“Our great security against sin lies in being shocked at it.” –Moffat
“No man need be the slave of the environment in which he happens to find himself.” –William Barclay
I’ve been reading about some of the early cowtowns, such as Abilene and Dodge City. They were rough and rowdy places. For a short time in both of those places there was no law, and when they did bring in the law they had to bring in hard men to enforce it–men like Hickok and Earp. I’ve also been reading about the early mining towns, primarily in Colorado. If possible, they were worse than the cowtowns in rowdiness and bawdiness. Tincup, for example, boasted that it had never had a church. Four of the first five marshals were killed and the fifth one went insane. Boswell stated that in his first year living in Central City that there was a murder every night. Wickedness prevailed and in the mining towns little was done to stop it, especially since many of these places only lasted a few years.
I’m still in my study of 2 Peter and have been dwelling on Lot. I have often pondered Lot. I understand why he went to Sodom, but it escapes me why he stayed. The place was pure evil, but Peter writes that Lot was righteous and was even tormented day to day by the people around him. Look at 2 Peter 2:7-9:
“and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteousness soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)–then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” (NKJV)
Why did Lot stay in such a place? Perhaps it was because that the Lord didn’t tell him to leave. It seemed though that he was preserved from the infection of sin. He was oppressed by what was happening around him; his righteous soul was tormented, but still he remained. No matter the reason he did not accept what was happening. The true danger is when sin is accepted as part of the normal order of things. This is now happening in America. It is important that the believer does not become complacent with his environment and accept it as the routine part of life, and compromise truth and thus his soul.
Also, remember there was a time for Lot to leave Sodom. God sent special visitors to Lot and they had to convince him to leave. In fact they had to take him by the hand. It is a terrible story to read of that night in Sodom and the events that transpired. Sodom was already doomed, but before the destruction Lot was rescued. Hmmm, this old earth is doomed, but before the destruction the trumpet shall sound!