Process of agreement Part 4
“Don’t Compromise”
Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot's wife.”
In Luke 17 Jesus is asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come; Jesus now takes this opportunity to address His disciples and give them a warning. 22 And He said unto the disciples, …”
He begins to speak of His own second coming to judge the world; He is describing the awful state o unpreparedness in which many will be found. The One who would weep over unbelieving Jerusalem and pray for those that would crucify Him, is now warning them to “remember Lot’s wife.”
He does not ask them to remember Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob; He singles out one soul which was lost forever. He cries out for them to “remember Lot’s wife.”
Genesis 19:26 “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
She belonged to an excellent family; she was a member of a family to which the world owes more than any other family – The household of Abraham. She had privileged information that others did not have; she knew the facts. She was made to understand that there was a way of escape. It would not be a question of unbelief; when the messengers came, she believed; she did not sneer or laugh at their words; she simply entertained them.
Yet she failed; she perished with the most ignorant souls in Sodom. How could this smart woman, Mrs. Lot get herself trapped and lost? She believed in God’s plan, but she compromised God’s plan. Mrs. Lot not only moved with her husband to Sodom, she allowed Sodom to move into her.
Genesis 19:1 “Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
“… sitting in the gate,” simply means that Lot had been elected mayor of the Sodom. He was respected by them, but did nothing to change the fashion and society of Sodom; he simply blended in and allowed its lewdness to continue unchallenged.
Genesis 19:12-14 “Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place.” 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.
This was God’s plan. Both Lot and his wife heard this plan, and Lot acted on their advice.
14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
When you are living a life of compromise, you will never be taken seriously.
“But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.” (Joking)
15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”
Notice Lot’s response in verse 16.
16 But he hesitated. So, the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.
When you live a life of compromise you will hesitate with the truth!
17 When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley;
God had a plan for them; He did not want them to live in the city of Sodom. (“Yesterday”) He wanted them to live in the land of “now.” (God’s plan) Old things will pass away and all things will become new!
God did not want Lot and his family to waste their soul-substance on what was going to be destroyed; so, He commands, “don’t look back.” “… escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.”
18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! 19 Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die.
When you are living a life of compromise you will be suspicious about God and criticize His plan.
20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore, the name of the town was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
When you live your life in compromise you will suffer personal lose.
The “look back” indicated a divided heart; it was an undecided will. The “look back” said, “I am still in love with Sodom; someone is trying to save me against my will.” You can’t have it both ways; a bit of heaven and a lot of hell.
The spiritual teeter-totter will do for you what it did for her; she was restless and not at peace forever being tossed. My suggestion is to get off the teeter-totter and trust Him. It is always the straggler that gets picked off!