The Price of Elevation

For by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds.

2 Peter 2:8 (NASB)

The story of Lot is precisely the one we need today to exhort the Christians in our churches. It reflects exactly what Paul emphasizes time and again in his epistles—and what Jesus Himself also mentioned: "we are in the world, but we are not of the world." The atmosphere surrounding Lot—not to mention the fact that it represented an ordinary way of life characteristic of his era—could easily have led him to turn away from God. If it had not been him, it could have been his daughters. Yet, the Bible reveals a crucial truth to us: instead of allowing himself to be corrupted, he was tormented by the corruption of those people.

It is precisely at this crossroads that the Bible calls us to reject the lusts of the world. Not only must we refuse to let them enter our homes and our lives, but we must also feel distressed by the spiritual state of those who live amidst them. It is precisely this compassion—once cultivated—that will guide us to proclaim to them the Gospel of salvation and of God's grace in Jesus Christ. The fact that Lot offered to hand over his daughters to preserve the lives of the men who had taken refuge in his home proves not only that he placed a high value on hospitality, but that he was, in truth, a godly and righteous man.

We all find ourselves, at times, facing situations that lead us to question our Christian way of life—particularly when we see others prospering and succeeding in their sinful lives. We wonder whether it might not be permissible for us to commit a few minor, harmless errors in order to resolve our problems. And, without major consequences, God would forgive us. You and I find in the Bible numerous examples of men who, when confronted with sin, chose to resist—sometimes even to the point of death. In addition to Lot, Job is another such example. They did not allow themselves to be corrupted, and they felt sorrow for those who were. That is why, at the end of their journey, God exalted them for His glory.

May the grace and peace of God be with you.