Galatians 5:21 Meaning: “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:21, ESV

This isn’t the first time Paul has given this warning.

This teaches us how needful warnings are even amongst the body of Christ. They need to be repeated over and over and over again.

Why? For two reasons.

First is for the ungodly pretenders in the church — that they might be reminded of — and have no excuse for — what their sin will bring them to — misery and eternal ruin.

But warnings are also for God’s people — that you might be motivated — once you hear the warning — to flee sin — to walk by the Spirit — and to cleave to Christ.

What does “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” mean?

Now when hearing these warning passages, Christians often greatly fear. Because we read this list that Paul gives and we recognize that the flesh is warning against the Spirit inside of us. And we see that we don’t follow this list perfectly.

So the question that naturally arises in us is “How can I be a saint — how can I be assured that mine is the kingdom of God? Because I confess that I’ve done these sins that Paul declares — and I still do them.”

What does “do” mean in Galatians 5:21?

The answer is partly found in the word “do.”

That word “do” can be translated practice.

Those who should fear that they will not inherit the kingdom are those who practice these sins in their life.

Another way of saying it is “those whose lives are characterized by sin — those whose very lifestyle is what this list describes.”

So if you as a believer say to me “Well I have done some of these things. Does it mean I will not inherit the kingdom of God?” — the answer is “No, it doesn’t mean that.”

Believers who lapse in judgement shall inherit the kingdom

Even though hell is what each of us deserves for our sin — Paul’s not talking about the lapse in judgment amongst the believer.

He’s talking about habitual sin — the habitual practice of sin.

Look at the lives of many of God’s people. You see lapses in their lives.

Think of Abraham. Think of Noah. Think of Moses. Think of Peter. Think of all the apostles and — outside of Judas — we know they’re all in the kingdom of God.

So we shouldn’t despair — that just because we have lapses in judgment — that we shall not inherit God’s kingdom.

Repentant believers, recalcitrant unbelievers

Those about whom Paul is talking are those who do not wrestle with their sin. Those about whom Paul is talking are those who do not pray for forgiveness for their sin. Those about whom Paul is talking are those who do not ask for the grace of God to stop sinning — but who make sin the hobby of their life — day in and day out.

This is the same thing John had in mind when he said in 1 John 3:7-8:

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil,
for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

Because we have that indwelling sin that remains we will not obey God perfectly. But when we don’t obey — it’s not out of contempt for God — like the unbeliever. When we don’t obey — it’s because of the weakness of that sinful flesh.

You don’t have peace about sinning. Rather you go to God and seek pardon of your iniquity before him. You cry out for his mercy.

In Proverbs 28:13 we read:

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

The one who will dwell in the kingdom of God forever is not the one who lives perfectly on the earth — but rather is the one who — when he sins — beats upon his chest and says “Lord be merciful to me a sinner!”

How do you respond to sin in your life?

So the question is — when you sin do you go before the Lord seeking pardon and mercy?

Or when you sin do you see no need to seek his pardon and mercy — because you don’t see that what you’re doing is wrong?

Paul is clear elsewhere concerning what sin will do to the one who finds nothing wrong with it.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 he says:

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.

We need to understand both in our text and this one in 1 Corinthians 6 that the reference to the “kingdom of God” is talking about heaven — eternal life.

“Such were some of you”

Those things that Paul named did characterize our lives prior to coming to Christ. Every single one of us were unrighteous. We were all idolators. We didn’t see any need for God’s mercy in that state.

Our best works before God were filthy, disgusting, wicked, vile rags. Our fleshly works — our fleshly pursuits — our fleshly loves — kept us from the kingdom and earned us only eternal condemnation.

And like those now whose lives are characterized by the works of the flesh — we had no hope in this world. For our nature was bent away from God in heart and will and affections.

And it’s now owing only to the Father of mercies and Christ who is the fountain of all grace that Paul can say in 1 Corinthians 6:1 after reading off that list, “And such were some of you.”

No condemnation for those in Christ

Our eyes have now been opened by God to see the glory of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ — who came down to die for our sin — in order that his holy life would be imputed to us — that we would not be condemned because of our sin — as is said in Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”!

You will still struggle with sin in your life. But that’s not the reason why there is now no condemnation — because you live perfectly.

No, there is now no condemnation because you are in Christ! That’s why there is no condemnation — because although we sin — our lives are no longer characterized by the works of the flesh — but rather by holiness and righteousness.

Why?

Because Christ has put his very Spirit inside of us — and that’s what he’s been given to produce within us. The Holy Spirit will do that without fail — because we’ve been washed and sanctified and justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by God in the Holy Spirit — Paul says.

What were you saved to do?

But as those who have been raised from spiritual death to spiritual life though faith in Christ — the question we ought to ask is “What were we saved to do — as those who will inherit the kingdom of God?”

Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:19:

Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.

As those who now have the Spirit of Christ living inside of you — you don’t want to live that old life anymore — in the flesh. It’s not what you want. It doesn’t satisfy your soul any longer.

Every person will either part with Christ — or you will depart from iniquity. You will do one of the two.

The unbeliever who rejects Christ — rejects the grace of God — has determined in himself that he loves his sin and the works of the flesh more than he loves Christ.

But for the believer — we’ll depart from iniquity. Why?

Not because you’re better, smarter, or brighter than the ungodly. But rather our lives will be characterized by departing from iniquity — because Christ causes us to depart through the work of his sanctification being worked in you by the Holy Spirit — by whom he’ll make sure that we depart — as he conforms us into his image — so that he might bring us home.

What does it look like to part from iniquity?

So then we might ask the question “Well, what will that life look like? What will a life of departing iniquity look like?”

It means you’ll be giving up your sin. You’ll be letting it go. Because you know it pollutes you — and it defiles you — and you don’t want to lay with it anymore. It means standing apart from it.

Proverbs 4:15 speaking of evil says “Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.”

Prior to Christ we stood in our sin. We stood with others who liked the same sin that we enjoyed as well.

But now we don’t want to put ourselves in situations in which we know we’ll be tempted to sin.

Walking in a new direction

It also means walking in a new direction. There’s no neutrality between sin and holiness. You can’t stand between the two. They’re two different roads leading two different ways.

This means that you’ll be walking in a new direction.

Paul describes the Christian life as a race. What happens in a race?

You start at the starting line — and they blow the horn — and you begin to run. As you run and run and run further — and as you get nearer to the finish line — the start of the race — the starting line — is more and more distant behind you.

That’s how sin needs to be in our life. The more you’re conformed to the image of Christ, the less near sin you will be.

Careful and prayerful living

How many Christians though are stained by filthiness and cursing and drunkenness and lying and envy?

What’s the reason for these things? Well, careless living oftentimes.

But we must not give sin sanctuary. For the one who gives sin sanctuary in his life — and who calls himself a Christian — you certainly cannot have full assurance that when you depart this temporal life you have a share in that heavenly inheritance.

So pray brothers and sisters that God would remove all love of sin from your hearts.

Depart from sin

But then also depart from your sin. Depart from all occasions for your sin. Depart from all of those relationships you have that try to entice you to go along with them in sin.

Sin is a contradiction to your profession. To be a son or daughter of the living God through faith in Christ — you cannot say “I love God” in words but be an enemy of God in your practice.

Where your heart is — that’s where your practice will lie as well.

If you know that your sin is offensive you will not voluntarily stay in it.

When Zacchaeus came to understand his sin — when salvation came to Zacchaeus’ house that day — what did Zacchaeus do?

He could no longer live with his ill-gotten wealth. He gave it back — and more.

That’s what we must do with our sin — throw it away — cast it off — being not able to enjoy the fruits of your sin anymore. Whatever it lost you — I implore you to leave it behind. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?

The Christian life is different, Christ alone is perfect

The Christian is not going to live a perfect life. But for the Christian, sin is not what excites us anymore. Christ is.

We no longer have a sweet tooth for sin. Because now we have tasted the sweetness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ — and nothing in this world can compare. We desire to be with him forever in glory.

So we ought to relish that fact. We ought to thank God every single day of our lives that — although we still stumble and fall in sin — our sin has been forgiven in Christ. In him we have all confidence and that eternal hope — as we anchor our soul in him who died for us.

As those who once lived lives characterized by the works of the flesh — we no longer do. Because of Christ and the powerful working of the gospel.

Now we know that when God looks upon us — his Church — he does not look upon you as a worker of the flesh. But as he looks upon his people — he sees you as his beloved — the bride of his Son clothed in beauty and honor.

But that’s only because that beauty been derived from the bridegroom himself.

So brothers and sisters — the bridegroom lovingly came down — gave up his life for us — that we might spend eternity with him. May we — as those who have been brought into the body of Christ — resolve within ourselves to forsake all of this world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — and live for Christ now.