1 Corinthians 6:9a
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?
This particular verse has caused consternation for many Christians who worry about the security of their own salvation. Does Paul mean that someone who has fallen into sin (adultery for example) is going to lose the gift of eternal life? I don't think so. A careful examination of the language and tense used in the original Greek indicates Paul was speaking of those who had never known the Lord. He wasn't speaking of believers who struggled or failed in those areas, but of the ones who obviously and deliberately continued to sin.
The Apostle John suggests that people who go on sinning (in the areas Paul will list), don't lose their salvation, rather they were never saved in the first place (1 John 3:6): "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." Whether losing salvation or never having known the Lord, neither is a place anyone wants to be. When we stand before the Lord, it won't matter how much Scripture we've memorized, how many times we attended Church, served in Sunday school, or anything else. All that will matter is if we know Jesus -- and He knows us!
The Bible makes it very clear that those who continue on in these sins will not make it to Heaven. Do you know Jesus? Do you continue on in blatant and flagrant sin? Does Jesus know you? What behavior is out of order in your life? Repent now. Ask Him for forgiveness. His boundless grace, mercy, and love are waiting.
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