INHERITING THE KINGDOM

By Ken Blue

“ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21.

The following is an explanation of the sins of the flesh from Dake’s Bible Notes. Will you make it into the Kingdom?

1. Adultery: unlawful sexual relations between men and women, single or married (Mt. 15:19; Mk. 7:21; Jn. 8:3; Gal.5:19).

2. Fornication: same as adultery above besides all manner of other unlawful relations.

3. Uncleanness: whatever is opposite of purity; including sodomy, homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bestiality, and all other forms of sexual perversion (Gal. 5:19; Mt. 23:27; Rom. 1:21-32; 6:19.

4. Lasciviousness: licentiousness, lustfulness, unchastity, and lewdness. Lasciviousness is the promoting or partaking of that which tends to produce lewd emotions, anything tending to foster sex sin and lust. That is why many worldly pleasures have to be avoided by Christians — so that lasciviousness may not be committed.

5. Idolatry: image-worship (1Cor. 10:14; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:5; 1Pet. 4:3). Idolatry includes anything on which affections are passionately set; extravagant admiration of the heart (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).

6. Witchcraft: sorcery, practice of dealing with evil spirits; magical incantations and casting spells and charms upon one by means of drugs and potions of various kinds (Gal. 5:20; Rev. 9:21; 18:23; cp. Rev. 21:8; 22:15.. Enchantments were used to inflict evil, pains, hatred, sufferings, and death, or to bring good, health, love and other blessings.

7. Hatred: enmity; hatred (Gal. 5:20). Bitter dislike, abhorrance, malice and ill will against anyone; tendency to hold grudges against or be angry at someone.

8. Variance: Rom. 1:29. Dissensions, discord, quarreling, debating; and disputes.

9. Emulations: envies, jealousies; striving to excel at the expense of another; seeking to surpass and out do others; uncurbed rivalry spirit in religion, business, society, and other fields of endeavor.

10. Wrath: “indignation” (Rom. 2:8); and “fierceness” (Rev. 16:19; 19:15). Turbulent passions; domestic and civil turmoils; rage; determined and lasting anger.

11. Strife: Disputations; jangling; strife about words; angry contentions; contest for superiority or advantage; strenuous endeavor to equal or pay back in kind the wrongs done to one.

12. Seditions: divisions, parties, and factions (Gal. 5:20). Popular disorder; stirring up strife in religion, government, home, or any other place.

13. Heresies: a choosing, hence, a sect. The word heretic is used once in Scripture (Tit. 3:10), and means one who holds a heresy; a dissenter, nonconformist.

14. Envyings: Pain, ill will, and jealousy at the good fortune or blessings of another; the most base of all degrading and disgraceful passions.

15. Murders: to kill; to spoil or mar the happiness of another; hatred (1Jn. 3:15).

16. Drunkeness: Living intoxicated; a slave to drink; drinking bouts.

17. Revellings: rioting (Rom. 13:13). Lascivious and boisterous feastings, with obscene music, and other sinful activities; pleasures; carousings.

“There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it hardly behooves any of us
To talk about the rest of us.” Edward Wallis Hoch, Marion (Kansas) Record (1849 – 1925)