When Evil Stands at the Door

The story of Lot and the aggressive mob is a picture of what is happening in some segments of our culture and sadly, within the Church.

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The turning point in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah took place when a mob of men, both young and old, came and surrounded Lot’s house. They demanded that Lot bring his two angelic visitors outside so they could have sex with them.

Lot stepped outside his front door and pleaded with the mob saying, “Please, my brothers, don’t do such a wicked thing” (Genesis19:7). Lot tried to bring peace, even offering his two virgin daughters to the aggressors. At this point, their lust was unrestrainable and demanded immediate fulfillment. The spokesman of the mob said, “Stand back! This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” (vs.9). Not only did the mob say they would rape the two men under Lot’s protection, but a worse fate awaited Lot if he stood in their way. The aggressors lunged forward in an attempt to gain entry, but the two angels reached out and pulled Lot back inside, and bolted the door. The angels blinded the eyes of the mob and they finally dispersed.

The words of the mob leader stood out to me, “he’s acting like our judge!” Lot calling the demands of the mob wicked set them off. This is what happens in a society whenever God’s truth is brought to bear against evil. It’s not limited to sexual sin, violence, greed, or crooked politics. It impacts all areas of life. The implications of dismantling God’s truth and reconstructing it to become a lie have been at the core of the demise of individual lives and entire cultures across history. Challenging such deception will always create resistance, some of that resistance will become invasive, attempting to enter the sanctity of our homes and places of worship.

The story of Lot and the aggressive mob is a picture of what is happening in some segments of our culture and sadly, within the Church. When threatening evil requires that we leave the comfortable enclosure of our faith to step out onto our visible porch of testimony and call something wicked, and doing so for the protection of those under our care, unrestrained evil will not tolerate such a definition. When evil has taken captive the minds of people and institutions of culture there will eventually be an attempt to kick down the door of our faith and try to violate what we consider sacred. This invasion can be so overwhelming that only an intervention by God will change the outcome.

Challenging days are upon us. Our greatest jeopardy will come when we challenge the lies and deceptions that have crept into our relationships, especially when they affect those under our care in our families and churches. When a negative and aggressive response is perpetrated as we speak the truth in love and it seems we are about to be overrun, the hand of God will reach out and grab us as the angels did for Lot. The Lord will be faithful to pull us into a place of safety and shield us from the coming consequence of deception.

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins

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About the Author

Garris Elkins is a Kingdom Winds Contributor. He and his wife, Jan, serve the global Church through writing, speaking, and mentoring. They live in southern Oregon, tucked away in the foothills of the Rogue Valley. Their shared desire is to have each person learn how to hear the heart of God and become a transforming voice in their culture.