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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Heavenly Jerusalem, #38
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. (Ephesians 5:3-7)
Taking into consideration its context, how would you interpret Ephesians 5:5? Is it assumed the reader is a saint? Is a believer being warned concerning his inheritance in the Kingdom of God?
The question we are pursuing concerns Revelation 21:8: Can an individual continue in his idolatry, his covetousness, and enter the new Jerusalem on the basis of his profession of belief in Christ? Can he escape the Lake of Fire on the basis of his assent to Christship of Jesus even though his character remains unchanged? Or is personality transformation the essential part of the Christian redemption, apart from which there can be no inheritance in the Kingdom of God?
Obviously this is an important issue in our time.
It is true that the Apostles of the Lamb preached simple faith in Christ, and water baptism, as the means of obtaining righteousness in the sight of God.
A review of the Book of Acts reveals that in addition to simple faith in Christ the apostles preached repentance. The apostles preached a turning away from the world. The apostles warned their hearers to flee from the wrath to come. In their epistles they showed their followers that the grace of God in Christ produces a change in behavior—a change that always must accompany the true salvation that is in Christ.
It appears today we have adopted one-half of the apostolic message. We are announcing the Good News that Christ died for our sins. But we are not preaching the whole message. We are not warning, men and women, boys and girls, that the true evidence of faith in Christ is a coming out from the ways of the world, that without such coming out, the faith being expressed is a dead faith.
One fact is certain: no human being will be raised from the dead and ascend to meet Christ as one of His kings and priests who continues in his or her worldly ways after receiving Christ as Savior and Lord.
Anyone who teaches that assent to and belief in the facts of Christ's death and resurrection insures a glorious entrance into the Kingdom of God is wresting the Scriptures to his own destruction and the destruction of his hearers.
The demons understand perfectly that Christ died and rose again from the dead, and that He is "the holy one of God." Their understanding of these manifest facts does not produce a change in their nature. They remain as evil, as unclean, as rebellious, as wicked as ever (James 2:19).
To be continued.