What about Lot?

“And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked... (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)... The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”

When we read God delivered “just Lot,” it doesn’t mean only Lot, for others came out of Sodom with him. The word “just” is used here as in justified. The context supports this by the kindred words righteous and godly.

Professing Christians sometimes like to use Lot to defend their sinning and to prove eternal security. But, I’d remind such of the old camp meeting preacher’s statement, “Eternal security only works if you’re saved.”

The question is not, “Can a Christian sin?” The question is, “Can a Christian sin and get by with it?” Hebrews tells us if one does, and goes without any type of chastening, “then are [they] bastards, and not sons.” That is, they don’t have a heavenly Father!

But the test goes much deeper than a fear of God hurting you for sinning; it comes down to a fear of you hurting God by your sinning. David said, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.” There were others involved in David’s sin, yet, as far as he was concerned, it was his God who stood at the front of the line.

When I was a pastor and one of my flock doubted his or her salvation because of some horrendous sin he or she had committed, I asked only one question, “How did you feel when you sinned?” If the answer was “Awful,” they were safe-home. If there was no sensitivity, they had no home.

The word “vexed” in our above text comes from a French word, which in turn is taken from the Latin. It means: “To agitate, to trouble, afflict, harass, distress, provoke.” Again I would ask, “How do you feel when you sin?”