Lot has compromised everything he is and everything he has!
He has compromised his relationship with Abraham
Lot compromises the blessings of God
Lot compromised his family
And we see, also that…
Lot compromised His integrity
Lot also compromised his integrity as a follower of God. His own family laughed at him when he tried to warn them about Sodom.
The mob at Lot’s door mocked him when he tried to resolve things, by offering his own daughters instead! In "looking out for number one" Lot compromised who he was and what he stood for.
CONCLUSION
So what can we learn from Lot’s story? What is it about this man’s life that should serve as an example of what not to do?
From Lot we learn of the inherent and incredible danger in living a life spent "looking out for number one".
The decisions reached by Abram and Lot are the same as those we confront every day. We must decide whether to trust in the sovereignty of God or in our own schemes and devices.
We must determine whether to trust in the ‘uncertainty of riches’ or in the God Who "richly supplies us’ (I Timothy 6:17).
We must decide whether to invest in the ‘passing pleasures of sin’ or the future ‘reward’ which is promised by God (Hebrews 11:25-26)
The world’s way of getting ahead is to look out for number one. That was Lot’s way, as well.
God’s way to blessing is looking UP TO NUMBER ONE, and looking out for others.
Jesus tries to teach this concept to His disciples by breaking down all the commandments, and all the laws into two very simple concepts. Look at Matthew 22:36-40:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Love God, love others!
Living a life that follows these two simple rules, can only be lived by faith. Such a life can only cause our faith in God to grow.
The beginning point for every man, woman, and child is to look to God for salvation. We cannot, we dare not, trust in our own shrewdness to get us entrance into God’s kingdom. Faith recognizes our sinfulness and trusts in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary for eternal security and blessing. Our own best efforts are doomed to destruction. Only what God promises and provides will endure.
As we saw with the life of Lot, even the "righteous" people can make mistakes. However, we can avoid compromising the way Lot did by "denying our self" and embracing the life of Christ.
Although we still may experience the consequence of "bad" decisions in the past – God still extends his grace and mercy (salvation) to those who will receive it.
Selah
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