Ten People Who Will Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God: What You Should Know

In this week’s episode, we are talking inheritance, that is inheriting the Kingdom of God. The Bible details for us those who will and those who won’t inherit the Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is all about righteousness. John Eckhardt wrote the following spiritual ode about God’s Kingdom written from God’s viewpoint. “My kingdom is a kingdom of righteousness, and I hold the scepter of righteousness in My hand. I will lead you in the paths of righteousness. If you will trust in Me, I will bring forth your righteousness as the light. Those who wait upon Me will inherit the earth and will delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Blessed is the woman I choose and cause to approach Me. You will dwell in My courts and be satisfied with the goodness of My house. I will answer you with awesome deeds of righteousness, and I establish the mountains by My strength. The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness will be quietness and assurance forever”¹ From a study in Ephesians we look at the Kingdom of God from a different point of view. We look at those who definitely will not inherit the Kingdom. Ten People Who Will Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God: What You Should Know — all on this week’s Light on Life.

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We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

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Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 45 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 40 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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No Inheritance in the Kingdom: What You Should Know

We are in Ephesians five and starting in verse four – hear it now.

Ephesians 5:4–7 (ESV): Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them;

Notice what Paul, by the Spirit of God, says here in verse five.
He said, ‘You may be sure of this.’
And, with that thought, let’s start out with the Definition of the Day.
‘You may be sure of this’ is translated as five English words from Greek.
The Greek is two words.
So, two Greek words make five English words.
The first Greek word is the word oida (οἰδα) “know” – which speaks of absolute beyond a doubt knowledge, a knowledge that is self-evident.
The second Greek word is the word ginōskō (γινωσκω) which speaks of knowledge gained by experience²
The translators translated these two Greek words into ‘You may be sure of this.’
But, you could also translate this as ‘For this you-know knowing.’
A double knowledge is referenced here.
The two words used together show that this knowledge that the Ephesians had was absolutely certain – they knew it was absolutely true, and they had experience with these facts.
They saw it in action.
The Ephesians knew the three people described here – the sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater) had no inheritance in the Kingdom.
But, are these the only people who fit this bill?
Listen to some instructions given to the church at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV) — 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Who are these unrighteous folks?
What do they look like — how do they act?
Paul spells that out for us in great detail.

Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,

The first three listed here are almost an exact match of our passage in Ephesians five.
So, the first three types of individuals who will not inherit the Kingdom of God are set – the sexually immoral, the impure, the covetous / idolater.
But, these are not the only ones who will not inherit the Kingdom.

Those Who Will Not Inherit the Kingdom: Homosexuals

There are more on this list — so let’s keep reading.
Here is another person who will not inherit the Kingdom.

nor men who practice homosexuality,

Now, this is it — it’s the New Testament — the Spirit of God inspired the Apostle Paul to write this, and you cannot say this any plainer than he said it.
This is God’s standard, not man’s.
Homosexuals – male or female same-sex relationships are classed with the sexually immoral, the impure, and adulterers.
Covetous means those greedy for these illicit kinds of relationships.
The word ‘homosexual’ in Greek includes both the active homosexual partner and the passive effeminate partner.
Now, that’s what the margin of my ESV Bible says.
The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts.
Those involved in these kinds of relationships will not inherit the Kingdom.
Now, people try to spin this.
They try and get around what God said, but, it’s plain talk.
There is no way around this.
The words are simple and displayed clearly on the page – ‘nor men who practice homosexuality.’
Now, there are some who object and question this because they think people are born homosexual.
Okay, this bears repeating: God said this.
So, you must walk your way back from what He said, not walk your way back from people’s condition.
You start with God and end with God – you stay in God.
You don’t start with people and hope to find a God answer.
Listen to the way people are thinking in our society today.
I am quoting the following from a book entitled: Homosexuality, Science, and the Scriptures.
The reference is at the end of this post if you would like to read the book.

Ben Haggerty, better known by his stage name Macklemore, is a rap music star from Seattle who in 2012 recorded “Same Love,” a song affirming same-sex marriage. The tune was released in part to support Washington Referendum 74, a ballot measure in which the Washington voters approved same-sex marriages by a margin of 54% to 46% on November 6, 2012. The cover photo on the single of “Same Love” shows Macklemore’s uncle, John Haggerty, and his homosexual partner, Sean. Within the song itself, Haggerty directly attacks the notion that one can change his or her homosexual desires and criticizes Christians who oppose homosexuality, especially “right wing conservatives” who “think it’s a decision.” In the chorus of “Same Love,” Haggerty expresses a core belief of the modern LGBT movement and sings, “And I can’t change / Even if I tried / Even if I wanted to.” In this way, Haggerty is making his own form of the born-this-way argument, insisting homosexuality is hardwired into a person’s nature and cannot be changed. Using a popular musical format, Haggerty asserts two core ideas about homosexuality. First, people who oppose homosexuality are bigoted, uncompassionate religious zealots. Second, a person cannot change his or her sexual desires regardless of how hard he or she tries. The idea a person cannot change his or her sexual desires has become so widely accepted in our culture that anyone who questions the assumption is quickly labeled as a homophobe, a prejudiced fool to be dismissed from any serious discussion. “I can’t change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to!” [that’s the song] Is this core assumption of born-this-way arguments true? ³

Is it true that I can’t change even if I wanted to?
The answer to this question is right here in this passage of scripture we are reading.
Listen to the whole segment.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV) — 9 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, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 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.

Such were some of you!
Did you hear that?
Is ‘were’ past tense, present tense, or future tense?
It’s past tense.
What’s Paul saying here?
Remember, all scripture is given by the inspiration of the Spirit of God.
He is saying that some of you were – WERE – that’s past tense.
If you ‘were’ it — it means you ain’t it now.
You WERE — some of you were sexually immoral, some of you were idolaters and adulterers, and some of you were homosexuals, but you were washed — you were sanctified — you were justified in the Name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit of God.
What you were in your past life, you no longer are – you’re a new man in Christ.
That process of washing, that process of sanctifying, that process of being justified in the Name of Jesus, that process by which the Holy Spirit of God recreated your spirit, changed your present condition to a past one.
You were homosexual, but now you’re not.
So, that means it is absolutely positively possible to change, but, of course, you can’t do this on your own.
Psychology won’t help you.
Medical science is not the answer.
Counseling can help if it points you to God’s Word and God’s power.
If it doesn’t, it’s just a bunch of junk.
And, that’s some of the problem — people are trying to change on their own.
Of course, when you try to change on your own, you will fail.
When you try to say ‘no’ to wrong urges, you will fall on your face.
You need the self-control that only comes from God alone.

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV): 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

You can’t make progress in some of these areas without the ability to say ‘no.’

Proverbs 25:28 (ESV): – A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

What happens is people take this inability to say ‘no’ and say, ‘See that, I can’t change, so I must have been born this way.’
It’s possible to change with the help of God — by the help of the Spirit of God.
He will transform you, and straighten up your desires.
Do you understand what the new birth is?
Do you understand the magnitude of the power that transforms a dead human spirit and recreates it?
Before you came to Jesus, you were dead in trespasses and sins.
Your nature was wrong.
Your insides were all messed up.
You had no life in you.
That’s why Jesus came.
Jesus said, I am come that you might have life.

John 10:10 (ESV) — 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

He came to give you something that you could not get on your own, not in a thousand years.
That life that Jesus came to give you is the very Zoé life of God.
It’s the same life that the Father God has in Himself.

John 5:26 (ESV) — 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

The same life that is in the Father God is the same life that is in the Son of God.
And, Jesus the Son of God said, I am come that you might have this life.
There is no way that once the life of God hits your dead unregenerate spirit that you remain the same.
There is too much life in God to leave you unaffected — to leave you the mess that you were.
He is all life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) — 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

That’s what Paul is saying — the old has passed away — you were sexually immoral, but now you’re not.
You were homosexual, but now you’re not — you are justified — you were sanctified by the Name of Jesus and by the Spirit of God.
So, there is something really wrong when individuals say, ‘I’m saved, I’m born again, but yeah, I’m homosexual.’
There’s something absolutely wrong with that statement.
And, it’s not homophobic to say that; it’s just a Bible fact.
You can be changed.

Ten Who Will Not Inherit the Kingdom: Thieves, and the Greedy

So, now we move on to the last five who will not inherit the Kingdom.

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Let’s talk about thieves.
First, let’s define terms, and with that, let’s also ask the why question.
Why won’t thieves inherit the Kingdom?

Why Thieves Will Not Inherit the Kingdom

We already have a statement from the Apostle Paul on stealing in Ephesians four, verse twenty-eight.

Ephesians 4:28 (ESV): 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Paul is saying that there are people out there who are thieving.
They engage in this sinful activity because they are dead in trespasses and sins.
All sinners are not the same flavor.
The death that is at work in them manifests in different ways.
Some are thieves — some are robbers.
A thief is not the same as a robber.
A robber takes things by violence — a thief takes things by stealth.
Stealing is stealing in either case.
Paul said believers should have nothing to do with thievery.
Again, all sinners are not the same flavor.
With some, the death that is at work in them manifests in drunkenness.
Yet others, manifest death through sexual sins.
Some are murderers.
And, we know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in them – that’s 1 John 3:15.
Let’s get back to thieves.
Thieves support themselves by stealing from others.
God is saying, don’t be classed with them — don’t be caught up in their miss deeds.
Let’s move on to the next individual out of the list of ten who will not inherit the Kingdom of God, the greedy.

Those Who Are Greedy

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Greedy folk is those who always want more, including those who take advantage of others to satisfy their covetousness.⁴
Now, we have drunkards.

Those Who Are Drunkards

Drunkards are those who get high on alcohol.
They will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
You could easily add and expand this to include not just alcohol but any intoxicating substance, in liquid, powder, or pill form.
What’s wrong with getting drunk?
Well, what’s right with it?
You can tell if something is good and right by looking at the fruit that it brings forth.
What positive good comes from being inebriated?
We have all heard the horror stories of those who were drunk and got behind the wheel of a car, and the devastation that brought.
Drunkenness causes impaired judgment.
It does something else.

Ephesians 5:18–21 (ESV): 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but [be filled with the Spirit,] 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Drunkenness leads to other sins.
It leads to debauchery.
The Greek word debauchery or ‘aselgeia’ means “reckless abandon that leads to lewdness, sensuality.”
It means a behavior that shows a lack of concern or thought for the consequences of an action—‘senseless deeds, reckless deeds, recklessness.’
Drunkenness leads to debauchery.
Debauchery has bad companions.
It was one of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.

2 Peter 2:7–8 (ESV): – 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);

Do you see the word sensuality?
That’s the same Greek for debauchery – ‘aselgeia.’

2 Peter 2:1–2 (ESV): – 1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

Here debauchery is classed with false prophets.
Drunkenness leads to debauchery and a host of bad company; that’s my point.
But, people can be changed by God’s power — ‘such were some of you.”
And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

At an open-air Gospel meeting the preacher asked for testimonies. While this was going on a skeptic was passing by just when the testimony of a man was being given who was a drunkard but had given his heart to Jesus. He stopped and listened. The former drunkard was telling how Jesus had wrought a miracle and saved his poor soul. The skeptic scoffingly made a few remarks to those standing near him. He said, “It was nothing more than a dream, religion saving a man in this manner; just a mere dream, and nothing more.” No one answered him; but God had His way of dealing with him. Among the listeners was a little girl about ten years old. She had known the misery of a drunkard’s home. She heard the remark of the skeptic and, going up to him, she said: “Please, sir, if it is only a dream, please don’t wake him—that is my daddy!”[ 4. Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 1132.]

I want to say it again, but such were some of you!
This little girl knew that her father had been changed.
If you are still a drunkard, either you were never changed in the first place, or you have allowed your flesh to dominate you.

Revilers and Swindlers

Now we come to the last two groups of people who will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

What’s a reviler?
What’s a swindler?
A reviler is an abusive person.
It’s a person who verbally insults people.
Slander and abusive talk come out of this person’s mouth.
Some do this for money — they make a living at insulting people.
Some of the shock-jocks on radio and TV are this type of person.
Don’t use your mouth against people.
Be mindful of slandering anyone — righteous or unrighteous.
Speak the truth in love is what the scripture says.
Don’t even get close to using your mouth against others.
Park your tongue.
Do as the scripture says.

Colossians 4:6 (ESV) — 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Now, we come to the last person who will not inherit the Kingdom of God, swindlers.
What’s a swindler?
It’s a violently greedy person.
One Greek definition has a swindler as a ravenous wolf or wild animal.
In context, it’s a person who is voracious in gobbling up, stealing, and robbing other people and taking everything they have.
Corporate raiders come to mind.
People involved in Ponzi schemes would also hit the mark here.
The Mafia or gangs operate in this arena.
The idea here for followers of Jesus is that we should not get close to any of this kind of behavior.
Don’t even let your toe touch the water.
Don’t allow yourself to come close to the line.
As we get ready to close, remember the scriptures tell us that we are more than conquerors.

Romans 8:36–37 (ESV) — 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Such were some of you.
But, you may ask, what if I committed one of these sins?
Am I lost?
Is there no way back?
Yes! Thank God there is.

At the close of a service in our Chicago church I found a man standing by one of the chairs. He seemed to be deeply interested. The moment I began to speak to him he broke down and said, “I would like to be saved, but I have committed a sin for which there is no forgiveness. I remember my mother reading me in the Bible when I was a boy that those who committed this sin could not be saved.” I asked him what the sin was that he had committed. He told me, and for a moment I could not think where there was any passage in the Bible that could by any possibility be construed into meaning that there could be no forgiveness for this sin, but suddenly 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 occurred to me. I said, “I think I know the passage to which you refer,” and opened my Bible and began to read, “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.” “Yes,” he said, “that is it. Does it not say there is no salvation for those who do this sin? Does it not say ‘they shall not inherit the kingdom of God’?” I said, “Listen, while I read the next verse,” and I read on, “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.” “Does it say that? Does it say that?” the man cried. I said, “Read it for yourself.” He took my Bible and read it and cried, “Thank God.” He knelt down with the tears streaming down his face and accepted the Saviour, and arose full of joy in the knowledge that his sins were all forgiven. Some weeks after when I entered the church one Sunday morning, I saw him standing at the back of the seats with a lady between thirty and forty and a young lady perhaps seventeen or eighteen. As I stepped up to speak to him he said, “Let me introduce you to my wife and daughter.” I spoke to them about Christ and they both took Christ. Today that man is a hard-working member and office-bearer in Chicago Avenue Church. His sin was great, but even such as he could be “washed” and “sanctified” and “justified.”⁵

It takes a humble mind and a repentant heart, but there is forgiveness in Jesus.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) — 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Thank God, there is a way back.

Now Father God in the precious Name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. I pray right now for our listening audience. I ask you to help them — to minister to them — to let us all up. For we are men of like passions. Help us — show us — point it out to us so that we can live pleasing in your sight. Thank for cleansing us from all unrighteousness in Jesus Might Name Amen.

You guys have a great God week, and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

What Does It Mean to Be a Joint Heir with Jesus?

__________
References:

John Eckhardt, Women’s Daily Declarations for Spiritual Warfare (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2013), 332. ↩
Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 122. ↩
J. Alan Branch, Born This Way?: Homosexuality, Science, and the Scriptures (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 118. ↩
Stanley M. Horton, I & II Corinthians: A Logion Press Commentary (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 1999), 62. ↩
R. A. Torrey, Anecdotes and Illustrations (New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1907), 62–63. ↩

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Ten People Who Will Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God: What You Should Know

Podcast: Light on Life Season Nine Episode Forty-Eight

by Emery Horvath

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Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

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Podcast Notes

No Inheritance in the Kingdom: What You Should Know

Those Who Will Not Inherit the Kingdom: Homosexuals

Ten Who Will Not Inherit the Kingdom: Thieves, and the Greedy

Why Thieves Will Not Inherit the Kingdom

Those Who Are Greedy

Those Who Are Drunkards

Revilers and Swindlers

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in iTunes

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

No Inheritance in the Kingdom: What You Should Know

Those Who Will Not Inherit the Kingdom: Homosexuals

Ten Who Will Not Inherit the Kingdom: Thieves, and the Greedy

Why Thieves Will Not Inherit the Kingdom

Those Who Are Greedy

Those Who Are Drunkards

Revilers and Swindlers

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