“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.”
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.”
What a marvelous thing that God counts sinners as righteous based not on their own righteousness, but on the righteousness of another. Because Christ is truly and thoroughly righteous and because he took my place under God’s just wrath, an unrighteous one like me has been declared righteous. Jesus fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law and He satisfied all divine justice for me. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to me, that is, given directly, entirely, instantly and completely to me as a free gift. I am declared, counted, and credited as righteous because of Jesus.
The wonderful gift of righteousness is a gift of grace. It’s given for my righteousness, not because of it. There is no righteousness in me that prompts or merits this gift. And the gift is complete, because it was finished through Christ death’s on the cross. It is not a seed of righteousness, or a boost for gaining righteousness. Any good deeds I may do in Christ do not contribute anything to the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to me through faith. Yet upon this competed and imputed righteousness, the Lord does begin to transform my character so that degrees of observable righteousness become evident in my daily life. It is the outworking, permeating effect of established righteousness that transforms my life. And this outworking itself is a gift of God’s grace empowered by the Holy Spirit.
While Christ’s righteousness is given instantly, its permeating effects develop slowly into observable, experiential righteousness. There is therefore a massive gulf between the delightful, complete righteousness of Christ, and the small, small righteousness that is actually observable in my life on any given day. An inner groaning persists in view of the depth and breadth of this gulf. I must face many failures of righteousness throughout my days. In view of this gulf the story of Lot is an encouragement.
When the Lord revealed his plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded to spare Sodom for the sake of a mere ten righteous people, if they could be found. But they came up nine short, only righteous Lot was found. Lot was the only one counted as a righteous in Sodom.
The Apostle Peter in his second epistle calls Lot “Righteous Lot.” He describes his righteous soul as being tormented by the gross immorality of Sodom. Lot did have an observable measure of personal righteousness in as much as he hatred the immorality of Sodom. But when you examine the story of Lot, observable righteousness is significantly lacking. Rather massive failures stand out strikingly.
I suspect that one reason Lot was in Sodom in the first place resulted from selfishness. When Abraham decided it would be better if he and Lot parted ways he offered Lot the choice of which direction to go. Lot had been greatly blessed having been taken along by Abraham. Here was a perfect opportunity to humbly thank him. For when he looked and saw that one direction seemed significantly more desirable than the other – he could have given the better place to Abraham, but he chose the good land for himself – not exactly the most gracious, generous act in the Bible.
Now when Lot saw the angelic travelers come into Sodom he immediately offered them hospitality – in which we see another observable measure of righteousness. But soon, when the men of the city come to molest the travelers, Lot offers his own daughters in place of his guests. Oiy! I do not want to be guilty, as a fellow sinner, of casting stones at Lot. But dang! Such a solution hardly seems a commendable example of righteousness.
From certain details in the story of Lot, it seems to me that he lacked respect from some people who ought to have respected and honored him. It can’t be absolutely determined from the text why Lot was so disrespected, but I get the sense that Lot was to some degree responsible for the dishonor he received. For example, the angels tell Lot to gather his family and take them out of the city. But when Lot appeals to his two future sons-in-law, they disregard him, thinking that he’s joking. I would expect these men to honor their future father-in-law. Instead they dismiss him flippantly. For me, this apparent lack of honor calls into question the observable measure of righteousness between Lot and his sons-in-law. I think it’s possible that their lack of respect was due, at least in part, to an observable lack of righteousness in Lot’s character.
Finally, at the deciding moment, as the angels were about to start destroying the city, they gave Lot the final word – “Go now!” And Lot hesitates. I can just imagine the angel’s looking at each other shaking their heads thinking, “can you believe this guy?” And Lot doesn’t snap out of it and come through in the end. He’s stupefied. The angels finally have to grab him by the hand and literally pull him out of the city.
I’m encouraged by the story of Lot not because I think I can look down on him to think “well, at least I’m not as bad as Lot.” God forbid! Rather I am encouraged because I know that I face many opportunities for faith in which I hesitate, or worse turn the other way. Yet I am counted as righteous in Christ, just as wavering Lot is counted righteous in Sodom.
I thank God for heroes in the Bible: David against Goliath, Gideon and his 300 men, the Apostles boldness in the face of persecution. But I am also deeply thankful that God’s Word also contains flawed and thickheaded saints like Lot, Jonah, and Thomas. Lot the hesitant is counted as righteous! And why is he counted righteous? Because, as it says in verse 16 “…for the compassion of the Lord was upon him…” Truly it is great compassion that has such longsuffering, unearned mercy upon those such as Lot, and me. What mercy! And this mercy is grounded in something else for which I am so thankful. God’s compassion upon Lot was not random compassion. No, it was based on the most concrete reality in the universe – God’s promises. Lot did not receive compassion because he was already righteous. He received compassion because God remembered Abraham (Gen. 19:29). God’s awesome promise to Abraham extended to Lot and thus Lot was counted as righteous because of Abraham. He received compassion not for his own righteousness, but by the gracious promise of God to Abraham. And this promise was ultimately the promise of Christ our Savior. Christ is the fulfillment of all God’s promises and because of Jesus – I stand under the unfailing compassion, mercy, and kindness of God – I stand counted righteous in Christ.
And now my spirit can pray like Lot…
“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…” Amen.
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