NOT INHERIT THE KINDOM OF GOD /GALATIANS 5:21

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(KJV) Galatians 5:21

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.

Walking in Freedom: Understanding the Gravity of Galatians 5:21

As believers, we often celebrate the profound truth that we are saved by grace through faith alone. The Apostle Paul goes to great lengths in his letter to the Galatians to establish that we cannot earn a right relationship with God or secure eternal life by keeping the law or checking off religious routines (Galatians 2:15-16; Galatians 5:4). Our freedom was bought at a high price, and Christ has set us free.

However, true biblical freedom is never a license to sin. In Galatians 5:21, Paul delivers a sobering warning that demands our undivided attention:

“…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.”

This phrase—will not inherit the kingdom of God—can feel jarring next to Paul’s teachings on grace. How do we reconcile the two?

The Difference Between a Lapse and a Lifestyle

To understand Paul’s warning, we have to look closely at the language he uses. In the original Greek text, the phrase “those who do such things” uses the present tense verb prassontes, which specifically denotes practicing, habitually repeating, or living a lifestyle of these behaviors.

Paul is not talking about a believer who experiences a momentary lapse in judgment, slips up, and immediately feels the convicting prompt of the Holy Spirit to repent. Rather, he is describing an unrepentant, continuous lifestyle.

When a person claims to know Christ but comfortably, willfully, and continuously walks in the “works of the flesh” without remorse or transformation, they give a clear indication that their heart remains unregenerate. As Paul parallels elsewhere, unrepentant evil behaviors shut a person out of God’s eternal kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 6:9; Ephesians 5:7-11; Matthew 25:41).

Inheriting the Kingdom vs. Earning Salvation

We cannot earn our inheritance, but our lives prove whether we are actually true heirs. Think of it this way: a child does not earn an inheritance by working for their parents; they receive it by virtue of being part of the family. However, if a person completely rejects the family, takes up arms against them, and chooses to live like an enemy, they effectively forfeit the right to that inheritance.

Those who inherit the kingdom are those who have been truly transformed. The wicked must be redeemed and transformed by the Holy Spirit to be fit for heaven. True saving faith always produces fruit. When we are filled with the Spirit, our desires begin to change. We no longer want to participate in the things that break God’s heart.

A Call to Look Inward

This passage shouldn’t cause true believers to live in constant fear of losing their salvation over every minor mistake, but it should prompt deep reflection.

Are there areas of your life where you are coddling the “works of the flesh”?
Are you allowing envy, anger, or toxic habits to dictate your daily routine?
Are you relying on a religious routine while ignoring a lack of actual spiritual fruit?

God’s grace is big enough to forgive any sin. But His grace is also powerful enough to change us so we don’t keep living in it. Let us resolve to throw off the works of the darkness, yield to the Holy Spirit, and walk in a manner worthy of the incredible kingdom we are set to inherit.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We thank You for the incredible depth of Your grace and the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. Lord, we acknowledge the weight of the warnings in Galatians. Forgive us for the times we have allowed the desires of our flesh to override the promptings of Your Spirit.

Search our hearts today, Lord. If there is any unrepentant path, hidden habit, or destructive attitude within us, reveal it and clean us from it. We do not want to live lives that compromise our witness or reflect the kingdom of darkness. Transform our desires from the inside out, fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit, and empower us to bear fruit that honors You. May our lives prove that we belong to Your eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

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