Picture Scripture: “Don’t Look Back” (Genesis 19:26)

(Genesis 19:26)
“But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”

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Picture this: An anchorman on CMM News reports: “I’m Donald Lime. Thanks for tuning in. Tonight, our top story is on John Doe, the now former pastor who most recently led The Covenant Church in Los Angeles, California. Doe has renounced his Christian faith as a system rife with abuse that caused him ‘mental and emotional breaks.’ In our exclusive interview with Doe, he went on to say that Christianity did not provide him with solutions to his problems, prayers were not answered to his satisfaction, he does not like suffering, and he just wants to be happy. Further, Doe stated that the church burdened people with fear, shame, and guilt in order to control its congregation. He concluded our interview by stating, ‘Christianity is an impossible standard and a system that doesn’t work.’ Personally, I don’t blame him. We only have one life to live and we all deserve the pursuit of our own happiness. After this commercial break, we’ll show you the entire exclusive interview where Doe discusses his disappointment and heartache of the hypocritical politics of organized religion, and the hateful and intolerant way of Christianity. Stay tuned…”

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Abraham (Abram) and Lot (his nephew) once traveled together, but Genesis 13:6-11 informs us that they both grew too numerous and their workers ended up fighting with each other; consequently, they agreed to go separate ways so as to keep the peace between them. Prior to Abraham and Lot separating and going their own ways, Abraham gave Lot first choice at any section of land to be his own and Lot chose the best share of the land even though it meant living near Sodom, which was a city known for its sin (13:10-13).

Now, starting at 18:20, the Lord shared with Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to their “exceedingly grave” sins. The two angels sent by the Lord arrived at the entrance of the city of Sodom and found Lot sitting there at the gate (19:1). Why was he there? The entrance of the city was the meeting place for city officials and other men to discuss current events, transact business, and where officials discussed important ideas and decisions, etc. This is why Amos 5:15 says, “Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate!” And so that area was a place of authority and status where a person could see and be seen. Evidently, Lot either held a fairly important position in the government or associated with those who did. Whatever the reason for him being there, this informs us that Lot was mixed up with the elites of Sodom; he was unequally yoked with wickedness. We have no reason to think that Lot was alone in the gateway when the angels arrived, yet he was the one who interacted with the angels [who appeared as men]. And this is how everyone knew that Lot had invited the men (angels) to his house. For this reason, Hebrews 13:2 tells us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Ponder on that for a moment: many of the humans you meet in this world could be angels. How many have you disrespected or refused to love?)

Lot was hospitable to the angels and urged them strongly to stay with him instead of spending the night in the public square (Genesis 19:2-3). Why? Because Lot had seen some things. What things? What was Lot attempting to prevent from happening? What typically happened if travelers stayed overnight in the public square? Well, it is written that the evil men of Sodom surrounded his house and demanded to have sexual intercourse with the two angels [who appeared as men] (19:4-5). Therefore, these men were demanding to rape the other men. Shockingly, Lot offered his daughters to the sinful men of Sodom who desired to rape the angels (19:8). Rejecting Lot’s offer of his virgin daughters, thus revealing the depth of their depravity (Jude 1:7 refers to this incident as “gross immorality”), the evil men then threatened to treat Lot even worse than they planned to treat the angels, but the angels saved Lot, bringing him inside the house, and struck the evil men with blindness (19:10-11).

Why did Lot offer his daughters to those wicked men? Lot’s daughters were not only virgins (19:8), but they were also betrothed to be married (19:14). How could a loving father offer his [virgin and engaged] daughters to be raped by a mob of sinful men in order to protect two strangers? Lot’s proposal, so abhorrent to our modern minds, may have even been deemed meritorious in an ancient Eastern country, where people were bound by the laws of hospitality to their guests. Sadly, at that time and in that area, women were of lesser status than men. But it’s important to note that that was man’s cultural norm, not GOD’s Kingdom standard.

And so the wicked people put Lot in an extremely difficult position where he had to make an extremely difficult decision at a mere moment’s notice. Now, the difficulty arises from the description of Lot being “righteous,” which Peter wrote about in 2Peter 2:7. Lot’s desire to serve the angels, be hospitable, invite them into his home, and protect them reveals that Lot did in fact desire to be righteous. His desire to be righteous was showcased when he told the evil mob, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly” (Genesis 19:7). Well, how could he point out what is wicked unless he knew the standard of right by which to compare their actions? However, it also seems that Lot was only righteous relatively out of GOD’s favor to Abraham because it’s written that GOD saved Lot because “God remembered Abraham” (19:29). And though Lot’s soul was daily tormented by what he saw in Sodom (2Peter 2:8), it seems he was not tormented enough to convince him to leave such evil surroundings, and return to the healthy and virtuous life of the mountains. It was easier for him to coexist and partner with wickedness than to be set apart from the world. And though it was the custom of the day to protect guests at any cost, this abhorrent act of offering his daughters to the mob reveals how deeply sin had been absorbed into Lot’s life. This is known as desensitization. For this reason, the ancient wisdom of Proverbs 13:20 tells us, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” And Paul warned the church of Corinth when he wrote in 1Corinthians 5:6 that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” Paul also warned them later on in the same letter (15:33), “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ ” But that is what happens when we allow a sinful society around us to influence what we think and do. It is for this exact reason that our modern society has become desensitized to evil, which is clearly evident to those who have spiritual eyes to see. And it is for this reason that Romans 12:2 instructs us, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Later, in Judges 19:22-25, we see that this same sinful scenario happens again where a wicked group of men have a demonic desire to gang rape a man passing through their town, but in that scenario, the man who was the guest seized his concubine, threw her out to mob, and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, and she ended up getting raped to death. And so according to that passage, it seems that this type of evil act was not uncommon for any city that was saturated in sin. In fact, sexual immorality will always be rampant wherever wicked people gather. It is a sign that the adversary is present, mocking GOD’s design. It is for this reason Paul wrote in 1Thessalonians 4:3-5, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” And in 1Corinthians 6:15-20, Paul explains that our bodies are holy temples and that we must flee immorality. And this sexual immorality is so evil that in Luke 17:28-30, Jesus uses Sodom and its wickedness to explain how it will be in the last days when He returns. And just to be clear, we are currently in the days of Sodom [if you haven’t noticed].

Whereas the book of Joshua reveals GOD’s faithfulness, the book of Judges showcases the Israelite’s failures through their faithlessness and their refusal to give up evil ways. The “judges” (deliverers) were not set up as models: their failures, weaknesses and immorality are simply recorded, not condoned, glossed over or glorified. This is why what is described in the Bible is not always prescribed. Because of our freedom of choice, GOD works with whoever is available. A sad cycle of sin and repetitive short-lived “repentance” calls attention to humanity’s tendency to stray and go their own way. The evils in the days of the judges were attributed to the fact that “there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). And this is exactly what happens when people refuse to acknowledge that there is indeed an absolute moral standard commanded by a King [who is Christ Jesus] (1Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). Contrast that evil with the wisdom of Proverbs 21:2: “Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” Without GOD as the absolute moral standard and candid central core, the people placed their focus on what was relative and subjective, which transformed into common corruption. In the days of the judges, the Philistines advanced by infiltration (subtly from within) rather than outright war; pagan practices persisted because they had been accepted as normal and integrated into daily activities. Examine what is written in Numbers 25:1-3: “While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel.” Who invited the Israelites over there? Sexually immoral women. The entire 7^th chapter of Proverbs is about this very issue. People are seduced and led to their own slaughter because they don’t have the wisdom to recognize the enemy’s lure. You need wisdom to help you discern this so that you can flee the temptations of this world. In 1Corinthians 10:12-13, Paul wrote, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Any sin that becomes justified, accepted as normal, and integrated into daily life is a virus. Desensitization causes destruction and demise. Sexual immorality was the Trojan horse virus long before Homer’s Odyssey even existed! This is an ancient sin! After Cain murdered his brother, Abel, from his seed came Lamech and Lamech took for himself two wives (Genesis 4:19). That was the start of the deviation from the design, which was a demonic desire. And the immoral leaven contaminated the dough. But GOD’s Word clearly speaks of sex outside of marriage [one male and one female for one lifetime] as being immoral and adulterous (1Corinthians 6:13,18; 10:8; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1Thessalonians 4:3). And Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” A married couple cannot be “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24) if multiple “fleshes” are involved. A married couple cannot fully love one another if that love is divided among several other people. There cannot be true intimacy if what is supposed to be intimate is shared with others. Polyamory is not marriage. In no sense is a marriage supposed to be open to sexual activity outside of the covenant union of marriage – and yes – that includes pornography. The monogamous male-female union, which was introduced in Genesis between Adam and Eve, is the only model of sexual behavior consistently praised in both the Old and New Testaments (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18,23-24; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 17:17; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:26-27; 1Corinthians 6:9-10; 7:2; 1Timothy 1:9-10; 3:2,12; Titus 1:6). The decision to disregard GOD’s design produced an avalanche of problems that buried any possibility of the Israelites ever working themselves into holy salvation. Multiple partners always created conflict, confusion, identity crises, and even led to idolatry (examine the lives of Abraham + Sarah + Hagar [Genesis 16:5-6; 21:9-11], or Jacob + Leah + Rachel [Genesis 29:17-18,30-31; 30:1-2,20,23], or even Solomon + 700 wives + 300 concubines). Even in David’s life, his sinful lust spilled over into his own family’s lives and affected them and caused disastrous results (2Samuel 11:1-12:23; 13:4-37). Further, David’s lack of discipline in that matter spilled over into Solomon’s life and it created disastrous results for Solomon as well (1Kings 11:1-8). Any addition to GOD’s design is a subtraction in quality of life and a division of loyalty, which ultimately leads to multiplied problems. The fact that all of these events were documented in the Bible is proof that GOD wants us to learn from their mistakes (Romans 15:4; 1Corinthians 10:6-13; 2Timothy 3:16-17). Again, it was all described, not prescribed. GOD provided for us examples of what not to do as well as examples of what we should do.

Now, let’s return to Sodom and Gomorrah. The narratives warn against assimilating to the evil practices around them. Likewise, Lot had allowed the sinful society that surrounded him to torment him so long as to finally influence him. Whereas he once lived near Sodom (Genesis 13:12), he eventually chose to live in Sodom (14:12; 18:26; 19:1-5), drawing closer to the ways of the world rather than GOD’s ways. And when Lot offered his daughters to the wicked mob, I believe he was unprepared to righteously respond and so he merely reacted in panic and chose to do an evil in hopes of bringing about some good. However, in stark contrast, it is written that we are not to do evil in hopes of achieving good; rather, we are to overcome evil by doing good (Romans 3:8; 6:1; 12:21).

Lot eventually attempted to warn his daughters’ fiancés about the impending destruction of the city, but they didn’t believe him or heed his warning. They thought it was a funny joke. Pause and ponder on this problem. Why didn’t they believe him? While it is possible that they were evil themselves, it’s also possible that Lot had lived amongst and associated with the ungodly people for so long that he was no longer a credible or believable witness for GOD. Had he compromised so much that he was no longer considered a man of GOD by those men? Or did they just think GOD was a joke? Regardless, rather than Lot changing people around him, he allowed the people around him to change him. And this, of course, is in stark contrast with the way Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego) had lived in the Babylonian exile when they refused to allow exterior circumstances to dictate their interior dispositions, corrupt their character, and wreck their witness (Daniel 1:8; 3:17-18). In fact, when it came time for an extremely difficult scenario to force Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to make an extremely difficult decision, they were ready to righteously respond rather than merely react out of panic and fear. King Nebuchadnezzar said that if they did not fall down and worship his statue, they would be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. But apparently they had thought about this ahead of time and had already made a decision long ago as to what they would do if that ever happened. They were prepared. They were deeply rooted.

Do those who know you see you as a credible and believable witness for GOD, or are you just one of the crowd, someone who blends in? For this reason, we are to live with higher standards. To make a difference in our culture, we must first decide to be different and live differently in faith and conduct. Which is more noticeable: that which blends in or that which stands out? Why should you blend in when GOD created you to stand out from the world (John 15:19; 17:14,16)? However, this does not mean that we isolate ourselves from the world. It simply means that we never become one with the world’s ways. Jesus said “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one” (17:15). And, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (17:18). And so we do not isolate ourselves from the world, yet we do not become the harlot who unites herself with the ways of the world. In James 4:4-5, it is written, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us’?” Therefore, as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:32), we are to be faithful to Him alone even though we are still in the world. We are to change the world; the world is not to change us. Jesus said we are the light that is to shine into the darkness of this world (Matthew 5:14-16), yet too many Christians allow the world to convince them that their candle is offensive and so they cover their light with a basket in order to please demons who dwell in darkness. May it never be! We must be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden!

When it came time for Lot to leave, it is written that he hesitated (Genesis 19:16-17). Not only did he hesitate, but he had to be urged to leave and was pulled out by the hand. Why? I believe Lot feared the unknown and doubted the Lord’s direction (19:19). It is difficult to leave your comfort zone and enter into new areas of life. Lot didn’t know where he was going to go, but he knew where he was in that moment – he was in his comfort zone. In perhaps a state of confusion and panic, Lot asked to go to the village of Zoar (a word meaning “small”) (19:20). It’s fitting because Lot’s faith was small and he was shortsighted; he didn’t consider the big picture of GOD’s will. (Lot ended up going to the mountains anyway, just as the angels had instructed him to do; 19:30) But again, was he ready to righteously respond or was he merely reacting out of panic and fear?

Now, Lot may have hesitated, but Lot’s wife didn’t merely hesitate — she looked back in disobedience and was turned into a pillar of salt (19:17,26). Why would GOD turn her into a pillar of salt just because she looked back? Was that fair? Scripture doesn’t say why she looked back, but I believe she looked back because she was unable to let go of her past and she was concerned about her worldly life. Many people would rather stay in a bad situation simply because it’s familiar rather than risk the uncomfortable and potentially frightening feeling of going into the unknown. How many unfortunate testimonies exist of abused and battered women who chose to go back to the men who abused them simply because they were in a familiar situation and were afraid to go forward into the unknown? I personally know a few females who would rather be with the wrong man rather than be single and live right with the Lord. Did Lot’s wife desire to be at the wrong place rather than go into the unknown of GOD’s will? People who allow themselves to stay in a harmful cycle of life will never get better until they desire to seek better. Perhaps Lot’s wife was trying to figure out a way they could stay rather than leave. After all, that’s usually what people tend to do when they are afraid to leave what is familiar.

Understand this: when GOD tells us to go forward into His will, then we need to trust GOD’s direction and go (Proverbs 3:5-6). When GOD tells you to leave your past behind and not to look back, then don’t look back! You cannot move forward in life if you’re looking back and trying to go in reverse. When GOD gives you an opportunity for change and for a new and better life, do not look back. You must keep your focus on what’s ahead. Live your life in the present with the future in mind. Don’t look back. There’s a reason your vehicle has a tiny rearview mirror and a large windshield, right? We don’t stare into the rearview mirror while driving forward. The rearview mirror is for reference only so that it can help you drive forward. Your past is your past. Leave it there. It’s dead and gone. You can’t change it or resurrect it.

The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they complained against the Lord that He took them out of Egypt. They complained because in Egypt they had access to water and a variety of foods (Numbers 11:4-6; 20:3-5). They complained because they were uncomfortable on their journey to where GOD wanted to take them, which was a better land where they would live in freedom. Ponder on the absurd ungratefulness of their complaints! GOD took them out of slavery and yet they complained because their lives in slavery had been predictable, which made them comfortable. They were comfortable in their enslavement! And even after the Israelites had been punished for their rebellion and harlotry, subjected to Babylonian captivity, GOD later told them in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new.” For this reason, Paul, in Philippians 3:12-14, admitted that he had not yet reached the goal or become perfect, but he wrote “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” And he then he wrote, “however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained” (3:16).

As Christians, we live up to a higher standard than the rest of this world and we should maintain that standard. Is GOD trying to take you into a new area in life? Are you holding onto something or someone of your past? Are you hesitant to leave your comfort zone and what is familiar because you possess a false sense of security due to predictability? It’s a false sense of security! Let go and let GOD love you, bless you, and guide you. Will it be difficult? Yes. We will endure growing pains, the pain of the Father’s discipline, and the pain of the world’s persecution. But will it be worth it? Yes. And is GOD with us the entire time? Yes. As David faithfully proclaimed in Psalm 23, the Lord is our Good Shepherd who is with us in that journey through the valley of the shadow of death. Why? Because He leads us to the water, restores us, and guides us. GOD was with the Israelites when they traveled, GOD was with David through the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus was with His disciples, and because the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), GOD will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8; Hebrews 13:5).

But why did Lot’s wife turn into salt? GOD could have turned her into anything, so why salt? According to Matthew 5:13, believers are supposed to be the salt of the earth. The Lord of lords and King of kings said we are the salt of the earth. That’s an easy verse to pass up and take for granted. Who does the Lord say we are? Who does He want us to be? Salt is a necessity of life and has been used as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, and even used on icy conditions. Are we preserving all the good qualities of life? Are we enhancing the ‘flavor’ of life? Are we a disinfectant, helping to eliminate the ‘germs’ of false doctrines? Are we being used for icy conditions? Are we thawing ice-cold hearts with the warmth of our love? Are we helping people gain traction on slippery slopes with the Truth? Our salty ‘flavor’ should cause people to salivate for the Savior. You may not think that what you do matters much, but GOD says you are the salt of the earth. So, everything you do matters. And everything you do not do matters as well.

But when Lot’s wife chose to disobey GOD, neglected to appreciate the blessing of moving faithfully forward, and placed her focus on her past by looking back, she lost her taste or flavor (her strength and quality). Another thing about salt: salt is bitter. If you place your focus on your past hurts, resentments, anger toward others, etc., you will turn into a bitter person and you will cause your own demise. Even if you place your focus on all the good things of the past, wishing to stay there, you will become the grumbling Israelite who lacks faith in where GOD wants to take you. I believe she caused her own demise because she couldn’t let go of that worldly life she had been accustomed to living. She was the salt that lost its flavor and so she became what was thrown out and trampled under foot. But what about you? Are you looking back longingly at a past situation you want rather than trusting in GOD and moving forward in faith? We all have moments in our past that were enjoyable that we sometimes prefer over our current situation. But we can’t make progress with GOD as long as we are trying to dwell in the past. And we definitely can’t make progress with GOD if our desire is to stay in the world and live by its ways. We can’t serve two masters; we cannot dine at the table of demons; we cannot partake in evil and the ways of the world while also serving the Lord (Matthew 6:24; 1Corinthians 10:21).

Now, it is noteworthy that both Abraham and Lot bowed before the angels and offered them hospitality and a meal; however, whereas Sarah served by preparing the meal (Genesis 18:6), there is no mention of Lot’s wife bowing or serving. In fact, her name isn’t even recorded, which calls to mind that only the names recorded in the Book of Life will be saved (Psalm 69:28; Revelation 3:5; 20:12,15; 21:27).

In regards to Christ’s second coming, it is written in Luke 17:28-33: “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

By the words of our Lord, it would seem that Lot’s wife was more concerned about the old way of life than the new life promised by GOD; she sought to keep that old worldly life. But Jesus said that whoever is content to risk his/her natural life shall gain a life of a higher spiritual order. This is the same message Jesus spoke to His disciples in Luke 9:23-25 when He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?”

And as I explained in great detail in another one of my other studies (“Take Up Your Cross”), this means that we must die daily to our own will and choose to live according to GOD’s will. And as I explained in great detail in another study, (“The Father’s Will”), doing GOD’s will is to trust in the Lord and act in obedience according to faith. In John 12:26, Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

Therefore, we must follow Christ. In Luke 9:57-62, it is written: “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, ‘I will follow You wherever You go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’ And He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.’ But He said to him, ‘Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.’ Another also said, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.’ But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Listen, this is a warning. Once we begin, there is no going back. Don’t look back. If you say you will follow the Lord, will you do so even if you experience uncomfortable circumstances and trials and tribulation? Just as Jesus is not at home in this world, neither are the children of GOD (John 15:18-20; 17:14-16). It is written in Matthew 10:37: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

Understand this: the spiritually dead cannot obtain true life (Matthew 23:27-28; Ephesians 2:1); however, the one who follows the Lord, walking by the Spirit, will not be spiritually dead (Luke 15:24,32; John 3:3,36; 5:21,24-25; Romans 6:11; 8:10,14). The one who puts his hand to the plow is the one who does the work of the Kingdom. If the worker is to do a job well done, that worker must look straight before him at the line of the furrow which he is making. If he looks back while working, he will mar the work and miss the mark. In fact, the word “sin” is the Greek word hamartia (ham-ar-tee’-ah), which as a verb, literally means “to miss the mark” (and so not share in the prize or get a section, allotment, or portion) – you missed out.

Now, atheists often present an argument against Jesus telling people they are not fit for the Kingdom if they put their hand to the plow and then look back. Why? For one, Jesus restored Peter after he had denied Jesus three times (John 13:38; 21:15-19). They view that as a contradiction. However, in light of GOD’s omniscience, it’s not a contradiction because the Lord knew Peter’s incident was a mere moment of stumbling, not looking back and desiring to be of the world (Luke 22:31-32). But another reason is that in 1Kings 19:19-21, GOD instructed Elijah to anoint Elisha as the new prophet to replace him. Elijah found Elisha while he was plowing a field. And Elijah went to him and threw his mantle on him. Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And Elijah told Elisha to go, but to consider what Elijah had done for him. Afterwards, Elisha followed Elijah. But if Elisha went back to his parents before following Elijah, did he look back after putting his hand to the plow? No. The difference here is that his parents must not have been spiritually dead and Elisha was fulfilling a commandment to honor his parents (Exodus 20:12; 21:17; Leviticus 20:9; Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 15:1-9) prior to his completely committed walk with the Lord, which he faithfully endured until the end (2Kings 13:20). He hadn’t started yet. And once he did start, he finished faithfully. In a parallel passage of Jesus describing the cost of discipleship, it is clear that He was speaking to those who already started following Him as disciples (Matthew 8:18-22). Thus, that man used his parents as an excuse not to continue following Jesus. Elisha, however, didn’t use his parents as an excuse not to follow the Lord; in fact, he was willing to leave them in order to walk with the Lord. Elisha even destroyed his old means of sustenance by sacrificing the oxen prior to departing (1Kings 19:21). By killing his oxen, he destroyed his old way of life and means of income. This sacrificial meal was more than a mere feast among farmers; rather, it was an offering of gratitude to the Lord who chose Elisha to be his prophet. He was completely committed and never looked back.

Jesus was always direct with those who wanted to follow Him. He made sure they counted the cost and set aside any conditions they might have for following Him. Despite what prosperity preachers peddle behind pulpits for the sake of profit to pack their pockets, following Jesus will not be easy, nor will it be comfortable. Often it means great cost and sacrifice, with no earthly rewards or security. You may find that following Christ costs you relationships, financial loss, persecution, or even your death in martyrdom. And because Jesus made His expectations clearly known, any expectation to be free of suffering, to prosper in absolutely everything you do, only increase and never decrease, and to be happy all the time is an unrealistic expectation which Jesus never promised. Jesus did not hesitate to demand complete loyalty.

Though the cost of following Christ is high, the value of being a disciple and a child of the one true King is far greater. Discipleship is an eternal investment which will yield eternal rewards. We must not fall away as Jesus explained in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:20-21): “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”

It is written in Hebrews 10:35-39: “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. ‘For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

This is a warning of destruction against those who retreat back to the ways of the world due to fear, apathy, or desire for worldly pleasures (2Timothy 4:10; Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:12; 4:11; 11:23-27). Rather than throwing away your trust in the Lord, throw away unbelief and the ways of the world just as no-longer-blind Bartimaeus had done when he threw away his cloak and jumped at the opportunity to follow the Lord (Mark 10:50). It is written in Proverbs 4:25-27: “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.”

How does one watch the path? It is written in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The Light of GOD’s Word keeps us looking faithfully forward on the right path, one step at a time. And it is only on this straight path you will enter through the narrow door (Luke 13:24; John 10:7,9). Again, we are either in a covenant relationship or we’re not. We either remain committed or we compromise. We are either the faithful Bride of Christ until the He returns or, when He returns and finds us being unfaithful harlots, we will not be the Bride and will never enter the Kingdom. Either we look faithfully forward in complete commitment, or we look back, mar the work, miss the mark, we miss out, and fall away.

2Peter 2:20-22 provides wisdom concerning those who would be so ungrateful as to look/shrink back: “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb [Proverbs 26:11], “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

The beautiful Truth about GOD’s grace is that even if from a moment of struggle we have stumbled and strolled away from Him after knowing the Truth (as Peter did), we are still able to turn around (repent) and come back to Him just as the Prodigal Son had done (Luke 15:11-32). For as long as GOD grants us life here on this earth, it’s never too late to come back to the loving Father. However, when it comes time for the Lord to lead us to our eternal destinations, the ones who turned their backs on the Lord will not be found in the Book of Life and brimstone will be their only reward. So, who will remain faithfully committed to the Lord until the end because they are deeply rooted? Who will lose their saltiness and become useless to their community? Who will shrink back to the ways of the world and fall away because they never had deep roots?

Reflection Questions:

• Just as the Philistine women and the daughters of Moab had infiltrated the Israelites from within rather than an outright attack from the outside, what do you believe has infiltrated America from within that is causing her to collapse in on itself? In media? Education? Government? Entertainment industry? Family? Science? Businesses? Even in churches?
• Consider Lot in Sodom. What has been around so long within our nation that it has influenced our thoughts and actions? Are they in alignment with GOD’s Word and GOD’s will?
• What has our culture/society influenced us to think or do?
• Have you been conditioned to accept something as normal? So much so that you have integrated it into your daily life? But is it normal? Or is it demonic desensitization and spiritual cancerous conditioning?
• How have you assimilated to the evil practices around you without even realizing it?
• In what ways do you believe you might be desensitized to the ways of this world and conditioned to partake in an evil agenda?
• What do you now accept as being justified to do that you used to feel convicted about doing? What do you now accept that you once rejected? What do you now do that your younger self declared you would never do? What caused that change? What caused the acceptance of that change?
• Are you unequally yoked with the ways of this world?
• When it comes time for an extremely difficult scenario, will you be ready to righteously respond or will you be caught off guard and merely react in panic, causing some compromise in your character?
• Has your hesitation to obey GOD ever stemmed from the false attraction to the pleasures of your culture’s comfortable environment?
• Have you allowed fear of the unknown future to negatively affect the faith of your present walk?
• Do you doubt the Lord’s direction or guidance?
• Do you continually try to dwell in the past, complaining against GOD while He desires to take you to a new and better place?
• When was the last time you hesitated to obey GOD? Why did you hesitate?
• When was the last time you disobeyed GOD? Why did you disobey?
• Are you just one of the crowd? Do you blend in? Have you compromised so much that others around you no longer consider you a credible and believable witness of GOD? Has the warning of GOD’s judgment become a joke?
• Have you allowed the world to convince you that your light is offensive? Have you allowed the world to convince you to hide your light?
• Who are you trying to please? People or GOD?

In Galatians 1:10, Paul wrote, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

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The Artist J:

2Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is profitable for teaching, and sadly sometimes that teaching comes through examples of a few mistakes or foolish actions given to us by different individuals in scripture. Lot and his wife are one of those cases.

Lot is a man of God who believed and had faith on God but made some wrong decisions along the way by following his own desires, and in turn was literally saved only as through fire.

Lot was saved by God from His righteous wrath, and the judgment that was to come, but Lot’s life and the opportunity he had to build and work on the foundation that was laid by God for him, and was shown to him through the example of his uncle Abraham was wasted. Though Lot was saved, everything that he had invested his life towards was literally burned up in the fire, and the only souls that were brought out with him were his daughters. Not one other person in the city survived.

Lot is perfect example of 1Corinthians 3:12-15: “Now if anyone builds on the foundation [Jesus Christ] with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives [things that last into eternity], he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up [things with no eternal value], he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

If we as Christians are not teaching and telling others the good news of Jesus Christ to the world, if we are not spreading seeds of the gospel to build up the kingdom of God upon the foundation that Jesus has laid, then everything we have done on this earth is like wood, hay and stray that will be burned up in the fire on the day of Lord, and nothing will endure into eternity. We will be saved, but we will have suffered a great loss, because everything that we invested in our lives came up with nothing in return, just wasted time. We will have spent all of our years in “Sodom” with no other souls to bring out of destruction but ourselves. Whereas the things we do for the kingdom of God, and every action we take to tell someone of Jesus’s saving power with the allotted time that we’ve been given is an investment that we will reap in eternity as profit gained.

Each person’s work will become manifest, for the Day (meaning the day of judgment at the end of the age) will soon disclose it. That being said, Lot’s works in Sodom and Gomorrah, were made manifest in that the cites were destroyed with no other souls saved to show for it, disclosing that Lot had no ministry there that was of eternal value. He was building on the foundation God had given him with nothing solid enough endure the fire, nothing of value to the kingdom of God. Being hospitable to people in Sodom isn’t enough to save people from judgment.

2Peter 2:7-8 tells us that Lot was tormented in his soul over the lawless deeds of Sodom that he saw and heard in the city, which means the Spirit of God was working within Lot, acknowledging that Lot was a man of God, making him righteous based solely on his faith in God. Lot believed in God like his uncle Abraham had most likely shown him, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3). I believe it was this faith on God that made Lot be considered righteous by the apostle Peter. It clearly wasn’t his works judging by the spiritual condition, and ultimate destruction by God of Sodom and Gomorrah’s people. For Sodom lacked even ten righteous souls.

Having faith on God and being declared righteous by God doesn’t mean that we should look to Lot as a model of wisdom, even men of God can make foolish choices. The biggest thing we can learn from Lot and his wife is to be precise in following the instructions of God. When God says go, then go. When God says don’t look back, then you don’t look back. We can know that when God gives us a command it’s not only for His own glory, but it’s also for our own benefit. The way God leads is best, and looking back is to our detriment.

Lot was the nephew of Abraham, a man so faithful to God that God Himself made an unconditional covenant to make him the father of many nations, and God would send the Messiah (Savior) to crush the devil’s head through His lineage (Genesis 3:15). So I assume while Lot was traveling with his Uncle Abe that he would have been learning from his example, and I believe he most likely was, yet there is a stark contrast in one area between Abraham and Lot: Abraham did his best to listen to God’s will and obey it in faith without ever looking back, even when it didn’t make any sense to him. Hebrews 11:8 says “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

And in Genesis 22:1-3 where it says “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”

Abraham was given a command from God saying sacrifice your only son that I had promised to give you, and Abraham is already saddling his donkey and cutting the wood.

Romans 4:20-21 says of Abraham “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”

Abraham believed that God was even able to raise his son Issac from the dead if he had to sacrifice him. Abraham counted the cost. He knew that the cost of not following God would always be greater than that of simply obeying God.

Lot, on the other hand, is portrayed several times as a man who follows his own desires. Lot was a very rich man. God had blessed Abraham with much wealth, cattle and servants, and in turn Lot as well was given riches from God with his own flocks and herds and tents, probably due to Abraham because the Lord told him “I will bless those who bless you.” As time passed Abraham and Lot’s herdsman starting getting into disputes, the classic “This place ain’t big enough for the two of us.” To make peace Abraham decided it would be best to go their separate ways before the argument got too heated. Lot saw the plain of Jordan, and it looked like paradise to him. He desired it, and chose what he thought would be best for himself over that of his uncle.

Scripture says that Lot “pitched his tent in Sodom.” A frightening phrase if there ever was one. For Sodom was a city known for its immense wickedness, so wicked in fact, that this city of Cannon demanded judgment from the Lord 400 years before the rest of the land of Cannon would eventually demand judgment from God. Yet there was something appealing to Lot about this city so that Lot desired to live near it. The land was lush and well watered like Lot tells us in Genesis 13 by describing it like the garden of the Lord (Eden). But just like the serpent in the garden, this beautiful land had a tempter close by. You would think that living so close to Sodom in a tent, that Lot would have seen all the wickedness that the city produced, but the city of Sodom like the serpent in the garden must have been very enticing, because the next time we hear of Lot is years later when Abraham saves him from four kings who had captured him, but at this point scripture tells us that Lot is now dwelling in Sodom. The sinful city that his tent was once pitched near, is now his home. No longer a sojourner just grazing off the land. Lot had now become a citizen of Sodom. Even after Abraham saves him from four kings who had captured him, instead of setting out with his uncle once again, Lot returns to his home in Sodom. He turns back again to dwell within the worldliness of Sodom that vexes and torments his very own soul.

When we hear of Lot again, he is described in Genesis 19:1 as “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The gate of these ancient cities was where justice was administered, a place to settle disputes or do business transactions. It’s not clear why Lot was sitting there, maybe it was to show hospitality to those who enter the city and try to keep them from the wicked populace, which would be a godly quality, and not at all unlikely from someone who travelled and learned from Abraham. But like what was said earlier, being hospitable isn’t enough to save the people from judgment, they need to know God and to see their own wickedness and repent.

When the two angels show up, Lot does take them into his home to care for them while in the city, but then “the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.’ Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, ‘I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.’ But they said, ‘Stand back!’ And they said, ‘This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.’ Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door” (Genesis 19:4-11).

Lot told the men “do not act so wickedly.” Yet with no standard of morality from God of what is right and wrong they continue. People who do not believe on God and do not know God’s standards act sinfully — that’s their nature. They need to know why they are not to act the way they want and desire, which is because the Holy God, the creator of heaven and earth has said that it is wickedness. The moral standard is God had decreed.

When the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.”, the bible says that Lot lingered. Genesis 19:16 says, “But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.”

Lot lingered until the angels themselves had to seize him and bring him and his wife and daughters out of the city. Basically Lot is following his own desires again and not adhering to the instructions of God, but yet the Lord still had mercy on him. Matthew 8:19,21-22 says “And a scribe came up and said to him [Jesus], ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go’….” “‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.’ ”

Basically, no lingering. Follow me or don’t. Then in the following verses of Genesis 19:17-19 it says  “And as they brought them out, one said, [one of the angels] ‘Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.’ And Lot said to them, ‘Oh, no, my lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.’ ”

So just to clarify, there are two angels that are sent directly by almighty God Himself that have come specifically to save Lot from a city that is about to be a burning heap of ashes, and they tell Lot specific instructions on where to escape because that’s why God sent them, and Lot essentially says, “Um no. I appreciate what you guys are doing, but I really desire to go this way.” So even down to the last second Lot seemed to follow his own desires over God’s instructions, due to fear it seems, but God still showed him mercy thanks to God remembering Abraham.

The angel then gave Lot and his wife new instructions and Lot did follow those, but Genesis 19:26 says “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Lot’s wife became a literal monument of the cost of not following God’s word. The wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). That’s the cost of living in Sodom and you can’t escape its destruction by looking towards it. Only by running in the opposite direction towards life. Lot’s wife is an example that the way to life is a very narrow path, only through faith on Jesus Christ and deviating from the direction always leads to destruction.

Proverbs 4:25-27 “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”

Christians have to battle with what Lot and his wife had to face everyday. For as John 3:18 explains, the entire world is already condemned to be destroyed like Sodom. So living in a world already about to be destroyed am I going to follow God or my own desires? Am I going to witness to “Sodom” (The World) about the ways of God or live quietly in “Sodom” and make my home with them? Do I store my treasures in “Sodom” just to eventually watch them burn, or store up souls to flee with me when it does ignite? Precious metals that endure the fire, or hay and stray that disintegrate in the blaze?

We need to humble ourselves, die to our own desires and follow the word of God in obedience, not looking back to what He’s pulling us out of, not lingering in fear when we are meant to follow God’s commands, because His words are to save your life and those around you from destruction.

So trust God’s word, trust the provision and means that God has provided for salvation so that we’re not one of blind people left in the city of destruction.

Genesis 19:11 says, “And they [the angels] struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house [Lot’s house], both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.”

The angels struck the men with blindness. The people of Sodom were already blinded in God’s eyes, the angels just made their physical state to match that of their spiritual state. For 2Corinthians 4:3-4 says “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing [much like Sodom and Gomorrah]. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Genesis 19:11 said the men of Sodom that were struck with blindness were both small and great. The status or position of their lives here on earth had no bearing on the state of their blindness, and it’s the same with all of us today. It doesn’t matter whether you are the poorest person living on the streets or the most powerful person in the world, sin causes blindness and brings judgment despite your position in life. No matter how small or great you think you are, if you’re not following God you are spiritually blind. Scripture says that whoever is not following God is walking in darkness, blinded to the ways of God. Every single person is born in sin, with a sinful nature, so by nature we are like the men of Sodom and are born blind, walking in darkness and perverting the things of God, and like Sodom, the judgment and coming destruction always lies hanging above our heads.

God showed mercy on Lot’s behalf thanks to the interceding of Abraham, and likewise we are shown mercy only on behalf of Jesus Christ. Jesus came so that those who are blind may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and have a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ.

Abraham asked God if He would destroy the city if there were even just ten righteous found in the city, and God said no, and even though ten righteous were not found in the city God still brought Lot and his family out, away from the destruction on behalf of Abraham. God did the same with Noah, saving him and his family. God did the same with Rahab in the destruction of Jericho in Joshua 6:22 when Joshua says, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.”

The point of all these stories is that God saved the righteous person and the family who belonged to them. Yet our problem before God is that since we are born with a sinful nature, there is no one righteous, not even one (Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Romans 3:10-12,23). No one can stand righteous before God by his or her merits because everyone has broken God’s law. The whole earth is like the people of Sodom, destined for a fiery judgment from God and not one person is found righteous on the earth. All have been struck with blindness and walk in the wickedness of Sodom. Me and you and everyone. Yet God in His infinite mercy sent Jesus Christ to live on earth and walk out a perfectly righteous life through faith on our behalf and pay our debt of sin. Therefore since Jesus is the only fully righteous person in existence to ever live, when the judgment of God comes we are the “and His family that belong to Him” in the story. The Noah “and his son and their wives” that were saved from the flood. The “Lot and his two daughters” saved from Sodom and Gomorrah thanks to Abraham. The Rahab “and all who belong to her.”

Jesus is the only one who was righteous, we’re just the family that God allows to follow Him out of the destruction credited on Jesus’s righteousness. The thing is it’s only the family and the ones that belong to Christ that are saved from the wrath to come, and we are only family by wholly believing and clinging to the blood of Jesus Christ which washes away our sin. Then we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is our certificate of adoption if you will. Our verification that we are now family with Jesus. Adopted by the Father and belong to him, saved from destruction.

What’s sad is that all who do not have the verification that they are family with God will end up like the blind men of Sodom on the day of judgment where it again says in Genesis 19:11 “so that they [the men of Sodom and all who don’t trust and believe on Jesus Christ] wore themselves out groping for the door.”

Blind and wicked people groping for the door to open, and a fiery punishment was the cost of living in Sodom, and it’s the cost today for living in the ways of the world, so count the cost and decide if it’s a price you’re willing to pay.

I’ll end this with this amazing poem I once read from the late Russell Kelfer.

-The Cost of Living in Sodom
We live in inflationary times
That Excedrin headaches give
To everyone who stops to think
Just what it costs to live
A car costs twice its former price
And homes are out of sight
A simple trip to the grocery store
And one can die of fright
It costs so much to live today
That man, confused, still tries
In vain to wonder what’s ahead
With costs so on the rise
But that’s not the real cost of living
The cost of living still
Is what it really costs a man
To live outside God’s will
Lot was a good example of that
When he looked to Sodom that day
And fell in love with Sodom’s life
And thus condoned its way
You don’t really see the price he paid
Until his life was spent
For in that world he seemed to be
Quite natural, quite content
He had a job, he had a home
He had two daughters fair
And in that setting stood quite tall
For Lot looked godly there
But as the story closes
With its picture of life’s reaping
We find he had but a mirage
He lost what was worth keeping
No crowns laid up in heaven
For all the work he’d done
For as they sought ten righteous
Lo, they found not even one
 No voice had he as well
When to his sons-in-law he spoke
For as he cried, “The judgment comes!”
It seemed to them a joke
Nor did his daughters heed his call
And come of their accord
For they emersed in Sodom
Had no ear to hear God’s Word
His wife, poor thing, was so in love
With Sodom and its glory
She died a frozen monument
Hers was a salty story
And Lot himself with worldliness
So spiritually confused
When given God’s next call to heed
Still stubbornly refused
And losing all worth having
This emblem of frustration
Ends his life a moral wreck
In total degradation
How high was the cost of living?
Now you can see it mounting
He gained a little pleasure
And lost everything worth counting
Friend, Satan’s inflation will kill you
Tho’ at first its priced doesn’t show
The real cost of living in Sodom
Is more than you’ll ever know
So when your heart becomes tempted to compromise
And all the world’s glamour you see
Stop and just whisper,
“I’ve counted the cost
And it just isn’t worth it for me!”