Vs. 5 "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

"The kingdom of Christ and of God," is a kingdom of light, love, purity, justice, and stands antithetically against everything that defiles the soul. The final word as to entrance into that kingdom, is, "and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth..," (Rev. 21:7). The things mentioned by Paul in Vs. 3, "fornication, unclean­ness, and covetousness," and he says of these things, "let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints." Paul mentions these same sins again in verse 5, showing the close connection between covetousness and idolatry, and he Adds the solemn verdict, those who are guilty of these sins hath no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

The nature of God is that of ultimate Holiness, and so is His kingdom, the character of which repels all that is Foreign and alien to it, over and over God has stated in Scripture that righteousness and evil are void of affinity, and are eternally antagonistic. God’s hatred of sin is never diminished, and the person who is guilty of the least sin is totally incompatible with the nature of God. "…offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). Therefore, it is most illogical to think that God will relax His Holy character, and bid the whoremonger, the unclean person, or covetous idolater to his kingdom. God’s compassion for righteousness fails not, but neither does his hatred of evil. "For I am the Lord, I change not..."

"Whoremonger," is the man who consorts with whores, and the "unclean person" is guilty of sexual immorality, the "covetous" person compounds his sin with idolatry, for his greed so possesses him that he sets his heart on the things coveted rather than on God, one of the weapons most used by Satan in bringing the downfall of God’s children is covetousness, Satan used it in the deception of Eve. She first looked upon the forbidden fruit; it was pleasant to the eyes. She concluded therefore that it was good for food and that the partaking of it would increase her wisdom, so she desired it, or coveted it, and in her covetousness, "she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat" (Gen. 3:6).

The primary thought relating to the sin of covetousness is that of excessive desire for material things, and in this are. The child of God is often ensnared. Yet, some children of God have fallen victim to the power of Satan wherein he has cause them to covet that which is sensual. David, in his quest to gratify his fleshly desire coveted and took another man’s wife and he paid dearly for his sin, "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife."

Vs. 6 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

In verse 5, those guilty of sin are shut out of the kingdom of Christ and of God. In verse 6, we discover while the guilty are shut out of the kingdom, they are at the same time the objects of God’s wrath. So as to make their calling and election sure, Paul warns, "let no man deceive you with vain words."

The words, "Let no man deceive you with vain words," is a reference to the aforementioned sins, and strongly implies that there was, or would be some men who would try and deceive then regarding the matter of morals and the spiritual life. Satan’s supply of false teachers has never been found wanting, thus it was in Paul’s day, and thus it is in our day. Peter says, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies..." (2^nd Pet. 2:1).

I cannot think of a heresy more damning than that which teaches, that the immorality of the children of God is not sin. There have been in every century of Christian history those who contend that the sins of the body, are just that, and in no way affects the spiritual life. Yet, it is these very sins, Paul says, which brings "the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." antinomianism teaches that the moral law of God is negated by faith, and is of no further use under the gospel dispensation while it is true, salvation is by grace apart from any law or work, it is equally true that "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared..." teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Titus 2:11 - 12).

The moral law of God is not relaxed in the Christian economy, but strengthened, under the mosaic economy it was an act, in the present age it is attitude. Under the mosaic economy, the comma was, "thou shalt not commit adultery." In the church age, it is "...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). The same God who gave Moses the ten commandments on tablets of stone, has spoken unto us by his Son, and said, "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48).

And it surely is a happy note that Paul sounds when he says, "there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1^st Cor. 10:13).

So let us not be deceived by the vain or empty words of the present day antinomians, which go about preaching there is no moral sin with which the Christian is charged by God. And "let us lay aside every weight, and sin which doth so easily beset us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1) To neglect the warnings of God against immorality is to court spiritual tragedy, and is certain to bring bitter chastisement.

Vs. 7 "Be not ye therefore partakers with them." that is, to avoid Divine rebuke; come out from among those that speak lightly of Immoral, conduct, and be ye separate, the grace of God has never issued a license to sin.

Vs. 8 "For we were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light."

In our pre-regenerate state we were destitute of truth as it is in Jesus, and walked in the ignorance of our mind, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. Our subservience to sin in our unconverted state was so absolute that we did not merely walk in darkness, but a Paul says, were "darkness," then he adds, "but now are ye light in the World," light (truth) and darkness are mutually exclusive, one cannot dwell in the presence of the other, once we, the saved, were darkness now we are light. Thus Paul admonishes us to walk according to our new nature, that is, "walk as children of light."

While the children of God are light, their brilliance needs free Course to be effective in scattering darkness, any intercourse with evil serves to bedim the light of the Christian, and proportionately mars fellowship with God, in the new birth one is given a nature that is in harmony with the nature of God, and a reversion to the former Manner of life is to suppress that nature, grieve the Holy Spirit, and extinguish the light. The safeguard against backsliding is, to "walk

As children of light,"

Vs. 9 "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,"

"Goodness, righteousness, and truth," are the qualities produced by the Spirit which reveals the life in light, true goodness is ever considerate for the welfare of others, and stands with an outstretched benevolent hand to those less privileged. "Righteousness," speaks of a right relationship with man and with God. It is impossible to have a proper relationship with our fellow creatures without having first been reinstated to the favor of God, and a consistent cultivation of that favor.

"Truth," this concerns more than an understanding of what is written or spoken, it is truth which has incorporated into it, sincerity, and a determination to be honest in dealing with God and man. God does not honor man’s service toward Him which is tainted with dishonesty toward man, example: the Pharisee and the Publican. God does not honor tithes paid on money which has been dishonestly gained, neither does God honor the time one spends in His house while They prefer to be somewhere else.

Vs. 10 "proving what is acceptable unto the Lord."

There is a philosophy in the field of athletics which says, "The best defense is a good offense," whether this is true in sports or not I do not know, but I do know the best way to prove what is acceptable unto the Lord is to reprove the works of darkness, we are commanded to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is The negative side of our dedication unto God. The positive side is let our light shine in exposing in condemning evil.