Abram and Lot had a good problem. The Lord had blessed them abundantly, so much so, that they needed to separate because the land could not sustain them both. Abram offered a gracious plan to Lot. He told Lot to choose the direction he wanted to inhabit and he, Abram, would go in the opposite direction. It was a generous offer!
However, Mr. and Mrs. Lot made a choice that did not reflect the honor of God as Abram’s did. Standing on the high plains, they looked down at the rich and lavish lower valley of the Jordan River. They chose what was best for them, or so they thought. The land was well-watered and beautiful, earning the name “The Garden of the Lord.” The area they selected contained the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were settled by descendants of the cursed grandson of Noah, Caanan. Over the years these descendants went beyond the dark, perverted voyeurism of their ancestor to great sexual sin against the Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Lot, no doubt were aware of the reputation and the sin of the people of Sodom. But, they reasoned that they could deal with the sin of Sodom and still enjoy the benefits of the beautiful land and the “safety” of the city. They thought the warnings about sin were over-blown.
Many Christians make the same mistake as Lot and his family. They are not alarmed by the danger of sin. Somehow they think they can handle it, just like Mr. and Mrs. Lot. Once people become familiar with sin and sinners, then they become comfortable with hearing about sin and perversion. They become convinced they will not fall to such depravity. They become numb to the treachery of evil. This is why the Bible warns that sin and those given to sin are corrupt and corrosive by nature. Spiritual warfare is not a video game, it is a fight to the death for your soul.
The comfortableness and ease of Sodom were exchanged for a horrific lifetime of pain in the space of one short night. When the angels came to Sodom, hell literally fell on Lot, his wife, and his daughters. The life they had built crumbled before their eyes. At once they were confronted with the consequences of years of being passive towards sin. The unspeakable became reality. Lot’s complacency towards sin caused him to think and act in ways that he would have never imagined possible. He offered his daughters as living sacrifices to a mob of rapists. His sons-in-law mocked him when he warned them of the imminent destruction. His family fled for their lives before the fire-storm. Lot’s wife made one final decision to doubt the truth of God’s word. Even though the angels warned them not to look back, Mrs. Lot was accustomed to doing things her own way. One last time, she reasoned she could handle it. And this time it cost her life. Even, after his wife’s death, Lot continued to be tormented. He would become the father of his grandsons. He thought he could handle sin.
Sin has the capacity to make us comfortable. The enemy wants you and your children to think that you can handle sin, that you will know when you are in too deep, that it is not that bad. He wants you to think like Mr. and Mrs. Lot. He wants you to think you can handle sin.