The Bible is very clear; it is very easy to receive the Holy Spirit and salvation that assures one of eternal life with God and Christ. It starts with faith in Christ being the Son of God and dying on the cross that we might be redeemed. John 6:40 – “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” Romans 10:13 – “ for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Ephesians 2:8 – 9 – “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” John 6:40 – “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

There is Scripture that I believe every Christian should be concerned. It is Matthew 7:21 – 23 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” He is talking to those who practice or continually sin. A Christian cannot practice sin and if you do your salvation was not sincere.

If one thinks by attending church, doing good deeds and believing that Christ is the Son of God, it may not be enough to be assured of you getting into heaven. Why would Jesus say to those who believed they were Christians he told: “I never knew you. Away from me! You can be religious and lost!

I John 3:3 – 9 – “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

We must develop a relationship with God and Christ. We must study the gospel and understand what Scripture requires of a Christian. We know that without faith we cannot please God. We must boldly pray to God and develop a relationship. We must live a repentant life, living differently than we did prior to being saved. We must be able to forgive because we are told that if we won’t forgive others God will not forgive us. We must realize that our salvation came from God’s grace and it wasn’t something that we earned.

Ephesians 5:1 – 7 – “ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.”

This is rather gross but during Paul’s time, sexual promiscuity was taken for granted. Men didn’t bother with marriage and had a mistress or more than one. These pagan practices were considered normal and not immoral. It was always God’s idea to establish marriage and the family and it is Satan that hates the family and family values. The Bible indicates Satan would be for divorce and a breakup of the family. His goal is to change the morality of society. Today’s moral values are becoming very similar to what they were like in Paul’s time, which Paul condemned.

Sexual immorality or any kind of impurity or greed is unthinkable for a Christian. If we want to be an example for Christ and not grieve the Holy Spirit we will refrain from obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking. Our world has lowered the standards of morality. The language of the gutter is in books and also on the air. What use to be considered pornography is now hard to avoid.

Paul is saying that any person who is immoral, impure or a greedy person, such as an idolater hasn’t any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. If you were saved as a young person and then begin living the life Paul says you must not live, you will not inherit the kingdom of Christ and God. Paul challenged the notion that people can be saved and still habitually commit the gross and grievous sins he was denouncing. We know Paul was describing people who do these things regularly will not be part of Christ’s kingdom. No true child of God can compromise when tempted to take part in immoral behavior. The Holy Spirit is your guarantee of going to heaven. If you have the Holy Spirit and live a sinners’ life, the Spirit would be so convicting that you could not live with the guilt. Therefore, we believe a true Christian cannot practice sin and will practice righteousness.

Professing Christians who live immoral lives proved by their behavior that their profession of faith was insincere. I do not believe a person can receive the Holy Spirit and not be so convicted that they stop living as they may have lived previously. Our conduct as Christians will reflect the moral qualities of goodness, righteousness and truth.

When a Christian makes a choice they must ask: Is this behavior acceptable to the Lord? A truly saved Christian is empowered to live this supernatural life by the supernatural indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit. The new life in Christ stops us from living the life we lived as sinners, if we are sincere. We were spiritually dead before we were saved. If we do not accept salvation and develop a relationship with God and Christ we could be separated from God and Christ forever.