“For the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished.” There is a BIG difference between the way God looks at the “godly” and the “unjust or ungodly”!! The prefix un means contrary to or against, hence those who are unjust are despisers of the justice of God and at the same time against God, Himself! When God sends destruction on the ungodly, He commands deliverance for the righteous!! The picture seen in the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 qualifies this statement. In 2 Peter 2 we have another picture of this truth. The character in this chapter given of Lot is called just. He does not follow the multitudes to do evil, but in a city of injustice he walks uprightly!! That is ONE way to define the “godly”-those who do not follow the ways of the world and in a city of injustice he walks uprightly. There is mouth-full spoken here!! Where, oh Christian, do you find your comings and goings—among the saints or sinners?
Another thing mentioned about Lot was the impression the sins of others made upon this righteous man. In bad company we cannot escape either guilt or grief. It has always been interesting to me that Lot STAYED among those who openly rebelled against God and did not know what it was costing him!! The duration and continuance of this good man’s grief and vexation; it was from day to day, did not alter him, but what he did not see was the way it altered his children and wife!! Being accustomed to hearing and seeing wickedness did not bother him, but what did it do to those he loved?? Every saint has an obligation to ‘survey the territory around them’ and determine if it is fit for them and theirs!! It is not that a Christian could not go to a night club, a beer joint, a pot party—it is whether or not they could live as a Christian and convince others of their sin because they have joined them in such an environment. The Lord has a work many have never become acquainted with. The Lord knows how to set apart him who is godly for Himself; and, if there is but one in five cities, He knows him!! But there comes a time when He calls us to “come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing”—will we like Lot, then, with broken heart see those whom we love LEFT BEHIND WHEN IF WE HAD MADE THE RIGHT ASSOCIATIONS AND LIFE ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE THEM, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED!! Many will respond; “I can’t get out of my drinking club, my gambling group, or my heinous family”, but who are you hurting by going in among them and acting like their sin is acceptable e but those that are following you? The wisdom of God is never at a loss about ways and means to deliver His people. Sadly, some of His children are red-faced when they must obey Him!! You see, the deliverance of the godly is a work of God, both His wisdom to contrive the way and His power to work out deliverance out of temptation, but when the door is opened to the ‘way of escape’ and you and I are not looking for it nor do We take its passage, who will we blame??!! For all eternity we will do nothing but cry and mourn over the lost opportunities and remember the words of Christ through Moses to the rich man who starved Lazarus to death: “Son, remember”!! The wicked have no share in the salvation God works out for the righteous. The wicked are reserved to the Day of Judgment. The fearful question is BY WHOM ARE THEY RESERVED?? THINK, dear saint, CHECK YOU LIFE TO SEE IF you are righteous or wicked saint or are you not looking for the way out???? Could Lot’s wife EVER been saved?? Had she so grieved the Lord of glory that she would NEVER have seen the open door?? 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11
