Everybody knows the story of Sodom and Gomorrah — or do they?
Many people think they understand the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. We often hear only about God’s wrath, but Genesis 18–19 carefully reveals both His mercy and justice. God Himself first pointed out these cities to Abraham. Before judgment fell, He graciously reached out to them.
We already saw one way God worked in mercy back in Genesis 14. Sodom and Gomorrah were rescued through Abram’s compassion and God’s power. Their survival was due entirely to God’s intervention, yet they evidently refused His kindness. They were already evil, but their sin kept growing.
Genesis 18–19 is written to help us with the same struggle Abraham faced: How does God handle the world? Many people who claim to be secular suddenly raise their fists at God when judgment comes. They say, “Why did You do that?” They deny God and yet protest His ways. Strangely, we never hear people protest how “Mother Nature” handles disasters. Death is called “natural,” but judgment from God is considered offensive.
Genesis 18 is given so that Abraham (and we) can understand God’s hatred for sin and His mercy toward sinners. When sin is allowed to grow unchecked, it brings horrible destruction. Abraham had a liking for the great cities of the world. He did not yet share God’s hatred for sin or His love of righteousness. Until he grasped God’s justice, he could not understand God’s mercy.
Objectives
- Understand why Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.
- Expose the tension of living in a pagan culture and learn how to resist sin.
- Deepen our discernment of our culture and God’s hatred for the things that corrupt it.
- Personally make decisions that keep us from being stained by the world.
A Study of the World’s Influence
The cultural battle is very real. One example comes from a Christian college whose student activities office hosted a concert by an openly homosexual duo. Compare the college’s mission statement with comments from a student magazine praising the group and their lyrics.
| A Christian College – Its Mission | A Christian College – Its Practice | |
|---|---|---|
|
Calvin College... in the Reformed tradition of historic Christianity. Through our learning, we seek to be agents of renewal in the academy, church, and society. We pledge fidelity to Jesus Christ, offering our hearts and lives to do God’s work in God’s world. We aim to develop knowledge, understanding, and critical inquiry; encourage insightful and creative participation in society; and foster thoughtful, passionate Christian commitments. (From the college mission statement) |
"It is this struggle that makes the Indigo Girls so worthwhile. What is a faith that doesn’t struggle sometimes? A questioned faith in the end is a stronger one. We, as maturing Christians, can learn from the doubts of others. Still, the best thing about this struggle is that it is set to amazingly beautiful music that will touch your mind and soul and bring you to a better understanding of what you believe.“ ... "The questioning of religion and God’s purpose continues throughout their music. On their latest album, a hidden song with the chorus of ‘The Philosophy of Loss' can be found after the last track. It starts with " Welcome to Why the church has died' and continues on to question the hypocrisy in the church today. One of the song’s most powerful lines, 'modern scribes write in Jesus Christ,/ everyone is free, and the doors open wide to all straight men and women,/but they are not open to me,' addresses their continual battle in the area of homosexuality." The Undercurrent, pg. 5 by L. H. |
“This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27)
Reflections
A worldly spirit has crept into the church so that many believers do not see a serious problem with exposing their children (or themselves) to concerts or events that openly promote sin. Their thinking has been shaped more by relativism than by Scripture.
Argument #1: “We need to identify what’s going on in society.”
It is wise to understand our culture, but God clearly calls us to separate from the unfruitful deeds of darkness.
“Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11–12)
Many Christians stop at “do not participate” but ignore the rest of the command: it is disgraceful even to speak of what is done in secret. If we are not even to talk lightly about such things, surely we should not immerse ourselves in them for entertainment.
Argument #2: “Strengthen our faith to see the struggles and doubts of others.”
Though God can use doubt, it is never harmless. Doubt is the opposite of faith and can cause serious damage if we willingly expose ourselves to it. We should ask: Are we encouraging our children to trust the Lord more, or are we feeding their doubts by the messages we endorse and the music we celebrate?
Argument #3: “It won’t affect me.”
Concerts and media are not neutral. They are influential times when one person’s worldview and spirit are poured into the hearts of others. Whenever an influencer advocates evil, we are sitting under the mouthpiece of the false prophet. Even if people claim to overlook the lyrics, the performer's spirit and the music's message still resonate strongly.
If you claim the music can be good even if the lyrics are bad, you do not understand how music works. The spirit of the musician is passed on to the listener. If one understands and resists its influence, perhaps we can say we have not caught the evil message being passed on. We must ask ourselves why we would use God’s time and money to be influenced by those who openly reject His standards.
Conclusion
Parents must protect their children from these influences, and all believers must guard their own hearts. Wherever evil touches our lives, we must cleanse ourselves before God. Rather than spending an evening being entertained by sin, we would do better to spend it in prayer and ministry, asking God to work in those caught in bondage.
Parents must protect their children from such influences. Wherever evil touches my life, I need to spend time cleansing myself. The cultural tensions are strong even when we do not frequent such events. Like Joseph, we are to flee temptation and its influence so that we can be holy for our God.
