My Dear Friend,

Recently, my devotional reading took me to 1 Peter 4:18. There Peter prophesied some of the righteous will "scarcely," or barely, be delivered ("saved") when Christ appears: "If the righteous scarcely [with difficulty, barely] be saved . . ."

Some may disagree with this interpretation and accuse me of practicing not exegesis but eisegesis. That is, rather than leading out the true meaning of this text by careful analysis, I am reading into it what I want it to say. My response?

I acknowledge the primary meaning. Peter is trying to encourage Christians to endure persecution for Christ's sake (1 Peter 4:12-16), especially those falsely blamed for the fire of Rome (AD 64). He informs them their persecutions are, in one sense, God's "judgment" on the "house of God" (church). How? Their fiery crucibles of suffering were "judging" them, or examining and revealing who was committed and faithful and who was not. But there is another valid layer of interpretation.

The last days were also on Peter's mind. He refers to Christ's Second Coming or His End-Times judgment four times in chapters 4 and 5 (1 Pet 5:4, 7, 13; 5:4). So, prophetically, he envisioned Christ's appearing (the rapture) as a "judgment" which "must begin at the house of God" and will not be completed until the whole world is restored to divine order. By taking some professing Christians and leaving others behind, Jesus will "judge," or reveal, who is faithful and wise and who is unfaithful and foolish (see Matthew 25:1-13). And Peter asserts this, our judgment, "must" occur before God deals with the rest of the world. Then he reveals some Christians who are caught away will be "scarcely" delivered, or prepared for this epochal event "with difficulty." Immediately Lot comes to mind. Peter's comments on him are also enlightening.

Surprisingly, he calls Lot a "righteous man" (2 Peter 2:8). This reveals Lot believed in his uncle Abraham's God and was therefore, by grace, through faith, a justified man. But Lot had not "worked out" his righteousness by consistent trust and obedience in his daily living as Abraham had, and as Paul orders us to do: "Work out your own salvation [that God has worked in]" (Philippians 2:12). Though saved, Lot was a carnal believer, not living a spiritually minded, God-centered life. So, when God's judgment visited his generation, he was delivered, but "with difficulty." Let's see how this unfolded.

Lot's Story - Genesis 19

Lot's story begins with his crucial decision to move near Sodom. When Lot "pitched his tent toward Sodom" because, at the time, it was very fertile with lush pastures (Genesis 13:10-11), the Bible hints he did so fully knowing "the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly" (Genesis 13:12-13). If Lot was indeed "righteous," why did he make such an unrighteous choice: to make his home among extraordinarily sinful men? Apparently, for material gain.

For a herdsman such as Lot, well-watered pastures translated into a well-padded pocketbook: more grass means more fat livestock and more income from their sale. Yet living among such corrupt sinners weakened Lot's faith and morality. So, long before God's angels visited Sodom, Lot was a compromised believer. Positionally, he was righteous; practically, he lived largely like everyone else. Why? He put gain before God. And this continued for years.

Though morally compromised, things appeared to go well for Lot. Outwardly, it appeared God approved of his choice to live in "sin city." Lot married a wife, fathered two daughters and owned a home. By rabbinic standards, Lot was a blessed man living under the "shalom" of God. He even gained political power, as he "sat in the gate of Sodom" (Genesis 19:1). This reveals he was, in modern terms, either Sodom's mayor or a councilman, or another city or regional officeholder (Sodom apparently ranked first among the five "cities of the plain," Genesis 13:12). His prominent position undoubtedly led to even more prosperity, as it put him in touch with wealthy and powerful men from Sodom, its surrounding cities, and leaders and merchants from foreign lands.

But all Lot's prosperity and influence didn't help him when judgment day came. Instead, it revealed that, being compromised, Lot had no real spiritual power with God or for men. When everything was on the line, Lot was unable to move his fellow citizens to repent or move God to relent.

Disturbed by the threat of the townspeople raping his angelic visitors, who looked like men, Lot offered them his daughters (Genesis 19:8). This was unthinkable behavior for a righteous man, yet it reflected just how much Lot's moral judgment had been twisted by his long, close friendship with incorrigible sinners. He is living proof of the apostle Paul's warning, "Evil company corrupts good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

The Sodomites were evil personified! Not some but "all" the perverted citizens of Sodom "from every quarter" gathered to participate in or watch the anticipated gang rape of the two "men" (Genesis 19:4). To them it was a sporting event, a citywide celebration! When Lot tried to dissuade them, they first mocked, and then threatened to rape him, too (Genesis 19:9)! When he warned his sons-in-law divine judgment was at hand, they, too, brushed him off as a fool or jokester (Genesis 19:14).

Then Lot showed just how deeply sick his soul was. Nothing seemed to get his full attention. Nothing roused him to act like a man of God. Nothing disturbed him enough to change his lukewarm ways. He was simply unalarmable!

After seeing two angels strike the men who were trying to break down his front door with blindness, he did nothing (Genesis 19:11). The next morning, when the angels urgently "hastened" him to depart, he still remained frozen with indifference (Genesis 19:15). In a moral stupor, he "lingered," still double-minded while an ominous cloud of horrible divine judgment overshadowed him (Genesis 19:16). Obviously, he heard the two angels' words, but he refused to accept them: that his city was under imminent, divine judgment, that everything he had worked for his whole life was about to be destroyed.

Even after the angels "laid hold on" him, his wife, and his daughters, and yanked them outside the city, charging them most solemnly to "escape for thy life" (Genesis 19:16-17), Lot continued delaying. He tried to change their minds, to cancel Sodom's appointment with wrath at the last moment: "And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord!" (Genesis 19:18). Then he begged the angels to allow him to go to a little town nearby, Zoar (Genesis 19:18-22). Surprisingly, they granted his wish. It seems they did not want anything to further delay God's judgment order (Genesis 19:22). But why did God allow this?

Apparently, He allowed this for His own reasons, not Lot's. Lot probably wanted to hole up in Zoar (lit., "little," or a little Sodom!) because it was close by. Then, after what he hoped would be another light punishment for Sodom (as had been the case a few years earlier, Genesis 14:1-24), he would quickly return and reestablish his compromised lifestyle. But God knew what was coming. His grace period had come and gone; this was "it" for Sodom! So, God let Lot relocate in Zoar for a very different reason: so he would have a front row seat when God's fire, brimstone, light, and sound show, a most stunning spectacle, suddenly fell from heaven! And God's plan had the intended effect. After seeing Sodom's fiery destruction, the fear of God gripped Lot and he wanted to get as far away as possible, "for he feared to dwell in Zoar [near Sodom]" (Genesis 19:30)!

The fact remains, however, that, in the most crucial test in Lot's life, with the most dreadful divine judgment impending, he was found morally compromised, indecisive, and still desiring to live near wickedness - if it would still bring him worldly affluence and influence. Only one adjective fully describes him: unalarmable! Nothing and no one, even angels, could rouse him to "escape for his life."

Lot Represents Many American Christians

Lot represents many of us. Like Lot, far too many American Christians have been in a long love affair with the things of this world (1 John 2:15-17). We still desire to simply hold things together, to maintain our culture's sinful status quo - if we can continue enjoying affluence and influence. Though we know our culture has murdered nearly 70 million babies. Though we know our culture practices the vilest and worst forms of sexual immorality. Though we know, like Lot, we have already experienced grace-limited divine chastisements in our recent past: skyrocketing national debt, unrelieved social strife, a lethal pandemic, dangerous banking crises, the near collapse of our economy, and the shocking 9/11 attack that plunged us into two costly wars. Though we realize that, unless God has changed His ways, we are headed for full, final divine judgment as I write.

Like Lot, none of this has shocked us sufficiently, or gripped our attention to meaningful repentance in our churches. All we really want is to clean up our nation's fiscal problems, calm the more radical voices causing social unrest, quell the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, reduce abortion to a "reasonable" level, and go on with business as usual in Sodom. Object to that term being used of America? If God repeatedly called Jerusalem "Sodom" for its wickedness (Isaiah 1:10), how much more do we deserve that infamous moniker?

Also like Lot, we are ignoring the single most important message of this hour: Jesus is going to appear soon to remove His bride, the true, overcoming church, and initiate a time of judgment that will make our recent national chastisements, and even Sodom's fiery destruction, look like child's play.

Yes, you read that correctly. After Christ removes His bride church, the following 7-year Tribulation will be far worse than Sodom's judgment, which, though severe, was short. The Tribulation will grind on for seven grueling years of increasingly severe, unrelieved agony. So Peter's words, quoted above, are for us in this very moment. They describe us to a tee: "If the righteous," or lukewarm American Christians, "scarcely [with difficulty, barely] be saved," what will come of the rest of the world! But what will it take for God to actually get it through our thick skulls that we are living on the doorstep of the last days?

Many American Christians do not want to hear anything about Jesus coming soon. Far too many pastors share this "Lotish" indifference. Some are hostile when the word "rapture" is taught on, or even mentioned. Yet God's Word says it is our blessed, purifying, comforting, and anchoring hope! Why are we either indifferent or indignant about the sweet escape God has provided for His faithful, tested people?

Far too many of us have compromised Christ's righteousness for some selfish reason. For influence in our society that loves Sodom's unchecked eroticism and despises Christ's morality. Or for financial gain, which many have made a god in their hearts. Or for pleasure, as many Christians simply worship overindulgence or excessive leisure. Or for fear of man, since many now "affirm" their children's or friends' immorality to keep from offending them . . . yet don't mind offending Jesus!

As in Lot's day, God's "angels" - ministerial messengers - are crying, "Escape for thy life," faithfully warning us that Jesus' appearing is drawing near. But like Lot, we are brushing them off. We don't want to hear that our present culture is nearing its end. We don't want to prepare for Jesus' appearing by living very close to Him and going through our testing process now, before the Tribulation, in submissive, enduring faith and obedience. (See Revelation 3:10.)

And besides angels we also have "Abrahams" - fully committed, deeply experienced believers who know what is about to unfold - interceding for us "before the Lord" on earth. (And millions in heaven!) Here's some good news: their intercessions will save many as Abraham's prayers saved Lot: "God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out . . . when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt" (Genesis 19:29). But Lot escaped "hardly," or only after God's rigorous chastening and at the last possible moment.

Jesus' spiritual readiness warnings in Matthew 24:32-25:30 make it clear that not all Christians will be prepared when He appears. Many will be left behind. Jesus, the Prophet of prophets, has spoken. And it is written. When He, the Bridegroom, appears, "they that are ready" will be taken and the others left (Matthew 25:10). They will be shocked that they were passed over: "Lord, Lord, open to us" (Matthew 25:11). But He will deny their request to escape immediately after the rapture (Matthew 25:12). Why?

Like Lot, they ignored the repeated signs and warnings of God's "angels." And they continued living stubbornly in moral compromise in Sodom. And when every alarm sounded, they remained unalarmable.

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Unlike Lot, may we all be alarmed. And fully awakened. And identify and eliminate all our moral compromise. And then help awaken others!

Alarmed, awakened, awakening others,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES