The Bible says that
Abraham was righteous. But do you know that his nephew Lot was righteous too
(see 2 Peter 2:7–8)? Yet, both men lived very different lives. Although they
both lived under God’s grace some 400 years before the law was given, Abraham
was very blessed, whereas Lot lost a lot!
Both men had large
herds and flocks. When their herdsmen started quarreling over space, Abraham
took the initiative to make peace. He even let Lot pick the lands that he wanted.
Both men were righteous, but one was more gracious than the other.
Lot picked the
well-watered plain of Jordan, where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were. He
dwelt there and pitched his tent as far as Sodom. Eventually, he lived in
Sodom. Now, Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible represent a sinful lifestyle. Some
Christians think, “Since I am righteous by faith and under God’s grace, I can
live a sinful lifestyle.”
Well, let’s learn from
Lot. He first saw Sodom, then his feet walked toward it and finally he went
into it. I like what a great man of God said: “Sin will take you farther than
you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than
you want to pay.” What did Lot end up paying?
He was captured when
four kings plundered Sodom and Gomorrah. And even after Abraham rescued him
with the help of God, he did not learn his lesson. He went back to Sodom. Some
Christians live from one bail-out to another. God delivers them from, say,
debt, and they go right back to borrowing money or gambling! Sodom and Gomorrah
were eventually destroyed. Lot escaped with only the clothes on his back and
even lost his wife in the process.
Beloved, you are the righteousness of God in Christ. When you truly understand what Jesus did to make you the righteousness of God, it will cause you to fall out of love with sin and fall in love with God. Then, it will not be hard to have a heart for God, as Abraham did, and like Abraham, be blessed in all things! (Article & Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).
No comments:
Post a Comment