“…I’ve told you in the past and I’m telling you again that people who do these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21 GW).
We can associate the “kingdom of God” with something that reflects a present and future reality. For example, we can define a “kingdom” as a realm that is ruled by a sovereign authority. With this in mind, we can view the “kingdom of God” as a place where God reigns and people follow Him.
In this sense, the kingdom of God is present wherever people are living and growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ, for those practices are characteristic of God’s rulership. As Paul the Apostle reminded the church at Corinth, “…the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power” (NLT). Because of this, the kingdom of God can exist within in a church, a prison, a private home, a hospital, a school, or even within our lives.
Jesus expanded on this idea in a conversation with the religious leadership of His day…
“Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you'” (Luke 17:20-21 NIV).
In a broader sense, the kingdom of God will find it’s complete fulfillment at a future date as revealed within the final book of the Bible…
“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:1, 3-4 NIV).
We can apply each of these concepts in the context of Galatians 5:21. First, we can say that a person who habitually engages in one or more of the behaviors given to us in Galatians 5:19-21 offers evidence to confirm that he or she has rejected God’s sovereign authority to set the moral parameters for human conduct. Finally, those who reject God’s rulership in this temporal domain will also be excluded from citizenship in His eternal kingdom as well.