HELL IS REAL, AND ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE, THERE ARE 23 SINS THAT WILL SEND PEOPLE THERE AND KEEP THEM OUT OF GOD’S KINGDOM. The idea that one can go forward to the altar, say the sinner’s prayer, and then go out and live any way one wants to, and still go to heaven, and not to hell, when they die is NOT scriptural. It is a DECEPTION of the Enemy. The Bible says that “…without holiness, no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Consequently, then, “without holiness, no man [or woman] shall” go to heaven, since in heaven, we will “see the Lord.” Therefore, we must not only ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins, and be our Lord and Savior, but we must live holy, sanctified lives, if we are one day to inherit the Kingdom of God.
WHAT IS A “SIN”?
A “sin” is defined in the Bible as disobeying any of God’s commandments given to Moses during the Exodus, found in the first five books of the Bible. Contrary to what many Christians have been erroneously taught, the New Testament does not contradict the Old Testament, nor does it “do away with it” or annul its teachings, but it builds upon, develops, and further elaborates what God has said in the Old Testament. Doing away with the Old Testament is like yanking out the foundation and framework of a house and still expecting it to stand. It just doesn’t work.
WHAT IS TRUE REPENTANCE?
According to the writings of the Apostle Paul, if anyone practices one or more of the following 23 sins, then they “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (i.e., go to heaven). This is because true repentance is more than telling God we are sorry for our sins. It also involves turning away from our sins, and beginning to walk in obedience to God. If you “repent,” but then continue to practice one or more of these sins, then you have not truly repented, according to Scripture.
WHAT ARE THE 23 SINS?
The 23 sins are found in I Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-20, and Ephesians 5:5. In all three of these passages, Paul writes that those who practice the sins listed in these three passages “will not inherit the kingdom of God,” and in Ephesians 5:5, he writes, that they will not have “any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” And it should be noted that these three letters – I Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians – are letters written to Christian congregations, not to unsaved masses. Paul is, then, warning these Christians that if they continue to practice these sins they “will not inherit” God’s Kingdom.
So what are these 23 sins? I have divided them up into the following four areas: physical sins (sexual sins, physical addictions), spiritual sins, mental/emotional sins, and social sins. The categories are not divinely inspired, they are just the best way I saw to group these sins together.
At the end of the list in I Corinthians 6, Paul says, “…and the like,” which means that this list of 23 does not include all the sins that will keep you out of the kingdom of God, but they are the ones that Paul specifically listed.
PLEASE HEED THIS WARNING:
It is not my intent here to bring judgment against anyone. Instead, it is my intent to warn anyone involved in these sinful activities that you need to stop what you are doing, and to repent of these sins before it is too late. Merely going to church, paying tithes, and going to church functions will not save you, so that you go to heaven, if you are still involved in doing one or more of the following sins. Please take this warning seriously.
PHYSICAL SINS:
Sexual Sins.
- ADULTERY (“cheating” or “having an affair”). Adultery is defined as having an intimate relationship with someone other than your spouse.
- EFFEMINATE (or CATAMITE). An Effeminate or Catamite is defined as a boy or youth who is in sexual relationship with a man.
- FORNICATION. Fornication is a general term for any form of sex outside of the marriage bond, that includes sex between an unmarried man and a woman (called “hooking up”); adultery (sex with someone other than one’s spouse), beastiality (sex with animals) or incest (sex with one’s family members).
- HOMOSEXUALITY. Homosexuality is defined as sexual relations with someone else of the same sex or gender.
- WHOREMONGERS. Whoremongers is defined as either one who frequently consorts with or has sex with prostitutes (“a John”) or one who sells a prostitute (“a pimp”).
- UNCLEANNESS. Uncleanness is defined as “moral lewdness” or physical impurity, and could include sex with a woman during her menses (Leviticus 18:19; Ezekiel 18:6).
Physical Addictions:
- LASCIVIOUSNESS. Lasciviousness is defined as any uncontrolled indulgences of physical pleasures; this can include any physical addictions (food, sex, drugs, etc.).
- DRUNKENNESS. Drunkenness is defined as being intoxicated with some substance, usually alcohol or drugs.
- FORNICATION. Fornication comes from the Greek word porneia, and it’s the source for the English words “porn” and “pornography.” Porn and pornography are not innocent pictures, but they are a form of sex that begins as mental/emotional images and fantasies that will harm the image and expectation of one sex with another, and if over-indulged, it can make one dependent on it in order to sexually perform.
SPIRITUAL SINS:
- IDOLATRY. Idolatry is defined as a servant of, or worshipper of, an image, a false god, or anything other than the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- WITCHCRAFT. Witchcraft is defined as sorcery, witchcraft, or magic (literally or figuratively).
MENTAL/EMOTIONAL SINS:
- COVETOUSNESS. Covetousness is defined as desiring something that does not belong to you; dishonest gain, avarice or greed.
- EMULATIONS. Emulations is defined as the stirring up of jealousy, envy, or malice in others, because of what we are, or have, or profess.
- ENVY. Envy is defined as a feeling of discontented or resentful or ill-will longing aroused by someone else’s possession, qualities, or luck.
- HATRED. Hatred is defined as a “heart” sin, and any hateful thought or act of hostility is an act of murder in God’s eyes for which justice will be demanded, possibly not in this life but at the judgment.
- VARIANCE. Variance is defined as the acts of anger that result in quarrels, strife, discord, or contention. Variance often results in division, sects, divorce, and even church splits.
- WRATH. Wrath is defined as an emotional outburst that’s violent and fierce, but short-lived. It occurs stops as suddenly as it flared up.
SOCIAL SINS:
- EXTORTION. Extortion is defined as the practice of excessively grasping or obtaining something through force or threats, such as money, valuables, or property.
- HERESIES. Heresies is defined as opinions held by individuals or groups that ran divergent from clear biblical teachings that resulted in divisions, schisms, and factions.
- LIARS. Liars is defined as a spurious witness, a bearer of an untrue testimony, a false witness.
- MURDERS. Murders is defined as the criminal, or at least an intentional, act if taking another’s life, i.e., homicide.
- REVELLINGS. Revelling is defined as people going wild without any moral restraint, such as in “wild celebrations or partying,” “rioting,” “orgies,” etc.
- SEDITIONS. Sedition is defined as a forced or superficial commotion caused by a group of people, that rise up in opposition to law or the administration of justice, with the intent of overthrowing that authority, and resulting in disturbing the general peace of the area, land, or country.
- STRIFE. Strife is defined as conflicts, arguments, quarrels, hatred between people.intrigue, faction, contention, contentiousness, strife
- THEFT, Theft is defined as stealing or taking something from someone without their permission.
SALVATION – NOT JUST ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL
God’s salvation is not just about who we are spiritually, but His salvation is for every area of our lives: Physically, mentally/emotionally, spiritually and socially. The problem with Christianity is that it has restricted “salvation” to a “spiritual salvation,” rather than one that entails every area of our lives. Another issue is that it is misleading people into believing that as long as you went down to the altar and said the sinner’s prayer that you are now set to go to heaven, even though you are involved in one or more of these above listed sins. Please be advised, that this is not the case. The Apostle Paul is clear that those who indulge or practice these sins “will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
The time of Christ’s return and His judgment is quickly approaching. Please repent, ask Him to be your Lord and Savior, and ask Him to help you stop these sins and change your life. He will do it if you ask Him.
I like this but do not I pray forget that just about any of these sins can and are done against God in our failed relationship with Him.
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The kingdom of God is different from heaven. The kingdom of God was established on earth. When Jesus died he said “It is finished”. This was the Kingdom of God is on earth as it is in heaven. It includes the keys to binding and loosing, healing, answered prayer, as well as our spiritual warfare. A sinner is covered under the blood of Christ. What you are promoting here is legalism and guilt ridden ideation. Our prayers being answered is affected by our rebellion. God will punish us for rebellion but not send us to hell.
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Vickie, I’m sorry that you believe that I’m teaching legalism, but I’m not. When we ask Jesus to forgive us, yes, our sins are covered by His blood; but “the Kingdom of the LORD” (I Chronicles 28:5), “the Kingdom of God” and “the Kingdom of heaven” are just three different ways of saying the same thing. I know that there have been men, such as C.I. Scofield, who taught that “the Kingdom of God” and “the Kingdom of heaven” are two different things, but they emit one basic truth, Jesus is Jewish. And among Jews, then and now, they did (and do) not use God’s covenantal name, YHVH; instead, they created evasive synonyms to use, instead of His name, such as “heaven,” “power,” or “The Name.” For example, Jesus uses “heaven” as an evasive synonym in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:18), and he uses the evasive synonym “power” while he’s on trial before Caiphas (Matthew 26:64). And like other Jews, he also used the evasive synonym “heaven” when referring to “the kingdom of YHVH” by saying “the kingdom of heaven” or at other times, “the kingdom of God.” To see that “the kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” are interchangeable compare Matthew 4:23 with Mark 1:15, for example.
Also, salvation is a life-long journey or process that begins when we go forward and ask Jesus to come into our lives. That first stage people call “being born again,” “justification,” and “regeneration,” and again, these are three terms for the same initial event. The next stage of the journey is actually the longest part of the journey, and that is “sanctification,” and the final stage is called “glorification,” which will happen at the time of the resurrection when we receive our new immortal bodies.
Sanctification is the process where we are learning to live sanctified, holy live before God. And yes, the New Testament does say we are sanctified by Christ’s death (Hebrews 10:10, 14; 13:12), but we are also sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:16) as we are being sanctified and cleansed by Jesus with the washing of water by the Word (Ephesians 5:26). In other words, as we live in submission and obedience to the whole Word of God, this would include the commandments in both the Old and New Testaments, Jesus and the Holy Spirit sanctifies and cleanses us, which was all made possible by His death and resurrection.
But the Bible makes it quite clear that we can be “cut off” by God. For example, in Ezekiel 18, if we repent from following God and start living a sinful lifestyle, God will forget what we did in obedience to Him and will only remember the sinful life we are now living, just like if we repent from doing evil and start living in obedience to Him (Ezekiel 18:20-32). Repentance works both ways. Also, Jesus said that if we don’t continue to produce fruit by abiding in Him, God will cut us off from Christ, the vine (John 15:1-6), and Paul says that we can be “cut off” from the Olive Tree (God’s people) if we don’t continue in God’s “goodness” (Romans 11:20-22). And if we combine these with the passages about the 23 sins, as well as Hebrews 12:14, that “without holiness, no man shall see the Lord,” then how we live our lives does have a role in whether we will go to heaven when we die.
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God is a now God and He is not a yesterday or a tomorrow God so whatever was done or said yesterday good or bad He forgets anyway! His mercies are new everyday which means yesterday is null and void, so why do you say one will be cut off from God basically if they sin today but He will forget their obedience of yesterday? He forgets yesterday bc He is a NOW God!Repentance is fresh, daily and I believe God is a forgiving God but only remembers today In the NOW …. not yesterday and not tomorrow bc God will forget what was said or done today!That does not mean to do wrong or do wrong daily! It means He loves us and will forgive us when we repent!
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Sorry Vicky, it is not about legalism but truth. According to Scripture: GOD is speaking, “for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Heb 10:26-31 Read the entire passage lest you be deceived
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Vickie. Jesus said broad is the way that leads to destruction. Should difficult is the way that leads to life. You should enter it’s a narrow gate. All in Matthew chapter 7. Proximity Is Everything for a proper understanding of a text of scripture. Note please note it’s a very next thing that Jesus says you should beware of false prophets they come to you in sheep’s clothing. The fact that that’s the next saying that Jesus says demonstrates the people who said the way is wider than what it really is and let’s difficult are wolves in sheep’s clothing and false prophets. Beware oshane the way it’s easier than what it really is and a gate wider see what it really is.
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That was voice to text. Please forgive the grammatical errors
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Thank you for breaking it down like this. My sister believes that our perverted, child molester grandfather who was a PREACHER made it to heaven. I don’t because he never repented.
Had he repented then yes, I believe he made it it to heaven.
I simply find it difficult to believe that you can be molesting and make it to heaven.
I have been searching for answers but you having listed his sin under fFORNICATION makes sense.
Thank you. God bless you.
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You are very welcome. I understand your feelings because we have had a child and a grandchild molested by non-family members. But God is holy and righteous, and He will judge all according to His Word. But we must forgive – and no, it is not easy – so that we may be unchained to live our lives in obedience to God. I hope you continue to follow our teachings and ministry.
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Broken down very well.
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How do I even get out of these?
I see several of the sins on this list in my life… I mean, if you sin once after a long track record of not sinning, it’s just as if you’d never got out of sin in the first place. I want God to get me out of these sins of mine, and I want it now. That and I don’t want to go back to those sins in any way shape or form. I hate my memories of sinful things, and I hate my thoughts of evil- I want them gone!
Is there genuine Scripture that speaks of God helping people to get out of sin? If so, what passage? Can we talk? I’m talking to someone who talks similarly to you about these matters, but he’s admitted to me that he’s glutton, as I am, and he apparently doesn’t think this is as big of a deal as the sins listed in Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:1-7 and Revelation 21:7-8. Oh, and yes, I believe that God’s commandments can be kept, though I very much question the idea that one can do it in their own strength.
From what I gather, there’s two Salvations and two Justifications. One Salvation from past sins which you cannot earn, and the other for entering into the Kingdom. What do you make of this? Regardless Jesus is the only way. There’s no other.
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Oh, and even though this is an old post, please respond to me, I’m desperate.
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Dawson,
We need to live our lives in obedience to God’s commandments, and if we look to Yeshua (Jesus) He is our example of how to live them out. However, there are a couple of things that Christianity teaches that is not true. 1. That God’s commandments ended at the cross. This is not true in any way. His death had absolutely nothing to do about bringing to an end the God’s commandments. 2. We cannot keep them perfectly. But did you know that God never states that He required us to keep them perfectly. If He expected us to be perfect, He would not have allowed for divorce, given us a day where we could make up the Passover feast we had missed, allowed us the “cities of refuge” where someone could go if they had accidentally killed someone, and be safe until the day of their trial, and of course, the largest witness that God did not expect “perfection” is the whole Temple sacrificial system.
As far as salvation goes, it is not an event, like Christianity teaches, but it is a process. The process begins when we give up our lives and give them willingly to Yeshua (Jesus) and get water baptized. Look at what Paul said, in recounting his own salvation experience, about what Ananias told him in Acts 22:16. The “giving of our lives” to Him is not just a symbolic gesture, but He meant for us to do so literally. Once we give Him our lives, they are not ours anymore. They belong to Him to do with as He wishes. This is what it means to call Him “Lord.” The word “Lord” means “Master” or “Owner.” The process of salvation does not end until we come into the Presence of God, either at death or when He returns to establish His Kingdom. Now I do not want to give the impression that this walk is easy or that there is an easy-to-swallow pill that you can take or do that will make you “sin-free,” just understand that salvation is a journey that we walk together with God, and like you said, He will empower us to walk in His Word. However, unlike what many Christians teach, it is not “all God.” We have a part to play in this. For example, in 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul says, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES from all defilement of FLESH AND SPIRIT, PERFECTING HOLINESS in the fear of God.” Notice, what Paul says here. He does not say, “Let God do it all,” but there is something that we are to do. Also look at Romans 6, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourself to God as those alive from the dead, and as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Romans 6:12-13) And even further into the chapter, he presents us with THREE PROCESSES:
1. We need to present ourselves to God as “slaves of obedience” which results in righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18);
2. When we present our bodies as “slaves to righteousness,” it results in sanctification or holiness (Romans 6:: 19-21)
3. And the result of sanctification = ETERNAL LIFE (Romans 6:22)
Then Paul summarizes these three processes in the following:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23.
Pastors will quote this summary statement while skipping over the processes he discusses and presents from Romans 6:16-22). I do not know if this helps, but to understand this is is really a process of growth and development and not an instantaneous event really helped me to understand it better and to put things into a more “do-able” walk than the picture I was often given by pastors.
Shalom v’chesed,
Chris L. Verschage
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It’s only partially helpful. I do know that God can and does change hearts and minds to where they no longer want to do certain things, I’ve experienced that myself. I should also point out that scripture does talk about a salvation that cannot be earned, that is, a salvation that’s “not of works lest any man should boast”. I’m not saying you’re entirely wrong, as we may be saying the same thing in one area, but still. Besides, if we could do it all ourselves, then why did Jesus have to “become sin though he knew no sin” and then die for us?
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Oh, sorry about the last sentence in the previous comment. I just read the article about it.
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