"God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him...The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials...For you are a slave to whatever controls you." 2 Peter 2:7,9,19b
In the second chapter of 2nd Peter, Peter predominantly talks about false teaching. In this discussion, he highlights what will happen to those false teachers as well as those who choose to follow false teaching and live a life apart from God's truth.
So how can we ensure we are not falling prey to false teachers? We can start by doing two things: 1) read the Bible to know the scriptures and 2) seek the help of the Holy Spirit to find discernment. Used together, we can find our way to understanding what God's will is for our lives and we won't be driven off course by anyone who seeks to get us off the narrow path of righteousness that the Lord wishes for us to walk. For the Lord wishes for us to draw near to Him. In doing so, He will draw near to us to teach us...to guide us...to protect us...and to help us be more like Him...in other words, godly.
But the Lord isn't satisfied with us just drawing near. He wants to enslave us...to help us to be held hostage by His word. For we are in a constant battle between what the Lord wants us to be and the sin that seeks to consume us and destroy us. God seeks to build us up...sin seeks to tear us down. Both want to enslave us. It is a battle of good versus evil...Jesus versus Satan.
In today's scripture, Peter highlights Lot and Sodom. Lot chose to be a slave to godliness and thus was sickened by the immorality he experienced while in Sodom. He was rescued. Meanwhile, the people of Sodom chose sexual sin and thus were controlled by it. It led to their destruction. Two separate attitudes and approaches to living...two different outcomes. The Lord's action in saving Lot only validates part of today's scripture...The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials.
This is also seen in other cases. Joseph was saved from prison. The Israelites escaped Pharaoh. Job was rescued from his afflictions. Noah and his family were saved from the flood. Jonah was saved from the belly of a whale. Daniel was saved from the fire of the furnace and the lions. I could go on and on but you get the point. The Lord saves the godly from their trials.
So how about you? Where do you stand? How do you feel about the moral decay that we see all around us? Are you doing things that seek to change it or contribute to it? Like Lot, does it make you sick? Or are you like Sodom and an active player in living counter to God's commands and expectations? Are you trying to become more godly? Or is sin so much more enticing for you?
In closing, there's much at stake here. The final question is rather simple: Will you be a Lot or a Sodom? The choice is yours.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you think needs to receive it. I pray it wll be a blessing to them.
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