9 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,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 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.
V. 9-10 - “do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” - In some ways, this paragraph seems to coming from left field! Paul was upbraiding them for not getting along and then lays this list of people who will not “inherit the kingdom”. I do not think Paul has changed directions, going off in a totally different path. The list is not exhaustive, nor is it exclusive (i.e., any sinner not on the list can inherit the kingdom). It is just a good list of ‘recognizable sins’ - those sins almost anyone can agree that the doers are not saved and therefore will not be in heaven.
“Do not be deceived” - You must not believe you can do anything you want because now you are forgiven. You are to be different. As a believer you are a new person in Christ. The righteous, the forgiven, are not to live and act like the unrighteous. You now have choice. God does not coerce you to live and act in a certain way. You are not a robot, a little human “app" that can only act one way because that is how you are programmed. Christ and the Holy Spirit will guide you, will help you, will lead you into the right path. Do not fall back into the behavior of the unrighteous.
See this list of ten... (the following are not dictionary definitions - nor is the list comprehensive)
fornicators - sexually active, but not married
idolaters - worshipping anything other than the Lord
adulterers - sexually active outside of marriage
effeminate - acting and living as if you are the opposite sex, (e.g., male prostitute)
homosexuals - sexually active with members of the same sex
thieves - robbers, stealers
covetous - greedy, desirous of others’ things
drunkards - over use of alcohol
revilers - demeanors of spiritual things, especially of God
swindlers - robbing people by trickery and deception, a thief but done cleverly.
V. 11 - “but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified” - This is the ‘punch line’. Now, as Christians, you no longer have to live like that. The unsaved, the secular world is free to act in evil ways toward each other. But you as a Christian are now different. You have no reason to be selfish, hard-hearted, stingy, grasping, always demanding your ‘rights’. You have the Holy Spirit living in you to guide and protect.
- You were dirty in your sin. Now you have been washed in the blood of Christ. You are clean.
- You were common and unholy, you were human. Now you are set apart, holy, made suitable for holy purposes, that is, serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you are sanctified.
- You were a sinner, unworthy of being in God’s presence. Now you have been declared righteous because Jesus took your sins upon Himself. You have been justified. I learned a mnemonic: Justified = Just-as-if-I’d-never sinned.
- Now you are acceptable.
"in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." - Does this sound incredible, amazing, maybe even impossible? Not to worry. You are not on your own. You are Jesus' own people.(See: 1 Pet 2:9-10). You were not a 'people'. Now you are God's own possession! And you have God living in you. You have been given a gift because you put your faith in Jesus - You have the Holy Spirit in you to lead you, to correct, to instruct, to counsel, to comfort, and to rejoice when you follow Him.
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