Response
The first reference to not inheriting the kingdom of God is found in Paul’s initial letter to the congregation in Corinth. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
By affirming that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, Paul is declaring that the unrighteous are not children of God, nor are they heirs of eternal life «and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. », (Romans 8:17). This does not imply that anyone who has ever committed one of these sins will be refused entry to heaven. What sets apart a Christian’s life from that of a non-Christian is the battle against sin and the capacity to conquer it. A genuine Christian will always repent, will always ultimately return to God, and will always resume the fight against sin. However, the Bible does not endorse the notion that a person who persistently and unrepentantly engages in sin can truly be a Christian. The 1 Corinthians passage enumerates sins that, if persistently practiced, indicate a person as not being redeemed by Christ.
The Christian’s reaction to sin is to detest it, repent of it, and abandon it. We still grapple with sin, but by the power of the Holy Spirit who resides in us, we can resist and overcome sin. The distinguishing mark of a genuine Christian is the diminishing presence of sin in their life. As Christians advance and develop in their faith, sin has a diminishing grip on us. Naturally, sinless perfection is not attained.
It is impossible in this life, but our aversion to sin grows as we mature. Similar to Paul, we are troubled by the presence of sin in our bodies, leading us at times to act against our will and seeking relief from this “body of death” in Christ (Romans 7:18-25).
If an individual actively, continuously, and unrepentantly engages in a homosexual lifestyle, the lifestyle of a thief, a covetous lifestyle, a drunken lifestyle, etc., that individual is demonstrating being unsaved, and such an individual will certainly not inherit the kingdom of God.
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