Bible Reading: 1 Samuel; 1 Corinthians 6; Ezekiel 4; Psalms 40 & 41
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Those who are declared unrighteous by God will not inherit his kingdom. They will not be saved, but will be cast into the lake of fire. This is a sobering passage of scripture that we must pay attention to. The Bible specifically tells us not to be deceived. These are the things that send people to hell.
Fornication is having sexual intimacy intended for a man and his wife while not married. Idolatry is creating a god in your own image. Adultery is breaking the covenant of marriage by being unfaithful to a spouse. An effeminate man is one who is soft and acts like a woman. Those who abuse themselves with mankind are sodomites or homosexuals. A thief takes something that does not belong to him. Coveting is lusting after something that belongs to someone else. A drunk is one who drinks too much alcohol (a buzz is too much!). Revilers are those who are constantly into mischief and looking to get in trouble. Extortion is abusing your position and taking money that does not belong to you.
These sins keep people out of the kingdom of God. Do you find yourself on that list? I do. As the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians he was thinking of the people in the church. There was every sin on the list in the past of at least one of the people. And yet that was not who they were any longer!
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
When they trusted in Jesus, they were washed from those old sins. They were sanctified and set apart for the purpose of God. They were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God was living in them and he had made them new. Remember, righteousness does not come by keeping the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
What have you been washed of? What have you been forgiven of? Give Jesus all the glory and thank him that you are not who you used to be!
In Christ,
Rody
