Galatians 5:21

That they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Sin’s dominion fatal to the soul

It is not said: They that do such things daily; for even though one does any such thing only now and then, on certain occasions, yea even only once, but voluntarily, he forfeits the Kingdom of God, so long as he remains under the dominion of this work of the flesh. Nor is it said: They that do all this. It is not needful for a man to do all these sins, or many such, to fall under the penalty; it is enough if he lets one single sin rule over him, let it be what it will. Now it rules over him, not only while he is committing it, but so long as the purpose never to commit it again is not fully fixed They shall not only not procure eternal life by their works of the flesh (as may well be supposed), but, if they set their hopes, not upon earning eternal life by their works, but receiving it as a gift to be received by faith, they will not, leading a dissolute life, inherit it any more than earn it. Such a man inherits not the kingdom of grace, still less the kingdom of glory, even though his funeral sermon extols him as blessed. (Starke.)

Shall not inherit the Kingdom of God

I. What is the Kingdom of God? Twofold.

1. Of grace (Matthew 5:19).

2. Glory (Matthew 18:1; Matthew 18:3; Matthew 19:23). Where

(1) Jehovah is king

(2) the laws are just;

(3) the subjects unanimous;

(4) sin and misery banished;

(5) righteousness triumphant;

(6) the citizens happy.

II. How it appears that the vicious cannot inherit it.

1. From the Word of God (Eph 5:5; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Hebrews 12:14).

2. The rules of justice.

3. The conclusions of reason; because not capable. (Bishop Beveridge.)

Heaven will be inherited by every man who has heaven in his soul: it is equally true that there are materials enough in every man’s mind to make a hell. (H. W. Beecher.)

Sin cuts men off from God

Were a cup of pleasant wine put into your hands, and you knew for certain that a deadly poison was mixed up with the wine, which would rack you with the fiercest pains, and ere long tear soul and body in sunder, who would drink it?--who would not dash it from him forthwith? Yet, if we had but faith, we should know and feel that sin is deadlier than the deadliest poison, that it racks us with fiercer pains, and gives us over to a more terrible dissolution; for it cuts us off from God--from Him who is the only source of all blessing and peace. (Hare.)

Sin and death

The tale of the goblet, which the genius of a heathen fashioned, was true; and taught a moral of which many a death-bed furnishes the melancholy illustration. Having made the model of a serpent, he fixed it in the bottom of a cup. Coiled for the spring, a pair of gleaming eyes in its head, and in its open mouth fangs raised to strike, it lay beneath the ruby wine. Nor did he who raised that golden cup to quench his thirst, and quaff the delicious draught, suspect what lay below, till, as he reached the dregs, that dreadful head rose up and glistened before his eyes. So, when life’s cup is nearly emptied, and sin’s last pleasure quaffed, and unwilling lips are draining the bitter dregs, shall rise the ghastly terrors of remorse, and death, and judgment, upon the despairing soul. Be assured, a serpent lurks at the bottom of guilt’s sweetest pleasure. To this awful truth may God, by His Word and Holy Spirit, open your eyes! (T. Guthrie, D. D.)