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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, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

The Apostle Paul often wrote of the Grace of God. Salvation is by Grace. Paul wrote under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit:

Ephesians 2:1-9 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Paul saw those who without Christ as those who "walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air" (a title for Satan). Those without Christ are "dead in trespasses and sins", and acted that way. It is God Who "quickens of makes us alive together with Christ".

As Jesus was resurrected physically following His crucifixion, the believer is resurrected spiritually when we put our faith in Him.

The Apostle said that it is God Who "raises us up, and makes us sit in Heavenly places in Christ". We are saved by Grace when we call upon Jesus, and receive Him as He is – both Lord and Savior. We are saved by Grace, by faith in what Jesus did on the Cross for us. But Beloved, once saved, our outward way of life changes.

The saved do not continue to walk in darkness.
The saved do not revel in trespasses & sins.
The saved do not follow the Prince of the Power of the air.
The saved recognize and respond to the Lordship of Jesus.

Preach: When a baby is born into this world, it does not stay in the birth canal and in the darkness of the womb. That which is "born" moves from one environment to another. That which is born – be it if the flesh or of the Spirit – walks in another place following birth.

The Church at Corinth had been sold the "truth" that you could be saved by Christ, and yet still be just like the world. This is an ancient lie still present today.

In our text today the Apostle addresses this in the strongest way possible today. He starts off with a rhetorical question:

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous...

The Saved Are Not To Be "Unrighteous"

God through Paul chooses His words very carefully. He is addressing "the unrighteous". Now, who are "the unrighteous"? To be "unrighteous" is to be out of step with God. God is RIGHTEOUS.

O Lord God of Israel, You are RIGHTEOUS (Ezra 9:15)
Gracious is the LORD and RIGHTEOUS (Psalm 116:5)
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether RIGHTEOUS (Psalm 19:9)
RIGHTEOUSNESS is on Your side, O LORD (Daniel 9:7)
To be UNRIGHTEOUS is to be where God is NOT.

The unrighteous want little or nothing to do with God – though God wants them to come to Him. God calls to the unrighteous:

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

The "wicked" is a person who acts out their evil or departure from God. The "unrighteous" is governed by his thoughts. An unrighteous person is clearly not with God, clearly not wanting to be where God is. If the unrighteous would come to God, God would receive them for Christ's sake. The unrighteous despise not only God, but God's people. The Psalmist prayed:

Psalm 71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

When you erase the commandments and design of the LORD, you open the door to cruelty and evil.

The unrighteous person is not the same as a person saved by faith. A person saved by faith seeks to be righteous as Jesus is righteous. The Apostle wrote in:

Romans 1:19 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

The Just or Righteous live by faith in God.
The wicked or unrighteous live by faith in self.

The Just or Righteous and the wicked or unrighteous turn their thoughts to outward action differently. Those saved by faith in Christ are transformed from children of Adam into children of God. They do not become perfect on this earth, but they become imitators of God their Father. Hear this, dear Christian. Hear the Word of the LORD:

Romans 6:12-14 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

As Children of God, we obey our Father. As Children of God, we follow our Elder Brother Jesus. As Children of God, we walk WITH God.

Now let's go a little further with the text. The text plainly states:

The Unrighteous Will NOT Go To Heaven

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

Word Study: Let's break this down. The word "inherit" is the Greek κληρονομέω klēronoméō, {pronounced klay-ron-om-eh'-o}, which means "to obtain by right of inheritance through an heir". Eternal life is an inheritance that you receive from Jesus. Jesus said:

Matthew 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit {klēronoméō} everlasting life.

Jesus is not talking about earning an inheritance. You do not earn an inheritance. An inheritance is what is due you, by law, because of your relationship to the owner. Jesus Christ is the Owner of Heaven. Those who have believed on Jesus, receiving Him as Lord and Savior, are called "children, and heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).

We are told "unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God". The unrighteous have no relationship with God, nor with Christ. They shall not inherit "the kingdom of God". The "kingdom of God" is spoken of frequently in the Bible (see Mark 1:15; 10:15; 15:43; Luke 17:20; Acts 28:31; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 15:50).

The Kingdom of God is the same as Heaven.

The Kingdom of God or Heaven is reserved for those who are inheritors of God. The Jesus Who said:

Matthew 4:17 … "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand"

is the same Jesus Who told us:

John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The Christian is a person who holds dual citizenship. We are citizens of these United States, but we are also citizens of HEAVEN. The Scripture says:

Philippians 3:20 … our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ …

As citizens of Heaven, we who are saved seek to please our Lord in everything. We avoid any pattern of life that God is not in, that God has not endorsed. Let's read a little further:

1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived…

Word Study: The words "Be not deceived" are the Greek words μή πλανάω mē planaō, which literally means "to not be led astray, do not wander away {from the truth}". Jesus used the same word when He told the Sadducees (Matthew 22:29), "You wander away from the truth {planaō}, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God". The Christian knows the power of God, for the Christian has experienced the power of God at the point of salvation. The Christian who does not make time to read and study the Scripture, who is spiritually lazy, will find themselves drifting away from God.

Let's Be Blunt: Actions Determine Your Destiny

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, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

As the Apostle defines who are "the unrighteous", he defines them by their outward actions, their manifest disobedience. What actions does God consider abnormal or against His divine design?

Those who commit SEXUAL sin

  • Fornicators: πόρνος pórnos, {pronounced por'-nos}, one who prostitutes their body, one who engages in unlawful sexual intercourse
  • Adulterers: μοιχός moichós, {pronounced moy-khos'}, one who sexually violates a marriage covenant
  • Effeminate: μαλακός malakós, {pronounced mal-ak-os'}, a male prostitute, a boy kept for homosexual relations with a man (technical term "catamite")
  • Abusers of themselves with mankind: ἀρσενοκοίτης arsenokoítēs, {pronounced ar-sen-ok-oy'-tace}, one who lies with a male as with a female, sodomite, homosexual.

Those who worship false gods

  • Idolaters: εἰδωλολάτρης eidōlolátrēs, {pronounced i-do-lol-at'-race}

Those who violate the Royal Law of Love

  • Thieves: κλέπτης kléptēs, {pronounced klep'-tace}
  • Covetous: πλεονέκτης pleonéktēs, {pronounced pleh-on-ek'-tace} those eager for gain regardless at to who it hurts, those eager to take what belongs to others
  • Drunkards: μέθυσος méthysos, {pronounced meth'-oo-sos}, those who are intoxicated or high from drugs or alcohol
  • Revilers: λοίδορος loídoros, {pronounced loy'-dor-os}, a person who expresses objections or criticisms in bitter, harsh, or abusive language
  • Extortioners: ἅρπαξ hárpax, {pronounced har'-pax}, people who are ravenous, seeking to rob others by threats, a blackmailer

In the previous chapter, the Apostle commanded:

1 Corinthians 5:11 … I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

The Gospel was made for the lost. We are not told to stay away from the people who are lost who do these things. We are told to remove fellowship from anyone who "is called a brother", that is, they profess to be Christians, IF they involve themselves in these types of behavior. These types of behaviors or "lifestyle choices", if you prefer, are forbidden in God's Word. People who routinely engage in these types of behaviors "shall inherit the kingdom of God". These are not my words. These are the Words God gave us through His Apostles.

But There Is Good News. There Is The Gospel.

Is there any hope for those engaged in these types of activities? Can they be redeemed, and brought into the Family of God. ABSOLUTELY! We read:

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.

Please pay attention to the verb tense in what the Apostle writes. "And such were some of you". Some of those in the Church of Corinth WERE once engaged in these types of behaviors. What happened to them? They repented of their lifestyle choices, and bowed the knee to Jesus. When someone hears the Gospel of salvation, what does it do? It ...

Acts 26:18 … open(s) their eyes, and to turn(s) them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me {Jesus} …

When someone hears the Gospel and receives it, they "are washed". When a person says "yes" to Jesus, receiving Him as Lord and Savior, He

Ephesians 5:26 … sanctif(ies) and cleanse(s them) with the washing of water by the Word

The believer in Christ is "sanctified" by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:16), set apart for God's Family. The Blood of Jesus paid for the sins of His people. The Blood of Jesus that we claim, that we call upon, causes God to send His Holy Spirit into our lives. We who have called upon Jesus "are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God". We are not as we were. No, we are not perfect. But we are Children of God, set apart to follow Jesus, to be like Jesus, to love like Jesus, to honor Jesus with our lives.

God works in the life of the genuine Christian.

You do not stay the same. You can no more be a "Christian homosexual" than you can be a "Christian thief". When the Apostle wrote out this list of unrighteous behaviors (and again, this is by inspiration of God), the idolater and the sexual sinners are in the same list with the drunkard and the verbally abusive along with the robbers. To say "I am a Christian adulterer" is as ludicrous as it is to say "I am a Christian drunkard". It just doesn't work! And beloved, I would be a false prophet if I were to say that you can continue in these forbidden lifestyles and expect to go to Heaven.

You just can't. And dear, I did not make the rules.

But once more, the Gospel does not call on you to work hard to get to Heaven. The Gospel bids you to lay your life down before the Lordship of Jesus, to turn your life over to Him, and HE WILL SAVE YOU.

"And such were some of you". There was a time in my life when I enjoyed drugs, and enjoyed getting "lit" with my companions. There was a time in my life where I enjoyed alcohol, enjoyed many of the behaviors found in this list. And then I met Jesus. I heard the Gospel of salvation. Do you know the Gospel? Here's the Gospel that saved the Apostle Paul, myself, and every Christian who has ever been made so. You can read along with me if you want to flip over a few chapters to:

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

The Apostle said that the Gospel is something that must be "received, AND wherein ye stand". When the Gospel is preached, the reception of the soul matters. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 13:3-8 in the Parable of the Sower. When the Gospel is preached,

  • Some will not understand the Gospel, and the devil will snatch away the Word spoken (Matthew 13:19). They will not RECEIVE it.
  • Others will receive the Gospel, but will not stand in it, having no root (Matthew 13:20-21)
  • Yet others will receive the Gospel while trying to hold on to their old way of life (Matthew 13:22), and will be unfruitful.
  • But the normal Christian will receive the Word of the Gospel and stand in it. That person will be fruitful and pleasing to God (Matthew 13:23).

The Apostle said that this Gospel saves us "if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain". The Gospel that saves goes down deep into the soul. It goes into ground prepared of God to receive it. It is received gratefully and fully by the sinner. What is this Gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

The Gospel that saved Paul, and me, and you, if you will hear it, is that "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures". Jesus Christ died for our sins to make us right with God. Jesus shed His Blood on Calvary to make atonement, to make us one with God. We cannot pay for our sins. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with God other than to believe on the name of Jesus. It is Jesus alone Who came, FULFILLING THE PROPHESIES OF THE MESSIAH. It is Jesus alone Who can:

Cause the blind to see.
Cause the deaf to hear.
Cause the cripple to walk.
Cause the dead to rise.
Cause the broken to be mended.
Cause the sinner to be a Son.
Cause the unrighteous to be righteous.
Cause the lost to be found.

Jesus Christ died for your sins and mine. There is no sin that you have committed or will commit that Jesus has not paid for. If Hitler, mass murder that he was, had called upon the name of the Lord, bowing the knee to Jesus, he would have been saved. Jesus Christ died on the Cross for the sin of the world.

1 Corinthians 15:4 … And that {Jesus} was buried, and that {Jesus} rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Jesus Christ not only died for your sin and mine, but He "rose again the third day according to the scriptures". Had Jesus died and stayed dead, we would yet be lost and far from God. It is the death AND the resurrection of Christ that constitutes the Gospel. What does the Scripture say?

Romans 10:9-11 (ESV) … if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."

It is a necessary component of salvation that you confess with your mouth "Jesus is LORD". Jesus died for your sins, becoming the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. But Jesus rose from the grave to be your ever present Lord. Jesus is Lord. "As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God". He is Lord! What did the Angel Gabriel say to Joseph, when that dear man found his wife Mary pregnant with what was not his child?

Matthew 1:20-21 … fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Who does Jesus save? "his people". Those who have received Him as Lord and Savior. Those willing to be Christ's possession. Those who commit their lives unto Him. I think the Free Bible Commentary says it best:

"The goal of salvation is not heaven when we die but Christlikeness now (Romans 8:28-30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 1:4; 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 4:3; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:15), so that those who see our witness may be drawn to Jesus and go to heaven with us! Sanctification, like justification, is a gift and a choice!"

Dr. R.C. Sproule in his sermon "A Great Salvation" (Hebrews 2:1-4) noted:

"… Some people go fishing in boats, and they don't set the anchor down. They allow the boat to move with the current, and they just drift. Where they end up can be somewhat problematic. … Don't allow yourselves to drift away from what you've heard. … If you neglect {your salvation} and treat it lightly, it probably means you've never been converted, that God has never quickened or awakened your soul from spiritual death. This salvation is incredible. It deserves our diligence, our energetic pursuit of it. Certainly it does not deserve neglect."

Praise God for His wonderful gift! May I ask you, have you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Having received Him, do you stand in this Gospel, living your life day by day loving Jesus most? Oh, what a joy it is to be in Christ. If you do not know Him as Lord and Savior, I beg you, come to Him this very day. May God the Holy Spirit open your eyes to hear this, His Word of Truth. Amen and Amen!