Remember Lot

  I heard a sermon yesterday by Austin Stone's Halim Suh. The essence of the sermon was that we can be like Lot, a lot. You see, Lot was a believer (2 Peter 2), but he loved the world too. He had not fully given into the whole "Christianity" thing. He was saved by grace, atoned for and free, but he was still slave to the world. He still found the world to be fulfilling, and had yet to take his walk serious...sounds familiar huh? Lot knew that God was hot with fury towards Sodom, but he "lingered" when told to leave. He could not give up the world in order to follow God.This story is found in Genesis 19.
  In his sermon Halim referenced an article by J.C. Ryle in which Ryle focused on Genesis 19:16, where it says Lot "Lingered" or "Hesitated". I found the article Halim referenced and was met with a feeling of great encouragement as well as great conviction once I finished reading it.
  On a side note: I really love how old pastors talk and write. Ryle died in 1900 and you can see how words back then were used in beautiful ways. There seemed to never be a wasted word, or an out of place sentence. Writing was so much purer back then and people seemed to be more in touch with themselves as well as the Holy Spirit. I have a hard time seeing the Luther's, Spurgeon's and Ryle's of history spending their time on much else than studying, preaching, loving their families and living out what the scriptures demanded of them. It appears that they had a much different focus than I do on life.
  Basically, I think we have a lot we to learn from them. They were committed to nothing else but the cause of Christ and were not caught up in the fleeting pleasures of the world.

Below are some excerpts from the article that hit me hard:

"I say that there are many Christian men and Christian women in this day very like Lot. They believe in heaven, and yet seem faintly to long for it;—and in hell, and yet seem little to fear it. They love the Lord Jesus; but the work they do for Him is small. They hate the devil; but they often appear to tempt him to come to them. They know the time is short; but they live as if it were long, They know they have a battle to fight; yet a man might think they were at peace. They know they have a race to run; yet they often look like people sitting still. They know the Judge is at the door, and there is wrath to come; and yet they appear half asleep. Astonishing they should be what they are, and yet be nothing more!"

"There are many real children of God who appear to know far more than they live up to, and see far more than they practise, and yet continue in this state for many years. Wonderful that they go as far as they do, and yet go no further! They hold the Head, even Christ, and love the truth. They like sound preaching, and assent to every article of Gospel doctrine, when they hear it. But still there is an indescribable something which is not satisfactory about them. They are constantly doing things which disappoint the expectations of their ministers, and of more advanced Christian friends. Marvellous that they should think as they do, and yet stand still!"

 "They spend their lives in trying to make the gate more wide, and the cross more light. But they never succeed."

"These are they who are always trying to keep in with the world. They are ingenious in discovering reasons for not separating decidedly, and in framing plausible excuses for attending questionable amusements, and keeping up questionable friendships. One day you are told of their attending a Bible reading: the next day perhaps you hear of their going to a ball. They are constantly labouring to persuade themselves that to mix a little with worldly people on their own ground does good. Yet in their case it is very clear they do no good, and only get harm."

"Ah, reader, if you are a lingering soul, you are not happy! You know you are not. It would be strange indeed if you were so. Lingering is the sure destruction of a happy Christianity. A lingerer’s conscience forbids him to enjoy inward peace."

Fight On