I had a conversation with someone about God and sin. The person believes that God is loving and will not discipline His children (send them to hell). I asked them if they believed what God said about sin. They responded no about certain sins (specifically the ones they are active in). Anyway, if you don’t ask God to forgive you of your sins and eventually put an end to them, you are going to spend eternity in hell. I’m just the messenger.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYs ABOUT SIN AND ENTERING HEAVEN
“Or 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 men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
According to these 3 scriptures, we will not enter the kingdom of God if we continue in sin by not repenting and putting an end to it.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT BELIEVERS WHO CONTINUE IN SIN
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
No matter how holy you think you are… if you are actively living in sin or not following God’s law against sin, Jesus lets you know in this verse that he will deny you, and you will not enter heaven. Jesus is the most loving person we know, but he is all about his Father’s business. So, if you think doing the bare minimum is fine, it’s not. You will end up in hell—believer or not.
BREAKDOWN OF ALL SIN THAT PREVENTs YOU FROM ENTERING HEAVEN
SEXUAL IMMORALITY: Sexual immorality is sexual sin done outside of marriage or during marriage if you are cheating on your spouse. Sexual immorality comes from lust. Lust opens the doors to all sexually immoral sins like:
- FORNICATION (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, 1 Corinthians 7:2, Hebrews 13:4)
- ADULTERY (Exodus 20:14, Proverbs 6:32, Hebrews 13:4)
- MASTURBATION (no verse uses the word “masturbation” 1 Corinthians 6:18)
- INCEST (Leviticus 18:6, Deuteronomy 27:20, Deuteronomy 27:22)
- BESTIALITY (Leviticus 18:23, Deuteronomy 27:21)
- HOMOSEXUALITY (Leviticus 18:22, Matthew 19:4-5, Romans 1:26-27)
- RAPE (Deuteronomy 22:25-27,2 Samuel 13:4-14, Matthew 18:6)
- PORNOGRAPHY (no verse uses the word “pornography” Matthew 5:28)
- PROSTITUTION (Deuteronomy 23:17, 1 Kings 14:24, 1 Corinthians 6:15).
IDOLATERS: Idolatry is the worshiping of other gods or idols other than God. The one true living God, Heavenly Father, Creator of all things. (Exodus 20:3-6, Leviticus 19:4, Psalms 16:4, Isaiah 44:17-18, Isaiah 45:20, Jonah 2:8, Habakkuk 2:18, Matthew 6:24, 1 Corinthians 10:14, Galatians 4:8, Colossians 3:5, Revelation 9:20) Examples of idolatry here.
THIEVES/SWINDLERS: Those who steal, rob, or swindle (Exodus 20:15, Exodus 21:16, Exodus 22:2, Leviticus 19:11, Leviticus 19:13, Isaiah 61:8, Galatians 6:7-8, Ephesians 4:28)
GREED: Those who are selfish (Psalm 10:3, Proverbs 11:24, Proverbs 15:27, Proverbs 28:25, Mark 8:36, Luke 12:15, Hebrews 13:5, James 4:3, 1 John 2:16)
DRUNKS: Those who drink so much it results in drunkenness. (Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 23:20-21, Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 5:22, Joel 1:5, Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 5:8). You can include drugs with this category.
REVILERS: These people use slander, gossip, and verbally abuse others.
- SLANDER (Exodus 22:28, Exodus 23:1, Matthew 5:11, 1 Peter 3:16)
- GOSSIP (Proverbs 11:9, Proverbs 11:13, Proverbs 16:28, Ephesians 4:29, James 1:26)
- VERBAL ABUSE (The word “verbal abuse” isn’t in the Bible, but check out Proverbs 18:21, Matthew 12:36, Luke 6:45, Titus 3:2, James 4:11)
ANGER/STRIFE/QUARREL: People who allow anger to push them into sinful acts, get in fights, or start arguments leading to other sinful acts. (Psalm 37:8, Proverbs 14:29, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Ephesians 4:26, James 1:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:24-26, 1 John 4:8)
JEALOUSY/ENVY: People who are jealous of others. (Exodus 20:17, Psalm 37:1, Proverbs 6:34, Galatians 5:26, James 3:14-16)
MURDERERS: People who kill. I don’t believe this refers to those who kill in self-defense or those who kill in the army. However, it is still safe to ask God for forgiveness about it either way. (Genesis 9:6, Exodus 20:13, Leviticus 24:17, Matthew 5:21-22, Romans 12:19, Galatians 6:7, 1 John 3:12, 1 John 3:15)
LIARS: People who lie, and yes, white lies are included. (Exodus 20:16, Proverbs 12:22, Proverbs 19:9, John 8:44, Colossians 3:9)
UNBELIEVERS: Those who do not believe in God or His son. For example, people in different religions, atheists, and others who reject Christ in any way. (Proverbs 24:20, John 3:18, Hebrews 3:12, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 4:18, 1 Peter 2:7-8)
SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD
Have you ever tried to reach God but couldn’t? You prayed and spoke to Him, but felt disconnected, as if He wasn’t listening.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
GOD IS LOVING, BUT WHERE THERE IS WRONG, THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES
Let’s say you promised your child a trip to Disney World, but only if they keep their grades up and do their chores. Weeks go by, and your child asks if you all are still going. You see no improvement or effort with their grades or chores. Are you still going to take them to Disney World? If not, imagine it from God’s point of view but on a more serious level. A matter of life or death. Hell, Sheol, or whatever you want to call it is not just on earth. There is an actual place designed for eternity where Satan, demons, and conscious sinners will reside.
To believe that God won’t allow consequences because He loves you is foolish. Is God a liar?
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19)
Sounds like God’s word is bond. It is because God loves us that He disciplines us. What’s a life without discipline? You only get two choices from God. To follow Him or not to. With sin comes consequences, and hell is the final destination.
BIBLICAL WARNINGS FOR THOSE WITH FAULTY BELIEFS
“But understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
“For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
DID YOU KNOW?
God will give you over into your sin by giving you a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28). In other words, if you deny God or continue to justify your sin, God will reject you and give you over to your sin.
WE DO NOT KNOW OUR LAST DAY OR WHEN THE LORD IS COMING
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:32-33)
We should live every day as if it was our last day. While you still have breath, there’s a chance to repent and stop sin. Some people didn’t get to, and others won’t, so be the exception.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS!!!
Satan has one mission, to kill, steal, and destroy. Jesus came so that we may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so with repentance and the will power to live according to God’s law and His will, all sins are forgivable! All except for one, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-32).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
In conclusion, you can be forgiven of your sins if you choose to repent and stop them. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. Don’t allow the enemy or anyone he uses to tell you that you are unworthy of forgiveness or that it is too late. As long as there is breath in your body, there is still hope. However, never take God’s patience, faithfulness, or love for granted.
Disclaimer: I am not a theologian or Bible scholar. Any Bible Study posts on RISE’s website are for perspective purposes only; to help others understand the Word from a different point of view. If you have any questions or concerns, click here for RISE’s contact page where you can fill out a contact form or email us at rise.risechosen.org.
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