Works Tested By Fire

Today I was reading a post by Pastor Rich Bitterman about Lot. The story about Lot made me think about this passage in the New Testament. The story of Lot in Sodom is a perfect illustration of this passage:

Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

Anyone who has repented of their sins and trusted Jesus as Savior, will go to heaven to be with God after death. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, but it is a gift of God. That being said, our lives should change when we truly trust Jesus. Our lives should look different than the people around us. We should view the world differently, speak differently, and act differently. Our lives should be recognizable as the life of someone who has trusted Jesus. So often though, we don’t live that much differently. We don’t speak much differently. We don’t even view the world and sin much differently than the unsaved around us. This doesn’t mean we won’t go to heaven, but we “will suffer loss; but [we] … will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

God will judge our works, not to determine entrance to heaven, but to determine our rewards and position in heaven.

Life on the Edge of Righteousness

OK, I’m going to give a quick aside about living on the edge of righteousness in my own life. When I was a child, I was a girl scout. We went on a camping trip on Amelia Island (on the coast of Georgia). We were told to not walk on the dunes and to not disturb the sea oats. What does a kid do who wants to technically obey, but get as close to the line as possible? We decided to climb trees over the dunes. We didn’t technically walk on the dunes. We didn’t disturb the sea oats, but we did go where we probably should not have gone. We easily could have fallen out of the trees onto the dunes, especially the way we were swinging tree to tree. In the whole scheme of things, this wasn’t a big deal, but in life, how often do we do the same kind of thing and walk as close to the “Thou shalt not …” line as we can without crossing? How often do we risk falling across that line? If we have the mind and heart of God, we shouldn’t desire to see how close to sin we can get.

Let’s see what the story of Abram and Lot tells us about living a life totally devoted to God or living a life on the edge of righteousness.

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.” Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. (Genesis 13:2-11) {emphasis mine}

Both Abram and Lot had followed and obeyed God. Both Abram and Lot had been blessed. Both Abram and Lot were rich. In fact they were so rich that the land couldn’t support all of their possessions so close together. Instead of fighting over resources, Abram suggested they split up. Like a godly man, Abram let Lot (his nephew and therefore the one with less authority) choose which land he preferred and Abram would go the opposite way.

Notice Lot’s thoughts. “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere … like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.” Lot looked for comfort. Lot looked for ease. Lot looked for a situation that would grow his overwhelming wealth. The land was “like the land of Egypt.”

It is true that all of this happened before the Israelites were exiled in Egypt and God rescued them from Egypt, but the words, “like the land of Egypt” give us a big red flag. Egypt was comfortable, but Egypt was ungodly and evil. In the same way, Sodom was comfortable, but Sodom was ungodly and evil. Lot chose comfort over holiness and he will end up regretting this situation like all who make the same choice.

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. (Genesis 19:1-3)

When the two angels came to Sodom, Lot “was sitting in the gate,” which in the old cities was where the leaders of the city would sit. Lot had worked his way up to be a respected and powerful man in Sodom, but he still had a high respect for God. When he saw the angels, he bowed down and requested they stay the night with him. Why did he do this? Was Lot just being kind? No, he insisted they stay in his house because Lot knew Sodom was very wicked and it wasn’t safe for the angels to stay in the square. Lot wasn’t directly involved in the wicked behavior, but he was as close to the line as he could get without crossing. He was trying to get the benefit of the rich land and profitable city without being carried away by its wickedness. He was walking the line between righteousness and wickedness.

Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.” But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.” But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway. (Genesis 19:4-11) {emphasis mine}

The wickedness in Sodom was so bad that all/most of the men of Sodom came to Lot requesting to rape Lot’s guests, the angels. Lot had gotten himself in a tough spot. He tried to protect his guests. He went so far as to offer his own daughters in order to protect the angels. He pleaded that they would “not act wickedly,” but only the supernatural power of God protected all of those in his house from harm.

Lot had tried to fit in. He had worked his way into a position of respect, but now they turned on him and said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” Walking the line wasn’t working so well for Lot.

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. When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” (Genesis 19:15-17) {emphasis mine}

Lot had sought comfort. He had sought wealth. He had sought to fit in with the culture and now he had to make a choice. He had to leave everything he had worked for — his house, his possessions, his position — or he was going down with those who had intentionally chosen wickedness.

Also notice that Lot hesitated. It was hard for him to leave all that he had worked for even knowing that it was all about to be destroyed. Also notice that God was merciful. When Lot hesitated, the angels seized the hands of Lot and his family and dragged them away from death and destruction.

Sadly, Lot was more afraid of leaving the wicked cities behind than he was of the corruption in them.

But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! 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; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar. (Genesis 19:18-22) {emphasis mine}

Lot did well to thank God and praise Him for His work in his life, but Lot just couldn’t let go of his comfort. He complained that escaping to the mountain would kill him. He begged, “now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” This statement reminds me of someone saying, “It isn’t really a lie. It is just a small, white lie.” It was more important to Lot to be comfortable than it was for him to be holy. How often are we the same?

The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:23-26)

Lot’s works were tested and found wanting. His body and soul were saved, but he lost all he owned. His wife was so enamored with comfort that she chose comfort with sin over discomfort with God and was turned into a pillar of salt.

Ironically, seeing what happened to his wife and seeing what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, terrified Lot and he ended up running away to the mountains like he was commanded in the beginning.

Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. (Genesis 19:30)

Will You Pass the Test

Looking at the different choices made by Abram and Lot and the different outcomes in their lives and the lives of their descendants, I want you to think about how you will fair when God judges your life.

Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

Do you focus on honoring God and sharing the Gospel and therefore build with gold, silver, and precious stones or do you walk as close as you can to the line between righteousness and sin? Do you put comfort over holiness? Do you put financial profit over reaching souls for Jesus? Do you spend your time with godly Christians or sinners who will make your life easier? Are you like Abram or like Lot?

May God draw you to Himself, so that you may become more like Him in thought, word, and deed. May you seek the good of others above yourself. May you seek holiness over worldly success. May God bless you with the heart and mind of Jesus.

Trust Jesus

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.