (fail to follow Christ) we will reap corruption but if we sow to the Spirit (Do good works in Christ – persevere) we will reap eternal life.
What Bob and others did was skip the eternal life issue altogether and teach that we must continue doing good to see fruit from the Spirit.  However, the Reformed and Armanian’s equate the condition in Galations 6:8 with going to heaven or hell.  That is a crucial point, and it is wrong.
The eternal life presented here is “Abundant Life”, not salvation from hell.  He is talking to regenerate Christians about the consequences they will face at the Judgment Seat of Christ at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom if they fail to persevere in their walk with Christ.  The eternal life (abundant life) referred to here is close fellowship with Christ in His Kingdom, inheriting the right to rule with Christ in His Kingdom, and receiving crowns and praise at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The corruption presented in this verse means loss of fellowship with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom, loss of inheritance and the right to rule with Christ in the Kingdom, and shame and loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  It does not mean, nor does it make any reference to, a believer going to hell as a consequence of sowing to the flesh.
He is actually concluding his teaching on the battle between the flesh and the Spirit discussed in Galations 5:16 – 26.  Again, in 5:19 – 21, Paul makes a conditional statement where the negative consequence is to not inherit the kingdom.  Again, there is no reference to a believer going to hell.  It is specifically referring to the Millennial Kingdom.
It is important to distinguish between “obtaining eternal life (salvation from hell)” and “the consequences to the Christian who fails to follow Christ”.  These are two distinct events and must be separated.  And to say that a true Christian must not act or think a certain way or they will lose their salvation or that they never had it in the first place because their faith was not genuine is absolutely wrong and there is nothing in the entire Word of God to support such thinking without taking the verses or passages out of context. 
In fact, if it were not possible for true, regenerate believers to fall away from Christ then   why does Paul warn them not to do the things of the flesh and encourage them to sow to the Spirit?  It is obvious that Paul is writing to Christians and encouraging them to follow Christ while warning them of the great opportunities they will lose in the Kingdom Life if they do not follow Christ.
In conclusion, if you believe (are convinced) that Jesus is Lord and will raise you from the dead then you have eternal life and, since it is eternal, it cannot be taken away from you.  You can never lose it!  However, you also now have an obligation to follow Christ and keep His commandments.  If you fail to persevere in that goal then you may not inherit the kingdom (be involved in Christ’s government on earth during His Millennial Kingdom), may lose close fellowship with Christ, may suffer shame and loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ, may not be welcome at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.  However, while all these things may happen (during a moment or period in time) as a consequence, you will not go to hell.
In closing, consider Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue to sin that grace might increase?  May it never be!  How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”