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Chapters like this make me think it’s important not to overemphasise a doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved’ to the point where you ignore the clear warnings of scripture. I do believe that God knows who his elect are and that God doesn’t fail in what he sets out to do. But it is clear from this chapter that perseverance is a clear sign of someone being truly saved. It throws very much into doubt the idea that if someone seems like a believer at some point in their life you can rest assured that they are saved no matter how they act later. This whole area can seem paradoxical because we know we are saved by faith but we are exhorted to see things through to the end and ‘work out our faith’.

Also we are not to look down on people who have rejected Jesus or walked away. We aren’t to rejoice at the idea of anyone going to Hell. Paul is speaking in particular about having a desire to see the Jews come to faith but this attitude can be applied to anyone.