Of Coffee and God's Kingdom

“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5:5

When we spend all of our time trying to decide who is “in” and who is “out” of heaven, we run a giant risk of interpreting everything in Scripture in that way. So, we turn this passage into a dividing line between who is “saved” and who is not. What if there is the “kingdom of God” means something different than a guaranteed ticket to heaven?

The Price

“God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

One ancient rite of marriage included the bride and groom paying a price for each other. Being a ceremony, it was not about the sum of money, but about what it represented. In fact, the common amount was referred to as an eight of a farthing. Since a farthing is equivalent to a quarter-penny, that equals a measly 1/32 of a penny. But, having been paid, it said that the bride and groom had bought each other, and therefore belonged to each other.