‘For this you know of a surety that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.'
Paul strongly reinforces what he has said so that there can be no doubt about it. As we learn from Revelation (Ephesians 2:14-15; Ephesians 2:20-22) there were those who were claiming that sexual freedom was right and good, and indulging in sexual perversions, claiming them as a kind of worship. They may even have spoken of them as ‘revealing love'. Paul condemns them utterly and completely. That is the opposite of Christian love. Such people have no part in Christ or God.
‘You know for certain, of a surety.' His language could not be stronger. He does not want anyone under any misapprehension. Neither unclean nor covetous people have any part in Christ. We must be careful not to water this down. To play with such attitudes is to demonstrate what we really are.
‘Who is an idolater.' To put things before God, to give them precedence, is to make them idols. Such a man worships the things that are made rather then the Creator. He is a lover of mammon, a money-grubber, a desirer of wealth for its own sake or in order to indulge in fleshly living.
‘Has any inheritance.' Compare Ephesians 1:11. These people have no part in Ephesians 1-3. They are on the dark side.
‘In the kingdom of Christ and of God.' The sphere of God's rule is now also the sphere of Christ's rule (compare Colossians 1:13). There is no room here for acts of darkness. Ephesians 5:6 ‘Let no man deceive you with empty words, for because of these things comes the wrath of God on the sons of disobedience.'
Paul's continual stress shows how strongly he felt on the issue and how dangerous he saw it to be. They are to be in no doubt, uncleanness and covetousness bring men under the wrath of God. By such behaviour they are ‘sons of disobedience', that is, they reveal that they are disobedient by nature and determined to remain that way. The language is repeated from Ephesians 2:2-3. They are still in their sins whatever their profession.