The Bible clearly teaches that not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven. While God’s grace is available to all, there are specific warnings about those who live in ways that separate them from His presence. Below are so categories of people the Bible warns about, along with supporting verses.
Also Read: Bible Verses About Entering Heaven
Those Who Reject Jesus Christ
Jesus is the only way to salvation, and those who reject Him cannot enter heaven. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes the necessity of believing in Christ for eternal life. Those who deny Him or refuse to accept His sacrifice remain separated from God.
John 14:6
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.””
Acts 4:12
“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
John 3:36
“And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
1 John 5:12
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
“In flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.”
Those Who Live in Unrepentant Sin
Sin separates people from God, and those who continue in sin without repentance will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The Bible lists various sinful lifestyles that lead to eternal separation from God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21
“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Hebrews 10:26-27
“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.”
Revelation 21:8
“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Those Who Are Hypocrites
Jesus spoke strongly against religious hypocrites—those who appear righteous but are full of wickedness. Those who only pretend to follow God but do not truly live for Him will not enter heaven.
Matthew 7:21-23
““Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’””
Matthew 23:27
““What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.””
Luke 6:46
““So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?””
James 1:22
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
Titus 1:16
“Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.”
Those Who Do Not Forgive Others
Forgiveness is central to the Christian faith. Jesus warned that those who refuse to forgive others will not receive forgiveness from God. If we hold on to bitterness and refuse to extend mercy, we are rejecting the grace that God has given us.
Matthew 6:14-15
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Mark 11:25
“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
Luke 6:37
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”
Colossians 3:13
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Matthew 18:35
“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Also Read: Bible Verses About Hell
Those Who Love the World More Than God
Jesus calls us to love God with all our hearts, but many people prioritize the things of this world over Him. The Bible warns that those who pursue wealth, pleasure, and worldly desires above God will not inherit His kingdom.
1 John 2:15-17
“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
James 4:4
“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
Luke 12:15
“Then he said, ‘Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.'”
Colossians 3:2
“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
Those Who Are Lukewarm in Their Faith
God desires wholehearted devotion. A lukewarm faith—one that is neither fully committed to God nor completely rejecting Him—is displeasing to the Lord. He calls us to be zealous and to fully surrender to Him.
Revelation 3:15-16
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”
Matthew 22:37
“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'”
James 4:8
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
Hebrews 12:1
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Luke 9:62
“But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.'”
Those Who Do Not Bear Good Fruit
A true follower of Christ will demonstrate their faith through their actions. The Bible warns that those who do not bear good fruit—meaning those who do not live according to God’s will—will not enter His kingdom.
Matthew 7:19-20
“So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”
John 15:5-6
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.”
Luke 6:43-44
“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.”
Galatians 6:7-8
“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.”
Matthew 12:33
“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.”
These verses serve as a strong warning and a call to examine our hearts. The good news is that God’s mercy is always available. If we turn from sin and follow Christ with a sincere heart, He is faithful to forgive and welcome us into His kingdom.