Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave…” Genesis 18:20
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom… Genesis 19:1
The first verse is God’s description of the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; the second, Lot’s apparent assessment of Sodom.
To sit at the city gate was to participate in the cultural and political life of the town, to be a leader or respected person in the eyes of the town folks. Disputes between citizens were settled at the city gates. Plans were made, decisions confirmed, and rules established at these gates. Gaining a seat at the gate meant two things: the leaders of the city thought you to be one of them, and you found the city a compelling place to be so that you wanted to be part of the cultural fabric of the town.
The scenario raises a question to me: how could Lot feel such affinity and affection for a city whose sin created an iniquitous noise throughout the halls of heaven? The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not just an annoying twang or nearly sub-sonic hum; it was an OUTCRY. The Hebrew word here for outcry is from the same root that God used to describe the cry Abel’s spilled blood made from the ground after his brother murdered him.
So, Sodom’s sin was not so subtle…it blasted at mega-decibels in the spiritual realm. Yet the sinful cacophony seemed not to bother Lot at all, maybe he had grown so accustomed to it that he hardly noticed it’s sound. Sad.
Sad also that we have grown so accustomed to sin around us in our culture that we have become desensitized to it. Sin is thrown in our faces constantly through media, movies, music, and, let’s face it, mainstream cultural life. Too many professing believers in Jesus have lost their distinctiveness and chosen rather to go along in order to get along with our contemporary cosmos.
Yet, God’s word calls us out, calls us to separation (2 Corinthians 6:14-18); it tells us that we are to be “in” the world but not “of” it (John 17:14-16). The Word reminds us that we are the preserving influence (salt) in the world, and if we lose our distinctiveness, the world will not be salted (Matthew 5:13).
So, I challenge you today to check your affections. Do you love “the world” so much that you have compromised Jesus in your life? Would you rather have the approval of those around you or the “well done” of the Master? Be careful that you do not become too enamored with our culture. It is anti-christ and you cannot hold it and Him in your heart at the same time.
In his book, The Passion Promise, John Avant relates a story coming out of Desert Storm.