"I had a Godly example. That example allowed me the freedom to grow and to dream in the path of my own bend. My Example was a country boy with a heart for the country, but I had my eyes on the lights of the big city. There were opportunities there for righteousness and prosperity. There were people there who had not heard of the goodness of God that I was living in. I daily studied that direction and finally moved my family there. At first they seemed to adjust well. Even in the midst of the diversity of the city, we managed to stay together as a family unit even though the lifestyle of the city would soon begin to affect us. The lights were extremely attractive and there were so many opportunities in the big city; but with any growing metropolis, the darker element left to itself would grow in a divisiveness that would suck the innocent and unknowing right in."
"Days became weeks and weeks years; unfortunately, I had so locked myself into the commerce of the place that my family was all but trapped. My ministry had gone from rescuing the citizens from vise to turning away, giving refuge, and protecting strangers from the growing numbers of mob-like, voyeuristic, perverted, conscious-less flesh addicts. You would probably judge me harshly (not being in my shoes and possibly building a case for your own pitiless form of righteousness);but day by day my soul, which was rescued by the righteousness of God, would constantly be wearied by the words and the deeds of the ungodly and the ungodliness all around me. I was swimming in the cesspool of humanity and there was no earthly way that I was coming out unscathed. I was trapped."
"Believe me, I cried to get out. My story had such a tragic end even after my fire and brimstone rescue. They still talk about the strange death of my wife and the incestuous acts of my daughters, but God knows, and God has stood with me.“(for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds:)” II Peter 2:8
The monologue above is a snapshot of the life of Lot. Hidden in the Bible quotation above about him is the word “vexed” which has its root in the word “touchstone". A touchstone is a stone used to test the purity of gold and silver. This touchstone definitely can be wielded by the most insidious creature and the most dishonest of metallurgist, but the result for “the saved” will be the same … “when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10 .
No matter how many times Lot's soul was rubbed by the abrasive nature of the world around him there would still be more than enough of the gold of God's righteousness to see him through. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” II Peter 2:9
We all will (at one time or another in our lives) be set forth as gazing stock. The touchstone will be threateningly waved in front of us. Those with and without the devotional connection to Christ will judge us as “without grace” because of their perception of the moment. The very act and consequences of some decisions will appall the judgmental senses of humans long before there is an appeal to the call for mercy and grace. This is the way of man.
(In the grand scheme of eternity, who are we to decide who receives grace or who should be refused grace?) Resist the way of man, and call for Grace. “There hath no temptation taken you but such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. I Corinthians 10:13 – The touchstone draws near, the suspect metal is rubbed against it leaving a line of metal, organic acid is added to the rub line, than and only then do the purest metals remain. The world tries and acidically abrades us, reducing us to what really matters … when all else is stripped away... only His gold will remains.
Think about it - this world is waved in front of us daily and the character of our faith is assayed. The faith connection to Christ will be the only gold that remains. Jesus only Jesus ... remains.
HLFA,
Jeff