“Remember Lot’s Wife”

Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32).  He said these words in a context in which he was predicting the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. In order to understand the significance of these words, we must first look at what happened to Lot’s wife. The details of what occurred is found in Genesis 19:15-26. From this passage, we learn that angels had informed her and her family to flee from Sodom and Gomorrah since God was about to destroy those cities. One key detail is that she and her family were told not to look back at all and not to stop anywhere until they got to the city of Zoar. Sadly, she did not heed this advice and decided to look back as she arrived at Zoar and became a pillar of salt. Whatever her reason was, she disobeyed God and lost her life.

What meaning would that story have for the Jewish people who were about to witness the destruction of their city and their temple? The point is that when the destruction began to arrive, they were not to linger and try to preserve their possessions and way of life. Instead, they were to flee for safety immediately (cf. Matt. 24:16). Any hesitation to do this would most likely result in the loss of their lives. In other words, do not do what Lot’s wife did or else you will receive what she received.

What does the mean for us today? First, as children of God, we cannot look back. Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Peter wrote, “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first” (2 Pet. 2:20). Thus, turning back will cost us our lives, just like it did for Lot’s wife.

Second, we must move forward. Paul wrote, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). The idea of “forgetting” is “a conscious refusal to let them absorb his attention and impede his progress. He never allowed his Jewish heritage (vv. 5-7) nor his precious Christian attainments (vv. 9-12) to obstruct his running of the race” (EBC). Instead of dwelling on the past, he chose to focus on the future. The phrase “straining forward” is a used of a racer going hard for the tape. It describes him with eyes for nothing but the goal. In other words, Paul had not yet finished his course. There was still work to be done. Thus, Paul made the decision to “press on,” which is one word in the original that means, “to move rapidly and decisively toward an objective, hasten, run” (BDAG).

We must “remember Lot’s wife” today. We all have a past. We all have regrets and things we wish we could have done differently. However, the past is the past and cannot be undone. Instead, we must not live in the past but live in the present with a view toward the future. We can only control how we live at this present moment. Will we live with a view toward the future or will we allow the past to hinder our progress? There is much work yet to be done. We have not yet finished our course. Let us live in the now and work with a view toward the future. Let us “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

5 Views of Mark 16:16

#1: 1+1 = 0  (i.e., He who believes & is baptized will not be saved)

• However, there is a God who offers salvation (cf. 1 Tim. 2:3-4 – “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”). This salvation is found in Jesus (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5-6 – “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”).

#2: 0+0 = 2  (i.e., He who doesn’t believe & isn’t baptized will be saved)

• However,  most people will be lost (cf. Matt. 7:13-14 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that lead to life, and those who find it are few.”). Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

#3: 0+1 = 2 (i.e., He who doesn’t believe & is baptized will be saved)

• However, the word “baptism” means immersion, which rules out sprinkling and pouring. Further, belief must be included (cf. John 8:24 – “Unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”).

#4: 1+0 = 2 (i.e., He who believes & isn’t baptized will be saved)

• However, the only place in the Bible where one reads about “faith alone” is in James 2:24 where it reads “not by faith alone.” Also, Jesus clearly says, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) and “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). As James told us, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17).

#5: 1+1 = 2 (i.e., He who believes & is baptized will be saved)

• This is the same thing told to those on the day of Pentecost – Acts 2:38 – “Repent and be baptized … for the remission of sins”. It is the same thing told to Paul – Acts 22:16 – “Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” There is no example of an unbaptized believer in the New Covenant (the thief on the cross was under the Old Covenant – cf. Heb. 9:15-17).

Give Me This Mountain

Forty-five years ago, he, along with 11 other men, had been sent into the promised land to spy out the land and he had seen this mountain. Although the odds of taking the land seemed to be stacked against him and his people, he confidently reported back to the congregation of Israel, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Num. 13:30). Sadly, 10 of the other “spies” convinced the people that they could not take the land. As a result of Israel’s unbelief, they were forced to wander the wilderness for 40 years and all who came out of Egypt, except for Joshua and him, would miss out on the privilege of entering into the promised land (Num. 14:24; Deut. 1:36). At 40, he almost had his mountain and that feeling only intensified during the 40 years in the wilderness.

Now, at 85, he, along with Joshua and the Israelites who were permitted, had entered the promised land and were enjoying the blessings therein. However, the mountain he had seen 45 years ago was still on his mind. He couldn’t wait any longer. He approached Joshua to get permission to go get this mountain (Josh. 14:6-9). Just like 45 years ago, the odds seemed stacked against him. Not only was he now 85, the land was occupied with giants and contained several large fortified cities (Josh 14:10-12). Nevertheless, he still believed that God would be with him and that he would be able to occupy the land because the LORD had promised it to him. Therefore, Joshua honors his request (Josh. 14:13-15) and he and his family go out and, with God on their side, occupy the land and he finally gets his mountain (Josh. 15:13-19).

This story of Caleb’s faith has always inspired me. I often wonder if I would have had his faith or if I would have been like one of the other 10 spies who lacked faith. I like to believe to I would have had his faith, but I look at my own faith and often see doubt begin to sink in with the odds seem to be against me. If I am not careful, I can find myself walking by sight instead of walking by faith. In order to work on this problem in my faith, I strive to emulate Caleb’s faith by understanding what it is and why he had.

First, Caleb had faith in God’s power. He had witnessed the 10 plagues of Egypt. He had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. He had seen the cloud and fire above the tabernacle. He had eaten the manna and the quail. He had drank the water at Marah and the water from the rock. He had seen the Amalekites defeated. He had seen the two tablets containing the 10 Commandments. In other words, he knew and trusted in God’s power and was confident that, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). The giants in the land with their large fortified cities were nothing in comparison to the one who spoke the heavens and earth into existence (Gen. 1).

Second, he had faith in God’s promises. His faith at 40 and his faith at 85 remained confident in the fact that God would keep His word. God had promised Israel this land and Caleb knew that God would give them this land. Time and time again, without exception, God and kept His word and made good on every promise up until now. Caleb knew that would not change. As the Hebrew author wrote, “These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath” (Heb. 6:18). Just like Caleb’s faith in receiving the promised land of his day, we may have the same faith in our salvation, as Titus wrote, “That faith and that knowledge come from the hope for life forever, which God promised to us before time began. And God cannot lie” (Titus 1:2).

Third, Caleb had faith in God’s possibilities. Knowing the power of God and knowing that God will always keep His promises, Caleb knew that God would give Israel the land. In reality, this was a no contest as the giants (who were, in reality, the grasshoppers) were going up against God who never has lost and never will lose a battle. Indeed, “with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26b.). As Jeremiah aptly wrote, regarding God, “Nothing is too hard for you” (Jer. 32:17). Caleb knew this and lived his life walking “by faith, not be sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).