Send and receive

Lot warned his sons-in-law: “Get up, and get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.” Lot’s message is genuine, urgent, personal, plain, credible, gracious and saving. Compare the context and the content of the gospel (e.g. Acts 13, 17, 24, and 26): there is a fearful judgment impending, therefore flee to Jesus, who delivers from the wrath to come.

See Lot’s misery: his message doesn’t get through. Lot is a compromised messenger. Although his message needs to be heard, when, where, and how it is delivered undermine the warning. He has careless hearers, who jeer rather than fear, falsely secure. The same reaction occurs repeatedly when the gospel is preached even by the best messengers (e.g. Acts 17, 24, 26, cf. 2Pt 3.3-7).

It is a terrible picture of an impotent man urging a pressing salvation on those who have no wish to hear. Such a picture puts an edge on our speaking: we must take pains that our message is right and clear in its context and content, warning men to flee from the wrath to come. It should put an edge on our living: it is hard to warn Sodomites when the church is at ease in Sodom, with her appetites and expectations caught up in a wicked world. If the fact that this world is passing away makes little difference to us, why should it make any difference to anyone else? It should put an edge on our praying, for the warning will not penetrate unless the God makes his glory in Christ to shine in the hearts of men. Finally, it must put an edge on our responding: Hell is no joke, judgment no jest. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.