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Read Introduction to Galatians

 

“…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”

 

will not inherit the kingdom of God

The word “inherit” originally meant to receive by lot. It came to mean to possess oneself of, to receive as one’s own, to obtain. It is something we receive as a gift, not from the reward of merit. The word “inherit” clearly carries the idea of access to God without any prior entitlement.

God assigns the Christian the right of inheritance from Christ’s possessions. We receive a share of what belongs to Christ, who died on the cross by virtue of being born into God’s family (John 3:5).

Christians who practice the sins of verses 19-21 cannot carry those sins into the Millennial Kingdom. There, everything will be in submission to God’s character. Nobody will live with an alcoholic father in the Kingdom. The word “not” in “shall not inherit” means, as a matter of fact, shall not receive rewards in the Kingdom.

A Christian who practices the list of sins in verses 19-21 will lose their rewards in the Millennial kingdom. Paul already assured the Galatians that they received the inheritance of eternal life (3:14; 4:6-7). They do not need to ensure their standing with God by works. The Spirit of God changes the character of those who walk in the Spirit (5:16-18, 22-23).

Principle:

God will reward certain Christians in the Kingdom and not others.

Application:

To be an heir of God, we must first be sons of God (John 1:12; Galatians 3:2; 4:1-7; Romans 8:16,17). Christ is the heir of the Father who will fall heir to “all things” (Hebrews 1:2-14). Because of our association with Him, we receive an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15). God provides our heirship based on grace, not works (Acts 20:32; Galatians 3:18, 29; 4:7; Titus 3:7).

Positional truth makes the believer fit for heirship (Colossians 1:12,13). Heirship demands that we will receive eternal life (1 John 5:11,12), and in this, we share the same destiny as Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:11). God gives us a guarantee of our inheritance by giving us the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:14) and a promise of eternal security (1 Peter 1:4,5).

Carnal Christians characterized by moral corruption shall not inherit rewards in the Millennial Kingdom (5:21). Their habitual practice of the sins is presumptive evidence that they are not Spirit-filled believers.

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