“But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).
TEXT — Genesis 19:17-26
Message
The story of Lot’s wife is an unfortunate account of one who was almost saved but lost! It is indeed a tragedy. God had shown Lot and his family great mercy by bringing them out of Sodom and Gomorrah, which He was about to destroy by firestorm. His instruction was unequivocal; they were to escape for their lives and not look back for any reason.Unfortunately, Lot’s wife decided to take a quick gaze backwards, but it proved to be a very fatal and tragic decision.
Getting saved is the work of the grace of God in our lives as we respond to His offer of salvation. However, remaining in the Kingdom depends very much on what we do. It is not enough for us to have come out of Sodom; we must ensure that we do not keep looking back toward Sodom. Running the Christian race will not be easy unless we make a complete break from our sinful ways, interests and pleasures. This explains why many people that claim to be saved cannot live a consistent, victorious Christian life.
It is interesting to observe that as Lot’s wife looked back, he and his daughters did not bother to look back to find out what happened to her. So many Christians have fallen out of the faith just because a close friend or associate stopped following the Lord. The Christian race is a personal endeavour. You must not tie your faith and convictions to someone else’s decision. Jesus must be the focus of your gaze as you run the race.
For the Christian who wishes to escape the final and eternal destruction coming upon the world, it must be forward ever, backward never!
Thought for the day
Our ultimate salvation requires forward march and fixed mind.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
