What excludes us from God’s presence? - Admission/Exclusion - TouchPoints

Galatians 5:19-21When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:5You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

1 Peter 3:12The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.

Revelation 21:27Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Although this list of sins is not meant to be exhaustive, it is clear that God does not tolerate any form of sin or evil. Thus, he cannot and will not take us into his eternal home until our sins are forgiven and washed away. He will do this for anyone who believes that he is God alone and that Jesus has given his life in payment for our sins.

Matthew 5:20“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”

Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”

Matthew 18:3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Those who have not admitted their sin, believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and committed to follow his ways in obedience are excluded from entering God’s Kingdom. This is not discrimination; it is a holy invitation to enjoy all the benefits of eternal life in a perfect world. And after all, how could we truly desire God’s Kingdom if we refuse to obey God and accept him as King?