Who'll Inherit the Kingdom of God?

“To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:7-11 ESV)

So, this is speaking of those who believed in Jesus Christ with God-persuaded faith in the Lord Jesus, because it states clearly that they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of God. So these were not fake Christians. These were not those who made false professions of faith in Jesus Christ. Am I right? Or not? For only those of genuine faith in Jesus Christ can be sanctified and justified by the Spirit of God. And this is important that we understand that here. For what is next?

There is a scolding by the apostle Paul to perhaps the majority of those professing faith in Jesus Christ in Corinth. For they were wronging and defrauding their own brothers in Christ. But this isn’t just a scolding. It is a warning to them that the unrighteous (those who live unrighteously in disobedience to God) will not inherit the kingdom of God. So they were not to be deceived into thinking that just because they believed in Jesus Christ that they could now live however they want to live without consequence.

For, he said, that “neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” And this is taught all throughout the New Testament, that if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness and holiness, and not walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant), that we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess.

But then what did he say? He said that “such were some of you,” meaning that some of them were not presently the sexually immoral, idolaters, etc. because they had been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Oh, so that changes what I said in the first paragraph, doesn’t it? Or not? I mean we are all born into sin, with sin natures, in the image of Adam, and so all of us at one time were the unsaved who were among the people mentioned in this list who will not inherit the kingdom of God.

So for him to say that “some” of them were in that list, when we all were in that list at one time, that would be to say that only some of them were now washed, sanctified, and justified by the Spirit of God. For only some of them “were” (meaning past tense) in that list of sinners. And that actually fits better with my understanding of what was going on in Corinth and the kinds of things Paul was having to address to the people. But are true believers in Christ exempt from these warnings? Or is this only for fake Christians?

From what I read of the Scriptures, fake Christians and true Christians alike are warned all throughout the New Testament against living in sin thinking that they have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. For even genuine believers in Christ can fall back into sin and can rebel against the Lord and if that is where they remain and they do not repent and they do not obey the Lord in practice, they will not have eternal life with God. And this is because our salvation is not a once-in-a-life-time experience that seals the deal.

Our salvation is progressive sanctification. We have been saved (past). We are being saved (present active). And we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ returns and he takes his bride to be with him for eternity, but provided that we remain in Christ and in his word and that we obey the Lord and his commands, in practice, and that we not make sin our practice. For our salvation won’t be complete until Jesus takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. And so we must walk according to the Spirit to the end.

For if we claim to be in fellowship with God, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, we are liars. And if we claim to know God, but we do not obey his commandments (New Covenant), in practice, we are liars. And if sin is what we obey and not obedience to God, its end is death, not life eternal (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; Romans 6:1-23 [esp. v. 16]). For Paul said that he did what he did in ministry for the sake of the gospel that he might share with those he ministered to in its blessings. And then he said this:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV)

And.. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

We are not to take God’s grace for granted. We are not to presume that just because we prayed a prayer to receive Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives that we can now live however we want and that God will still let us into his heaven. For the Scriptures teach us the opposite of that. 

The Christian life means that we daily deny self and die to sin and we follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. For if we hold on to our former lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and obey our Lord, in practice, then we have eternal life (Luke 9:23-26).

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Here is Your God!  

An Original Work / July 18, 2012

Based off Isaiah 40:9-31 NIV

You who bring good tidings to Zion,

Lift up your voice; raise with a shout,

And do not be afraid of the people.

Say, “Here is your God!”

See how the Lord God comes now with power.

His arm rules for Him; His reward with Him.

He tends His flock just like a shepherd,

His lambs in His arms.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? 

Has it not been told you from beginning?

Our Lord sits enthroned above all things.

None to Him compare.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens.

Who made all of these? Who calls them by name?

Because of His great power and strength,

All accounted for.

Why do you say, “My way is hidden

From the Lord, and my cause forgotten”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Lord, He is your God.

He will not weary. He gives us power.

Those who trust in Him will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings just like eagles;

Walk and do faint not.

https://vimeo.com/125488095