“…nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
…nor thieves,
Businesses in North America lose billions of dollars from pilfering. The biblical principle is, “Let him that stole, steal no more” (Ephesians 4:29).
nor covetous,
Here is a “nice” sin, a sin that goes to church. We covet our neighbor’s house, car, and wife. There are different kinds of lust: sexual lust, material lust, lasciviousness, power lust.
Note that God lists this sin with adultery and sodomy. All sin is the same in the sight of God; however, social sins affect much greater destruction on the daily life of the individual. If we murder someone, we go to jail. If we commit adultery, we hurt our family.
nor drunkards,
This person allows alcohol to control his life. Alcohol binds by habit. This is uncontrolled drinking. We say, “That is not me. I am not usually mean or cruel, but when I get drunk, then I go haywire.” We chose to get drunk in the first instance. Alcoholism, though, is another breed of cat. That takes a more protracted solution.
nor revilers,
“Revilers” are profane. Revilers destroy the reputation of others by the tongue. Many of us lose a great deal of our vocabulary when we come to Christ. This is a sin that God lists with “extortioners, adulterers, and sodomites.”
nor extortioners
“Extortioners” are those who deal with others in an unscrupulous way. They extort others for selfish reasons. This is stealing through business practices, for example.
will inherit the kingdom of God.
This phrase does not say that those who practice the sins of verses nine and ten cannot become Christians. The idea is simply that those who practice these sins are characteristical without Christ. Paul is contrasting what the Corinthians did before they became Christians with what they were after they became Christians.
PRINCIPLE:
The gospel radically transforms the life of believers.
APPLICATION:
Christianity is about regeneration, not reformation. Reformation without regeneration is operation bootstraps. Regeneration is an act of God. It is new birth. We do not change our lives in the first instance by changing our character, but our character is changed by a change of life – a new birth.
so confusing. 1 Cor. 5:1-13 — so if I am looking for a church to attend I should ask if any members practise or are allowed to practise the listed sins.? And then still it is permissible to allow gay and drunkard and greedy and all to the services or sermon but will they be discriminated by law as a hate crime if not allowed to be part of the congregational membership and participate in rituals such as communion etc….. ? I am sure that I can not ask that but then how do I determine what congregation is right for my spiritual growth … I mean pure as I am. LOL…. to save sinners of whom I am the worst
Steve, the onus is not on you to make these determinations but on the leadership of the church. However, if the leadership of the church does not deal with these things then change your church. The point is not to punish the believer in sin but to restore him. In fact, the believer who was living in sin with his step-mother was restored to fellowship (2 Co 7). It is important not to have a prudish attitude toward those who fall into sin but have an openness toward them. But, however, if they are intransigent in their sin then that is a different matter–they then should be excommunicated until they repent.
Hi Grant. There are a lot of Christians who would commit these sins often, eg, pirating movies, coveting, gossiping… Probably all the time. Do you think this would mean they aren't actually saved? Wouldn't that be works based? Or is it more a case of the fact that we will all struggle with different sin and this will be a daily battle?
Mike, this passage does not say that Christians cannot commit these sins. David, the Christian living in sin with his own step mother, etc are examples that they can. However, this is not characteristic of Christians. If a believer commits these sins on a regular basis then God uses divine discipline (for the purpose of restoration, not punishment) on them (He. 12:6-7).
I believe in once saved always saved. Are you saying if you live a life style that’s in verse 9 and 10, you are going to hell? After you are saved you can’t keep yourself saved, Jude 24. It is God that keeps you saved through Jesus Christ. In Christ Randall. Keep up the good work,Pastor/ Teacher Dr.Grant
Randall, thanks for your post. No, I am not saying that a person who is genuinely a Christian can lose their salvation. This verse is not referring to Christians but to those without Christ. It merely describes the characteristic lifestyle of an unbeliever. See my study on eternal security here: http://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/doctrine/eternal-security/
The tense used in Greek words proves we are saved forever. In acts 16:31 we read, “And they said,believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” That word”believe” is in the aorist tense, means that in any point of time when one believes, God picks up that point of time and extends it clear into eternity. The active voice means that each one must believe for himself. The imperative mood means that it is not optional, it is commanded and it is the only way anyone can ever be saved.The same thing prevails in the words “be saved” in this verse. The language means you will be saved forever. I have a friend that led a girl to Christ and he talked to her a couple days later about being baptized and she told him that she was gay, so he didn’t baptize her. Need understanding, Thanks. In Christ Randall
Randall, there is a difference whether the girl is actively gay or formerly gay. I hope he did not baptize her because she was actively gay after her profession.
Grant she was gay before she accepted Christ and she is still gay now so he didn’t baptize her. In Christ Randall