“Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God?”
TL;DR Summary: Your salvation in Christ is secure, not based on your performance. Understanding the difference between salvation and inheritance is key. While living in the flesh doesn't cancel your salvation, it hinders your enjoyment of the abundant life Christ offers. Embrace your identity in Christ and rest in the freedom He has given you. Read on to discover why Galatians 5 is a reminder of your true identity and the joy that comes from living in the spirit.
Have you ever been scared of that phrase? I have been. I’ll admit it. I was beaten with it. It made it sound like if I ever sinned, then bam! No more salvation.
That’s a lie. Jesus covered your salvation. It’s not Jesus + you doing anything. That’s not the gospel. So what does this Bible verse mean?
I found a Reel where a guy talked about this and I like it…
Paul talks about the works of the flesh in Galatians 5. He talks about things like impurity, jealousy, fits of rage, drunkenness, and so on. And then he says, “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Some take that to mean, if you do those sins, you won’t go to heaven. But that’s not at all what Paul is saying.
The key is understanding the difference between salvation and inheritance. Salvation is secure in Christ’s finished work. If you’ve trusted in Him and His finished work, you are no longer in the flesh. You are in the spirit right now. That means those old fleshly behaviors do not define you anymore. Those things are not you. Even if you do some of those things, it doesn’t undo your salvation. Because salvation was never about your performance. It was about Jesus and what He’s already accomplished, what He’s already finished.
And here’s the part many miss. Paul says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Notice he doesn’t say, “You must crucify your flesh.” It’s past tense. The cross has already dealt with it. You don’t crucify your flesh daily by effort. Your flesh was crucified with Christ once and for all. That’s why Paul can confidently say, “You are not in the flesh, but you are in the spirit if you belong to Him.”
So when Paul warns that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom, he’s not saying you’ll lose salvation. He’s saying, “Fleshly living robs you from enjoying the kingdom life here and now in this life.” It doesn’t cancel your salvation. It affects your inheritance. It affects the abundance of joy, peace, freedom, and rest that belong to you in Christ.
Your inheritance in Christ is not something you earn. It’s already yours because of who you are in Him, a son, a daughter. Just like in the natural, an inheritance comes by birthright, not by performance.
Paul is just trying to explain that you can hinder your enjoyment of that inheritance in this life. Living out of the flesh doesn’t change your position as a child of God or cancel your salvation, but it does hinder you from walking in the fullness of what’s already been given.
So don’t let people scare you with Galatians 5. It’s just a reminder of who you already are, of your identity. You’re in the spirit, not the flesh. The flesh has been crucified with Christ. Those things are not you anymore. They no longer define you and the fruit of the spirit is what flows out of you naturally because of Him.
I love that – it’s a reminder of who you are. Rest there. You’re not a sinner anymore, but you identify as a saint because of Jesus. You’re free.