Who Inherits?

My dear cousin is a great person who challenges my thinking in so many ways. Because of our conversations, I have been forced to go back to Scripture to figure out the truth rather than relying on the human propensity to wrongly judge or determine someone's spiritual fate despite their actions. It is so easy to despise someone for their sin instead of realizing that their sins are no more sinful than mine. So, then, who gets to inherit heaven?

Homosexuality is charged, in Christian circles, as a sin worthy of death and separation from God forever and ever Amen. However, what makes a Christian? Acts 2:21 says, "... whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." And Acts 16:31 says "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." And last, Ephesians 2:8 says that it is "by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest anyone should boast."

Now, that certainly gives me the impression that even someone who has committed "mortal sins" can definitely be saved. Believe on Christ... believe in His redemptive work... believe that it is only through HIM that you can be saved from sin. It says absolutely nothing about one's pet sins... because you know that we all have them. What is yours? Vanity? Eating too much ice cream (overindulgence and gluttony)? Coveteousness? So then, who are you to judge someone else who happens to be sinning in sexuality? It is just the same as you... they are JUST THE SAME AS YOU. They still require God's grace and forgiveness as you do.

Now, here is a perplexing verse. 1 Corinthians 6:9 -- "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor HOMOSEXUALS... will inherit the kingdom of God." That seems pretty clear. However, it also includes thieves and those who covet. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that even I have done that. So let's look at the next verse... "And such WERE some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus..." GREAT!! It says "were". Meaning, we are no longer. However, I know that I still lapse. Don't you? Does it mean only if we aren't in a consistent pattern of sin?

Many Christians fall into a pattern of sin. Does that mean they are no longer saved? Or that they were NEVER saved to begin with? My upbringing has confused this issue for me for so long that it is important to search out what God has to say on the matter and not wrongly judge or assess people's spiritual state lest I get it wrong and mortally offend someone.

I was brought up to believe that shunning people was an acceptable form of "punishment" for sins. Whether or not the person was believed to be saved, they would be shunned for real or percieved sins... naturally, we were the ones judging that. Our verse of defense in these actions was 2 Thessalonians 3:14 "And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed." However, we often forgot to "note" the next verse in which it states very clearly that this is only for those who are "brothers" and to not count him as an "enemy". The shunning with which I was involved (and still am... BEING shunned, not doing the shunning) was not loving, nor was it assumed that it was for brothers and sisters in Christ. The whole point of this admonishment was so that unsaved neighbors would not look in and see what was going on and think that Christians approved of that persons' actions.

So, is that not the same view we ought to take on everything else? A Christian person who decides to continue their homosexual activities is shunned, but they are certainly NOT our enemies. We are to encourage and exhort them as our brother or sister in Christ. Not everyone who engages in homosexuality is unsaved. That is a very common misconception... one that I held until very recently. It is kind of like the process of discipline mentioned in Matthew 18. If a BROTHER sins, you go to tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he doesn't hear, then take a couple witnesses. But in all of this is the hope of forgiveness and restoration to the church and to God.

Who is our brother? Will you love them no matter their sins?