Page 135 - Eschatology - Student Ebook

Galatians 5:19–21 (NIV84)19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity
and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before,
that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

These verses are addressed to believers, members of churches in Galatia. Notice that those who practice
these sinful things “will not inherit the kingdom of God”. This does not mean that they will not be
eternally saved. Eternal life is guaranteed by God’s promises when they believe in Jesus Christ for
eternal life. Rather, these believers will not share in the eternal reward of reigning with Jesus Christ.
For example, there are many princes and princesses born in a royal family to the King and Queen. And
each one of them is a child of royalty. But only one of them will “inherit the kingdom” and ascend to the
throne. And many times in history, being the oldest son of the King was not enough to guarantee you
would ascend to the throne. You had to be evaluated and judged to be worthy of becoming the new
King.

This passage in Galatians 5:21 is withholding the eternal reward of ruling with Jesus Christ from those
who allow these sinful practices to dominate their Christian life. To “inherit the kingdom” means to be
granted the privilege of reigning with Jesus Christ.

This agrees with Jesus Christ’s letter to the church at Thyatira where reigning together with Jesus Christ
is also promised to the overcomer (Revelation 2:26-28).

Revelation 2:26–28 (NIV84)26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give
authority over the nations— 27 ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces
like pottery’— just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give him the morning
star.

Revelation 22:12-15 promises the one who overcomes and has victory over sin access to the New
Jerusalem city.

Revelation 22:12–15 (NIV84)12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give
to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the
Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have
the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs,
those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone
who loves and practices falsehood.

In this passage, Jesus Christ wants us to know that He is coming soon and that He is preparing to
eternally reward believers who have sacrificially served Him as overcomers. Their life of dedication to
Him and His Word enabled them to “wash their robes”, to have victory over sin. Their reward will be the
right to eat from the tree of life. We do not fully understand what benefits eating from this tree will
bring, but we can trust Jesus that its benefits will be greatly valued. Because the tree of life does not
appear during the Millennium, only on the New Earth we know that eternal rewards are eternal and will
last beyond the Millennium into eternity.

The second part of the reward is that the overcoming believers will have the privilege of entering
through the gates into the city. This passage clearly teaches that only the overcomer believers who lived
faithfully for Jesus Christ here in this life will have access to the New Jerusalem.

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