Magdy Samuel

Chapter 5: 7
Temptations and their reasons (2)

Third: Loving the world
As we go through Lot’s story, we will find that his admixture with the world happened gradually; it started small and insignificant, then it gradually increased till it reached complete fusion. We can see this through the following biblical evidences:

• Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt (Genesis 13:10)
• So Lot chose for himself (Genesis 13:11)
• Pitched his tents near Sodom (Genesis 13:12)
• They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom (Genesis 14:12)
• And Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city.(Genesis 19:1)

When Lot decided to leave Abraham and go to Sodom, all what he had in mind was just to pitch his tents towards Sodom, or to have them in front of the city but not inside it. His desire was to be next to the city to enjoy its civilization and culture. He had no intention of building a house, he was intending to live as a stranger in a tent as his uncle Abraham.  Besides he was willing to build an alter for the testimony and fellowship of God.

However, with as the days passed, he started to merge with the people of Sodom; he had his daughters married to men from Sodom. Then he left the tent and lived in a house inside the city, and even after the exile, he returned again to live in Sodom.
When the two angels came out to him, they found him at the gateway of the city of Sodom, and at that time those who sit by the gateway of the city must be the elders or judges of the city.

That what happens gradually with the believer; his relation with God and the people of God starts to detract gradually until it is diminished completely while on the other hand his relation with the world increases tangibly until it gets to its peak and then he sinks in the temptations of life.

In the beginning of our spiritual life, we were in strong relation with the Lord and had a strong fellowship with the believers. Also we had our spiritual ministry which we cared much about. But by time, we may start to admire and love the world and its way of life; and from here the descent starts.

God has warned us saying: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you  are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them.  I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “ Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.   Do not touch what is unclean,  And I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)

Dear reader, be careful for the road of the thousand miles away from God starts by one step. Beware of the little foxes that ruin the vineyards. And be cautious of the fellowship of the world, the continuous slope and the gradual falling towards the love of the world.

Lot’s wife and his daughters might have had a role in this issue; they must have been tired from living in tents and in the desert with Abraham. As Abraham could not provide them with the means of entertainment because all what concerned and attracted Abraham was the fellowship with God and talking to him and offer sacrifices to Him. Thus they asked Lot to get them out of such boring condition.

Sometimes, we mix -up ourselves in the world because of the pressure of our needs or the needs of our children. God does not forbid us from dealing with the world and be successful in it like how Daniel, Nehemiah and Joseph were; but God does not want us to love it and love its lusts which are: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Our Lord Jesus said: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) Its not required from us to isolate ourselves from this world for the Bible says: “Not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world” (1 Corinthians 5:9, 10)

Dear reader, we cannot withdraw completely from this world but we can draw the world out of our hearts. We can live in the world but the world does not live inside us. Let’s lift our hearts up to the Lord asking him to protect our souls and houses from loving the world, and may He fill up our hearts with His love that expels the love of the world and makes us overcome the world.

Fourth: Superficial relationship with God
 “Lot who was moving about with Abram” (Genesis 13:5)

Lot went out of Ur of the Chaldeans with his uncle Abraham and moved with him from one place to another but in reality, he had no personal strong relation with his God or with his uncle Abraham’s God. The Holy Book says that Lot was moving with Abram and not with his God or with Abram’s God. The Book has not mentioned that Lot was God’s friend and it did not say that Lot has built an altar for God.

That’s how we see some believers having relations with other believers in God, but not with the God of the believers; also a relation with God’s church and not with the church’s God; also a relation with God’s servant and not with the servant’s God; that’s why when they are exposed to any temptation or lust, they immediately fall.

Therefore dear reader, have a direct personal relation with the Lord, let it be permanent, continuous and deep so that He guards you and protects you from life’s temptations.

Magdy Samuel