Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9-10)
It is not the sinner that God hates - He loves each and every one of us. It is the sin, itself, that He hates (yes, "abhors" - a word associated with God's feelings, means to "hate" - read your Bible, it's in there in the KJV...). The sins of the body (as we know from this Chapter in Corinthians as well) are sins we commit with our body - a temple of the Holy Spirit - all other sins we commit are done "outside" the body. The sexually immoral will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Idolators - those who display extreme admiration, love or reverence for something other than God...take a long look at yourselves. Yes, it is okay to enjoy a concert on occasion, but when your life becomes consumed and you are obsessed with and find your ego inflated by rubbing elbows with celebrities, remember...that is idolatry (it's not limited to praying to statues). Idolators will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Thieves (and not just the ones who break into houses and take your prized possession) are on the list of those who fall short of God's commands. Did you know that walking out of the grocery store with more change than you should have, or realizing that your cumquats weren't wrung up, classifies you as a thief? Did you know that the time you sit at the computer on a social networking site or on the phone while at work is stealing? Remember - God sees sin as sin - no greater or lesser (no mortal or venial).
Greedy people - those of you who have to have it all at any cost - guess what??? It's a sin! Those engaged in prostitution (male or female) (and prostitution is not just classified as "sex for money")-- sex is reserved for those given in marriage. God didn't change his mind on that, nor has He changed His mind on acts of homosexuality (and no, I'm not apologizing for that - I write what God lays on my heart to write - and He's been laying this one on it for quite some time). There are people in my own family who are committing all of these sins - on a daily basis -- I still love them - God still loves them! It hurts me to write this next sentence more than they will know but - they will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Drunkards - those falling down, totally inebriated individuals who spend a lot of time bending their elbows and little time bending their knees - they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Drug addicts - you’re in that category, too. Even those who have put down the drink or drugs and now function as part of a “cult” designed to reprogram them have not fully turned their lives over to God. It is the power of God is what causes those demons to flee - not a self-help book or group (and no, I am not getting into a sidetracked discussion on the AMA’s ICD9 codes for this “disease” either). The swindlers, the liars, the slanderers, those who commit crimes against humanity under a code of ethics not acknowledged by anyone other than themselves. No, they will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
So, how do they get in??? They, too, must be washed in the same blood of Jesus. We can't just go to "confession" once a week, say we are sorry, leave the church and go off and commit the same sins over and over again. There has to be a commitment to change. There has to be an abstinence from the sin. "But what about their right to be happy???" Nothing comes before God's right to be happy. Obeying His commandments, following His word, doing what is commanded of us makes Him happy! "The government says it's okay, so I'm not breaking any laws." The government is not God - we answer to a higher authority (yes, I stole that line from a Hebrew National commercial). The government tells us it's acceptable to kill babies (abortion is legal in this country), but it is not acceptable to kill children. The unborn have a soul and a heart beat - they are living beings created by God. There is no authority greater than God's! The government picks and chooses which of God’s laws benefit them - we do not have that luxury if we are to follow Jesus.
We could debate these two verses for days and still never reach the end of the discussion. The bottom line is to change your life (if you are, in fact, any violating these commands). "Not possible" you say??? ALL things are possible with Christ! God doesn't ask for perfection - He asks for submission, obedience and honor. Submit to His authority. Obey His commands. Honor His name. Glorify the Lord with everything you do! Only then can you enter into the kingdom. Suffer now (if that's how you look at it) as opposed to suffering for eternity. God will not compromise and there will be no exceptions made. His words are written down so there can be no misunderstanding - all you need to do is read!
