Reading this passage, I couldn't believe Lot and his seeming determination to get himself killed. Angels are trying to rescue you and you're arguing with them at every turn?! The mercy displayed in contrast to the judgment and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is incredible.
But one thing struck me. Eventually, the time for mercy ends and judgement comes. Lot's wife took it too far and incurred God's wrath instead of His mercy. We don't know how long we have, and presuming that God's mercy will continue until we're ready to accept it is nothing less than foolish.
Our passage in Romans reminds us that we should never think we're above acting a certain way or committing a certain type of sin. Yes, we are justified and sanctified - but our battle against sin is not over. We live in between the "already" aspect of salvation (that we have been saved) and the "not yet" aspect (that we will be saved ultimately at the return of Christ). Though we still struggle, we should grow in sanctification throughout our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. The ironic thing is, that as we grow in sanctification, we also become more aware of our sin and how far we fall short of God's absolute standard of holiness. We may sin less, but we are even more aware of our sin.
We always need to remember to rely on His power, not our own, in our battle with sin.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Genesis 20-22, Roman 8:1-21
3 comments:
I found it interesting that Abraham and Lot were both sitting around when the angels arrived and then they stood up to greet them. Were they expecting them? Did they recognize them instantly as angels? Would I greet angels if they came in to my path or would I be too busy to notice them?
I was wondering how Lot recognized the two men as angels? Somehow he must have known as it seemed like he was trying to protect them. If there were men at my front door wanting to have indecent relations with a guest in my house, the last thing on my mind would be to offer my two daughters for their enjoyment!
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