Biblegems #196
Question: When the Bible says that liars will
not be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven does that mean any one who ever
lies? And what about those Bible characters that lied with God’s approval?
I
am guessing the question is based from memory on the following verses:
1Cor.
6:9-10 Do you
not know that the wicked 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.
While
lying, per-se, in not mentioned in this list, it certainly could be. After all,
Jesus equated lying with the “native language” of the devil:
John
8:44 You belong to your father, the
devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from
the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
But
the real point of the question is this: Are there certain behaviors, such as
lying, that can keep a person out of heaven—even if that particular sin is only
committed once? The answer is “no,” that is not what 1 Corinthians 6 teaches.
Paul’s
statement in 1Corinthians 6:9-10 is “the
wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The list that follows provides
examples of who would be classified in God’s eyes as “wicked.” That list is describing a life-style, a person’s chosen
life-path. The “sexually immoral”
describes those who have adopted this behavior as a way of life. The same is
true of idolaters, adulterers, and the rest in this list.
These
behaviors describe people who have adopted a “wicked” (lit., “unrighteous”
or “unjust”) lifestyle. It is who
they are and what they have chosen to be, not simply an act they commit. This “wicked” or “unrighteous” behavior pattern carries with it a powerful “truth
suppressant.” By repeating these behaviors people increasingly suppress the
truth about God that is within all of us from birth (Rom. 2:15) and evident all
around us in creation (Rom. 1:18-19). The sad reality is that all humanity is
guilty of this wickedness in one form or another. The good news is that Jesus
took upon Himself the punishment we deserved:
1Pet.
3:18a For Christ died for sins once
for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
When
a person accepts by faith what Jesus has done on his or her behalf God takes
the judgment of “wicked” away,
replacing it with a judgment
of “righteous.”
Rom.
4:5 However, to the man who…trusts
God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
The
statement in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 serves as a reminder to believers in Jesus to
not engage in behaviors that belong to the old, “wicked” life Jesus saved us from. That old life was the path of
sin, judgment and death, whereas the new life in Christ is the path of a clean
conscience and the Kingdom of God.
Which path
are you on?
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