“…envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”
that those who practice such things
Three ideas in the word “practice” show that people who commit the sins of verses 19-20 regularly are carnal Christians. First, it is important to take note of the word “practice.” It is one thing to “do” the sins of verses 20 and 21, and it is another thing to “practice” them. Another Greek term (poiew) denotes an act complete in itself, whereas the word “practice” in this verse connotes more of a protracted habit. The one term means to accomplish or do something, and the other deals with the process leading to the accomplishment (John 3:20,21; Romans 2:3).
Second, the idea of the word “practice” is not always the New Testament use of this term, but it is the predominant use of it. It is the unrestrained practice that characterizes a person for who he truly is – a carnal believer. This list of sins does not characterize the Spirit-filled believer as a way of life.
Third, the tense of “practice” is durative. Those who habitually and repeatedly practice the list of sins in verses 20 and 21 as a course of conduct will not inherit rewards in the Millennial Kingdom. The Spirit-filled Christ produces the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23), and God will reward him for that fruit.
Principle:
We can identify carnal Christians by their ongoing character; it is presumptive evidence of who they are.
Application:
There are times when we cannot distinguish between a believer and an unbeliever. In this case, the believer is a carnal Christian, controlled by his sin capacity. He has not allowed himself to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Christians can “practice” the sins of the flesh (5:19-21).
“…lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced” (2 Corinthians 12:21 ).
The lost crowd would not be happy in heaven. Can you imagine those without Christ worshipping Him and singing His praises? Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Prepared people are those who are born into the family of God by embracing the death of Christ to forgive their sins. Jesus takes the hell of the hearts of those who trust Him and saves them from the place called hell.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
“…who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).
“But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things” (Romans 2:2).
Carnal Christians will have to make a dramatic right-about-face in their attitudes toward heaven as well.
hi I read one preacher say recently that that verse is talking
about unbeleivers who practise those things as a way of life. But beleivers cannot because we have a new nature and
can only sin those works of the flesh occasionally. and that paul was telling the galations to not participate in
those sins of the flesh by walking in the spirit. But what
you teach makes more sense. I also have one question this
teacher taught that because of our new nature and that we cannot sin from our spirit. we can only
copy sin by watching unbeleivers sin when we are out of
fellowship but christians cannot invent sin they can only
imitate umbeleivers sin. It does’nt compute with me as
I know when i miss it i did;nt watch a unbeleiver sin to do
the sin. i did it myself. And he said that a christian cannot continue to sin as he does,nt have a evil nature to
keep sinning. So i thought how would you know how many times a day or week would be considered too much sin. And he said that if you are sinning more than occasionally it proves you are not saved. His teaching really confused me and got me
thinking well how would christians know then if they are inventing sin or
imitating sin when they miss it or how much sin they do in a week is considered continuing to sin. He also went on to say when a beleiver is carnal he still is not inventing sin only copying sin so you can tell that he is a christian even when he is carnal. It has me confused as other scripture says the opposite.
he tried to use the word poieo that we don’t create sin from our spirit In 1 john but that we do sin by using the word prasso in the sense of just doing a sin on the outside And saying an
unbeleiver can only poieo (create) or make sin but can prasso do good works but a beleiver cannot poieo(create) sin at all from the inside spirit or on the outside. But can only sin by watching copying beleivers. And that christians cannot
invent sin. Anyway i wondered if you know any scripture that backs his teaching or if it is wrong can you explain by scripture. After hearing that teaching i looked up your view on this area as you explain
scripture very easily to understand. This other teaching
does;nt really make sense. I know christians or myself i
don,t want to sin but do miss it and most christians do not actually go looking to sin. But I know there has been
times in my christian walk when I have gotton lazy or put
god on the shelf while i did my own thing for 3 years but
then repented and got back walking with god. And I know others that have backslidden for years and come back to the
lord. But i remember during those three years i hardened
my heart towards the things of god so that my conscience
would,nt bother me and i was not happy during that time
because i kept making excuses for ignoring the lord and not
going to church and when i sinned i felt guilty but overrode the guilt but still did.nt repent. But during that time when i sinned i was,nt watching an unbeleiver sin
to do sin i just sinned from myself. Anyway according to
that mans teaching i could,nt of been born again but i know
I was and am. If any other teacher had taught it i would
of not paid much attention to what he said but because it
came from a teacher i had put a lot of trust in on a lot of
other subjects like he beleives in eternal security and
talks about carnal christians. Which produced security in me as i used to think for years if i died and had,nt confessed all my sins i would lose my salvation. So it was
a releif to know that if i had,nt got to confess a sin and
died i would still go to heaven. Stupid really I had.nt put
much faith in jesus blood. Could you explain how christians sin and do we only copy sin or do we invent sin
are we different than a sinner in that we don,nt have the ability to invent sin. dave
David, There is no evidence that ????? (poiew) carries the idea that this pastor claims it does. All it means is undertake to do something. ?????? práss? simply means to do or practice. The error was to “interpolate” something into the passage. That word means to read into the passage that is not in the passage.
thanks I what he said did,nt make sense