But does the Apostle Paul, the one who wrote the ninth chapter of the Book of Romans, actually state clearly and definitively that a genuine saint can be barred from the Kingdom of God? And if so, on what basis?

Yes, Paul does say this clearly and definitively. And the basis is behavior.

Is the Apostle Paul saying the unsaved people of Galatia will not inherit the Kingdom of God if they practice immorality and hatred? If he is, then the implication is clear that if they cease their sinful behavior they will inherit the Kingdom of God. Is this what we believe—that unbelievers can inherit the Kingdom of God by ceasing their sinful behavior?

Is the Apostle Paul stating if the saints in Galatia practice immorality and hatred they will be barred from the Kingdom of God? It seems he is.

If this is true, then two facts are evident:

First, we must put into practice that which has been sovereignly given to us.

Second, if we do not put into practice that which has been sovereignly given to us we are in scriptural danger of not inheriting the Kingdom of God, of not being saved into God's Kingdom.

Because of some of Paul's statements in the Book of Romans, which actually are pointed more to Jews who were striving to keep the Law of Moses than to the Gentile believers, there is an overemphasis today on the grace of forgiveness (forgiveness is by no means the only form of Divine grace; the power to overcome sin is another form of Divine grace, for example).

When I first received the Lord I came under the influence of the Navigators. One of the first passages given to me to memorize was Ephesians 2:8,9. Sound familiar?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God Not by works, so no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9—NIV)

It was dinned into me by these dear people that we are not saved by anything we have done because we could boast if we saved ourselves by our own works.

We are saved by grace, by faith, and by grace and faith alone. Period. Nothing else is to be added.

But they did not add verse ten, not because they were trying to distort the Bible but because they themselves may not have been aware of the critical need for activation.

Let us take a careful look at verse ten; for to employ verses eight and nine apart from verse ten gives us a severely distorted understanding of the Divine salvation.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10—NIV)

Now, why were we created in Christ Jesus?

We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

To be continued.