1 Cor 6:9-10 – Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

These verses in the first epistle to the Corinthians are a very well known, often quoted, and sobering warning to us. Here Paul is reminding the Church at Corinth that anyone who walks in unrighteousness will not see the kingdom of God. He then lists a set of example behaviors to make the point clear. He gives this warning right on the heels of dealing with some gross sin going on within the Church there, and the fact that they were not doing anything about it. There was also so much infighting going on that some were taking their disputes to the secular courts instead of resolving them as brethren. 

Clearly Paul was shocked and saddened by the kind of behavior going on within a group of people professing to be Christians and here gives them a stark warning of the outcome for anyone who engages in those behaviors. He reminds them in the very next verse of what it means to be a true believer and one who is born of the Spirit:

1 Cor 6:11 – And such WERE some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

He then goes on and admonishes them to not be overcome by sin and specifically calls out fornication and moral impurity as ones, not only to avoid, but to “flee” from. 

It’s important to understand that Paul was *not* giving this warning to those outside the Church, but specifically to those within the church, to ANYONE who walks in unrighteousness. Believers do not get a special exemption from the necessity of putting to death the deeds of the flesh and walking in righteousness, no, they are equipped and *expected* to do so as evidence that they are truly the children of God. 

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God (1 Jn 3:10).

Apparently there were many within the Church at Corinth that thought they could be part of the body of Christ, yet continue engaging in behaviors that were contrary to righteousness and Paul told them to be not deceived, anyone walking in those behaviors will not see the kingdom of God.

We have the same problem within the Church today as was in the Corinthian church then, the notion that an actual walk of righteousness is optional to be considered a believer, it is not. The fallacy is that we are covered by “Christ’s righteousness” and therefore are not required to ourselves have a practical and consistent walk of righteousness, at least not as far as salvation is concerned. We are told that, while it is good, and we should aim for it, it’s not a salvation issue, just a rewards issue. This is false teaching, a “counterfeit” gospel and Paul would be just as appalled with us today as he was with the Corinthians then, and say the same thing to us, “be not deceived”.

The fact that the Church has so widely latched onto and actively promotes this counterfeit teaching of grace is as puzzling as it is alarming and I think shows that we are truly in the end times age of the great apostasy. We need to come out from among them and be ye separate. 

2 Cor 6:16-17 – Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.