Who Cannot Enter The Promised Land?

In the previous blog, we saw that only those whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life shall enter the promised land which is the New Jerusalem. Today we are going to look at those who the Bible says cannot enter into the promised land:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death

Revelation 21:8 (KJV)

And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 21:27

So, who cannot enter into the New Jerusalem?

1. The fearful

This refers to Christians who do not have faith in following Jesus. They are timid and fainthearted (cowardly) and fall short in following Christ as Lord. Being a follower of Christ requires courage and anyone who is cowardly will easily give up in the face of persecution however we know that:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

2. Unbelieving

These are those without faith and trust in God. The unbelieving refers to those who refuse to believe in the resurrection of Jesus, (John 20:27); or those who refuse belief in the gospel, (2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14), or Christians themselves who depart from the true faith, (2 Timothy 2:18), or those without trust in God:

Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”

Matthew 17:17

3. Abominable

Abomination or abominable is something that is detestable, unlawful or repulsive to God. There are many things that are abominable to God:

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren

Proverbs 6:16-19

From this list, we can see that the things God detests are very close to us. How many times have we had a proud look or sowed discord and disunity among our brethren?

Click here for a full list of what the Bible says about abomination.

4. Murderers

A Murderer is not just one who kill someone physically. The Bible says that if you hate your brother you are also a murderer:

Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him

1 John 3:15

5. Whoremongers

A whoremonger is a male prostitute or a fornicator, i.e. anyone engaging in sexual immorality. The Bible tells us to flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18):

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)

6. Sorcerers

Sorcery is the use of drugs, magic, spells and witchcraft:

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NKJV)

7. Idolaters

An idolater is a worshipper of false gods. It can be even a Christian who participates in the worship of another god (1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Corinthians 10:7). We know that anything we place before God is an idol. A covetous man who is greedy of gain is also an idolater:

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God:

Ephesians 5:5

8. All liars

Anyone who believes and says things that are false, deceitful, untrue, wicked are all classified as liars. We also saw earlier that lying is an abomination to God:

You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man

Psalm 5:6

9. He that Defileth

Sin is spiritual filth and committing sin is smearing a person’s garments with spiritual filth. When Joshua the High Priest stood before the Angel, Satan stood at his right hand to oppose him because Joshua was clothed with filthy garments which represents iniquity (Zechariah 3:3). God had to command His Angels to take the filthy garments from him and God removed his iniquity and clothed him with rich robes (Zechariah 3:4). As Christians we are told to keep ourselves pure from the defilement of sin:

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:4

So, who cannot enter into the New Jerusalem?

1. The fearful
2. Unbelieving
3. Abominable
4. Murderers
5. Whoremongers
6. Sorcerers
7. Idolaters
8. All liars
9. He that Defileth

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me not to do the things that will prevent me from inheriting the Kingdom of God. Please give me courage and faith to serve You. Help me to stay away from things that You detest, and not to hate my brother which is murder in Your eyes. Please help me to avoid sexual immorality and all forms of sorcery. Help me to not place anything before You and to avoid the temptation to lie. Please help me not to defile my conscience or garments with sin but to live in love and purity. All this I ask in Jesus name, amen.

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How can you prepare for spiritual warfare?

Last week, we learned that we are in a spiritual war, and that we must be prepared for the war. The Scripture below tells us how we can prepare ourselves to engage in the combat:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV

The Scripture above gives us 10 strategies for preparing ourselves for spiritual warfare:

1. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and put on the whole armour of God:

To be strong in The Lord means that you recognise your strength does not come from you but it comes from God:

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him

Psalm 28:7

2. Stand having girded your waist with truth

The first part of the armour is the belt of truth. To wear the belt of truth means to equip yourself with the knowledge of the truth and we know that Jesus Christ who is also the Word of God is truth (John 17:17). We must know Jesus as the truth and that truth will set us free (John 8:32):

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”

John 14:6

3. Put on the breastplate of righteousness

The breastplate protects the chest right down to the hip. Righteousness is living right with God. When you wear the protection of right living on your chest it will protect your heart and its emotions from the attacks of the enemy. You can only live right with God when you are clothed with His righteousness which we obtain through the blood of Jesus Christ:

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him

2 Corinthians 5:21

4. Have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

The feet is an important but often neglected part of the body. A soldier must be able to stand in order to wage a good warfare. The Lord wants you to wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong:

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Romans 10:15

5. Above all take the shield of faith

The shield is large and is shaped like a door. It was large enough to provide full protection from attack. The shield of faith then protects the whole believer and covers the whole person in spiritual warfare.

The reason it says ‘above all’ is that faith is one weapon a Christian cannot do without in this battle to reach our promised land. We must take it everywhere we go because we never know when it will be needed, and it is faith that extinguishes or takes the fire out of the missals of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16).

Faith is confidence in God and without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

6. Take the helmet of salvation

A helmet is a protective gear that protects your head in battle. The Lord here is telling us that we need to be assured of our salvation in Him. This assurance will protect our minds when the enemy comes in with all his accusations and discouragement. In the day of battle you need to have the assurance that The Lord is The One who will save you:

O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle

Psalm 140:7

7. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God

The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God is the only offensive weapon in the armour of God. In Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness it is the Word of God that He used to overpower satan. You use the Word of God offensively when you confess it to whatever situations you are facing. The Word of God is sharp and it will cut from the roots any plant (i.e. sickness, discouragement, pride, poverty etc.) that the Father has not planted (Matthew 15:13):

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

8. Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit

The Bible says we should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). To pray in The Spirit is to pray the heart and mind of God. His heart and mind can be found in the Bible and when you pray in tongues you are also praying in the Spirit:

For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries

1 Corinthians 14:2

9. Be watchful to the end

We are given a charge to be watchful. A soldier on the battlefront knows that he or she cannot afford to sleep or slumber because the enemy could attack at any time. Likewise as Soldiers in the army of God we are charged to be watchful and not to sleep because we do not know when our Lord is coming (Matthew 24:42) however we are also warned to be sober and vigilant because we have an enemy who prowls around like a lion seeking someone to destroy:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour

1 Peter 5:8

10. Persevere and make supplication for all saints

The final charge is that we must be patient or persevere and make supplication for all saints. We are told to persevere because the race is not for the swift (Ecclesiastes 9:11) but it takes endurance (2 Timothy 2:12).

Just to recap, this is how we can prepare for war:

1. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and put on the whole armour of God
2. Stand having girded your waist with truth
3. Put on the breastplate of righteousness
4. Have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
5. Above all take the shield of faith
6. Take the helmet of salvation
7. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God
8. Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
9. Be watchful to the end
10. Persevere and make supplication for all saints.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I thank You for Your Word. Please help me to daily put on the whole armour of God that I may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. I stand therefore, having girded my waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which I will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And I take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints in Jesus name, amen.

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You can also listen to this message on YouTube here:

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Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please download your free book: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams