This week while reading the book of Corinthians, I came to the second half of Chapter 6, in which Paul writes: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?” Immediately, verses about the Kingdom of God came to mind. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33). I’m pretty sure I know at least 5 Bible verses my parents made me memorize about the Kingdom of God, so if one of my primary goals as a Christ follower is to continually pursue it, I better be wary of what NOT to do.
The “wrong” that Paul goes on to address is heavy content: adultery, worshipping of idols, sexual sin, greediness, theft, and more. Have you cheated or stolen from someone? Have you valued something higher than God in your life? As Paul said, “Don’t fool yourselves.” We’ve all done some of these things! And how grave it is that partaking in those things can keep us from inheriting the Kingdom of God and living an abundant life with the assurance of salvation.
Paul quickly follows his admonition saying in verse 11, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” We were like that. You and I. We STILL can be like that. But 1 Corinthians 6:11 is an incredible reminder of why we do not need to sit in guilt or shame or fear.
Be assured- If you have called on the name of Jesus to cleanse you, you are made right. You are pure and blameless in the eyes of God because Jesus has made you that way. If you are a Christian, you have inherited the Kingdom of God.
The difference between the life of a Christian and a non-Christian is that one is caught in the struggle of sin and the battle of the flesh, and one has the ability to overcome it with the power of Jesus Christ. The way we used to be and the sin that we struggle with does not define who we are. Be encouraged that the power of the Holy Spirit is stronger than the power of the flesh and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us and makes us pure in God’s sight.
