Remember Lot’s Wife

Luke 17:26-32

Intro: I was reading this week through the passages that deal with the words of Jesus concerning the end time events, especially as they impact the Jewish people. (Mt 24; Lk 17,21)

Jesus was talking about how people would be living while the end of time rapidly approached. They would be like those in Noah’s day who totally disregarded the warning and went about their lives with a “business as usual” attitude. They would also be like those in the days of Lot who ignored the warning of destruction and continued blindly on in their wickedness. Jesus said that when these things began to take place; when these signs of end began to appear; everyone should act immediately and with urgency. If someone was up on the housetop, he should leave in such haste that he didn’t even go down into his house to pack clothing or food. If a man was out in the field he was to flee quickly and not return home to gather any of his goods. There was urgency and immediacy in the warning of Jesus.

Then to clinch the point Jesus said made a powerful statement of only 3 words: Remember Lot’s Wife!

He wanted them to think about the urgency that had driven Lot and his family out of Sodom and about how Lot’s wife gave in to her fleshly feelings and looked back, evidently considering going back and she immediately perished and turned to a pillar or column of salt.

Remember Lot’s Wife!

Well, this is very relevant for all of us for we are definitely living in last days of time. Israel has already become a nation, the European nations have already begun their union and confederation which according to the Bible will be a major part of the end times scene. The stage is being set for a man to rise to worldwide political power and prominence as a peacemaker and savior.  

We are certainly living in a time when the Rapture of all true Christians is near; followed by the time of terrible tribulation and the outpouring of the wrath of God. There is Urgency Here! We must be ready for the Lord’s return. We must be ready if death comes to us and ends our earthly life. So we must remember the actions of Lot’s wife and remember the terrible consequences she suffered.

What should we remember concerning Lot’s wife.

I. She Perished Even though she was the Wife of a Righteous Man.

Now Lot is not my favorite character in the Bible and I find much to be disappointed about in his life and experience, but, in 2 Peter 2:8 Lot is called a “righteous” man. He was also closely related to Abraham and no doubt Lot’s whole family had been around Abraham enough to learn from his example of faith and godliness. Still, being related to or in regular contact with a true Christian is not enough to get anybody into heaven.

You may have a Husband/Wife; Father/Mother; Grandpa/Grandma; Brother or Sister; Uncle/Aunt; Cousin etc, who really knows God and lives faithfully for him. They are probably praying for you and they love you and want the best for you; they certainly want you to be saved and ready for eternity. Still, you must be Born Again yourself! You have to be living for God and obeying the Word. You must be faithful to God’s house and be walking in the Spirit. Otherwise, you too will perish even though you have relationships with godly people.

II. She Perished Even Though She was Warned of the Danger.

She, along with Lot and her daughters received a Divine Warning. Angels from heaven came directly to their home and brought the warning from God himself; Sodom was going to be destroyed with Fire and Brimstone. She knew about the coming destruction. She was given a wonderful opportunity to escape and be saved. Still, she perished!

We also have received Divine Warnings about the Rapture of the Church; about the coming Judgment; about a Heaven to be attained and a hell to be avoided. Jesus told us- Peter told us- John told us- Paul told us.

God saw to it that His Holy Word was made available to every generation including our own right here in 2026. We all have God’s own words of warning and instruction and we have all been given a wonderful opportunity to escape the coming wrath of God; to escape Hell and eternal death. We have been given ample to time to make our escape. Still, there will be numbers of people in hell who knew better; who were warned; who were given opportunity to escape,  but were still lost.

III. She Perished Even though she Made SOME Effort to be Saved.

It’s true that she didn’t really want to leave and evidently didn’t really believe the urgency of the message. She didn’t really believe that such a drastic and dramatic destruction would really be carried out on Sodom. Still, she was finally persuaded and started out on the right way.

LOT’S WIFE DID NOT DIE IN SODOM.

She was outside the city, so she had started in the right way, But she STOPPED & perished.

If you really believe that Jesus died for your sins, that’s Good.

If you believe that Jesus really did resurrect from the dead on the 3^rd day that’s Good.

If you do believe that Jesus is coming again, that’s Good.

You are on the right way, but the question is: ARE YOU SAVED? Are you truly born again? Are you a genuine Christian? Are you praying? Growing in Grace? Studying and Obeying Word? Faithful to House of God? Living a Holy, Sanctified Life? Training your family in the ways of God? Are you committed to the Lord in total surrender; not partial but all the way?

Lot’s wife did make some effort but she still perished. She got out of Sodom but Sodom was not out of her. Sodom was in her heart; in her mind; in her desires and longings. She was making a token effort to leave but she was still tied to Sodom.

My dad told me when I was a boy about 2 men who rowed a small boat across the Ohio river from KY to IL to drink on a Saturday night. When they returned to their boat, of course, they were drunk. They got in the boat and started rowing to go home. They rowed all night and when the sun came up they found that their boat was still tied to dock in Cave in Rock, IL.

Are you still tied to sin? To the world? To the devil’s control?

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

IV. She Perished even though she only committed ONE Sin.

She fell to the awful sin of unbelief and it manifested itself in that one tragic, disobedient, look back. The Angel’s words were, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee.”

People will perish not because of the NUMBER of sins they commit, but because of the NATURE of Sin.

The Bible declares that “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” That’s the nature of sin. We are born with a fleshly nature already tainted by sin and we are sinners both by nature and by practice. Our problem is not How Many Sins we commit; our problem is that we have Sin in our Heart!

The only way to be Cleansed from that Nature of Sin is to repent and be born again by the Spirit of God. Then we are regenerated, born again, made a new creation in Christ Jesus, cleansed from sin and adopted into the family of God.

That’s why only “one sin” so to speak can keep someone out of heaven. It’s that one sin of unbelief that causes all of the other sins someone commits:

- Rich young ruler- One thing thou lackest

- Adam and Eve- broke one command- ate the forbidden fruit. But why did they eat it? They did not truly believe the warnings of God; their unbelief caused that one tragic sin that crashed the entire human race into sin and death.

So let’s remember Lot’s wife and learn from her what NOT to do and what we Ought to do.

Don’t trust in someone else’s faith for salvation or to live the Christian life; you must have faith of your own.

Don’t let the warnings of God’s Word go in one ear and out the other; take them seriously and make sure your life is given to the Lord.

Don’t settle for a half hearted commitment; surrender yourself completely to the Lord and his Word and his Will.

Don’t minimize the effect of any one sin; avoid all sin like the plague. AND if you do sin- remember, we have an advocate or a go between; a mediator; one who will take up our case; Jesus Christ!

THEN- you will escape the judgement that is coming upon the world and you will spend your eternity in the presence of God.