1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Do not be deceived (11-9-11)

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God."

So many people today have been deceived about how one gets into heaven and who will be allowed in. How and who are basics to the gospel and no Christian should be deceived about this. And so we're given this exhortation here in 1 Corinthians 6. Paul begins by saying - "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" No one who is unrighteous will be allowed into heaven. But just in case we're unsure about what unrighteousness really is he goes on to give us a list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of heaven."Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." 
Romans 3:10 says - "as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one."" and this list we're given confirms that. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. We may look at this list and consider ourselves to be pretty good, but when we consider how God views these things we realize that we are helpless to enter the kingdom of God by our own merit. Idolaters are listed here as unable to enter the kingdom of God, and we may look at this and say, "I've never bowed down to any statue, I'm not an idolater." But idolatry was the concept that Jesus was communicating in Matthew chapter 6 when He said "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal...No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." If anything, or anyone becomes more important to us than God then we are by definition an idolater. The next thing on the list is adulterers. We may exclude ourselves from this one also, but again, we remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 - "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." In Gods sight, if you even look at someone with lust you have already committed adultery with that person in your heart. Thieves are also listed here. If you have ever taken something that doesn't belong to you, you are, according to God, a thief. Covetous is also listed here. If you have ever wanted something that didn't belong to you then you have coveted and have broken Gods law.
We could go on but suffice it to say that no one who is unrighteous will enter the kingdom of God. This is something that the devil is very good at deceiving people about. All sorts of people are convinced that they are going to heaven when they die, and they would consider themselves to be pretty good, but according to God, pretty good isn't good enough. God demands perfection, and all humanity has fallen short. We cannot reach heaven by our works, and even those are filthy rags in Gods sight. In light of this what hope has anyone of entering the kingdom of God?
Well, the list we're given in 1 Corinthians is directly followed by this statement - "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." When we come to Christ He clears our name. We may have been, idolaters, adulterers, thieves and covetous, but when Christ saved us He changed our identity. We are no longer unrighteous but we have been declared righteous by God. And notice it's not anything that we've done. It says we have been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God. There was nothing we could do to enter the kingdom of God, but in Gods grace He reached out to us. And He is the only way anyone will ever get to heaven. Acts 4:12 says - "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved." Don't be deceived, the Lord Jesus is the only way. 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."