Bible Question:

Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5, and Revelation 22:15 indicate that there are sins that will exclude one from heaven. I am a born again Christian, and I do not practice these sins; but it can be easily done if a person is not careful. Can a saved person be lost for doing just one of these things?

Bible Answer:

The passages you are referring to are as follows:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (NASB) Gal. 5:19-21

For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (NASB) Eph. 5:5

Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (NASB) Rev. 22:15

Just One Sin

The Bible says that we deserve to go to hell if we commit just one sin.

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. (NASB) James 2:10-11

We do not need to commit just one special sin. If we commit any sin, God says that we are just as guilty as if we had committed all of them.

We Are Sinners

Therefore, God says that we are all sinners. None of us do good.

. . . as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE . . . (NASB) Romans 3:10

The passages that you pointed out simply say the same thing. Those individuals who continue to commit any of these sins deserve to go to hell. The only escape is to stop trying to be good and simply trust Jesus Christ to forgive your sins. That is all that God asks. He simply wants us to want to stop sinning and to trust Jesus Christ to forgive our sins.

Conclusion:

You discover what it means to trust or believe in Jesus by studying Searching For God. The study, “Saved Only Once” explains that when a person becomes a Christian, they are saved forever and will never stop believing and obeying Christ. If a person stops believing in Christ and is disobedient then they were never a Christian. That is the message of 1 John 2:19. True Christians believe in Jesus and want to obey Jesus.

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved. (NASB) Acts 4:12

Suggested Links:

Will you go to hell if you have sex before you are married?
Is it a sin to break the law?
Searching for God