Articles
Shall We Escape?
During the time of Abraham, Lot settled in the city of Sodom, one described earlier as a place where “the men…were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord” (Gen. 13:13). Later, God would enumerate the sins of Sodom in this way: “She…had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination” (Ezek. 16:49). The “abomination” they had committed before God was surely that described in the account of the two angels who visited Lot and were set upon by the men of Sodom who desired to force themselves sexually on these two visitors (rape; Gen. 19:1-5).
These angels had been sent to warn Lot of the impending destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and told Lot, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city” (Gen. 19:15). While Lot and his family delayed, the men took them by the hand and led them outside the city, and told Lot and his family, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed” (Gen. 19:16, 17). By the mercy of God, Lot and his family were given an opportunity to escape certain destruction, but they had to hurry and they had to follow the instructions if they were to truly escape.
We probably remember that Lot's wife “looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Gen. 19:26). Though she, by the grace and mercy of God, had been given the opportunity to escape and live, and even though she had started on that escape route, she did not escape because she did not do as she was told. The opportunity for escape was provided and explained, but she failed to escape. The failure was not due to a lack of a way of escape or a misunderstanding of the commands; she failed to escape because she did not obey.
By now, you might be thinking there is some spiritual parallel for us in this story, and you'd be right. There are a few 'escapes' worthy of our consideration!
The Snare of the Devil. Since all have sinned (Rom. 3:23), it is also true, then, that all are enslaved to sin before they come to Christ in obedience (John 8:34). Without the blood of Christ, all men would still be bound by the guilt of sin, unable to free themselves from the chains that hold them imprisoned to do the devil's will. But there is a way of escape!
Paul admonished us all that we, as servants of the Lord must be “able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:24-26). In this case, the means of escape is knowing the truth, coming to their senses, and leaving that way of life behind when they submit to the Lord in obedience! Friends and brethren, God has provided a means of escape, but we must follow His commands!
The Judgment of God. After Paul outlined the digression of the Gentiles into sin in Romans 1, he turned to the Jewish brethren and asked, “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Rom. 2:3). No, we cannot escape the final Judgment; Paul is speaking about the condemnation of God in this text. Apparently some Jewish believers were heartily agreeing with Paul's condemnation of the Gentiles for their sins, but could not see that they were doing the same things, and that they were just as guilty and just as certain to face God's wrath for their sinfulness, for God would most certainly “render to each one according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:6).
So, as we consider the various 'escapes' God has provided, let us acknowledge that Paul indirectly reveals that we will escape the judgment [condemnation] of God if we abstain from practicing the sins in which the unbelieving and ungodly ones indulge. God would reward “eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Rom. 2:7), so that is, in effect, the means of escape! Again, if we hope to escape His condemnation, we must heed His commands!
Righteous Punishment. The letter of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were facing persecutions and trials because of their faith, and had already suffered a measure of persecution already — to the point they were considering abandoning Christ and going back to following the Old Law. But the writer makes argument after argument for the superiority of everything under the New Law, and pleads with them to hold tighter to their faith, asking them that, if “every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…?” (Heb. 2:1-4); that's a good question!
Obviously, the point the writer is making is that we cannot escape righteous punishment if we neglect this salvation provided by God in Christ. We cannot come to Christ, then turn back to the world, and expect to be rewarded by God in the end! Peter warns those who had “escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” that being entangled in those things once again would put them in spiritual danger once again, so much so that Peter said of the one who did so, “the latter end is worse for them than the beginning,” and, “it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Pet. 2:18-21). We cannot escape the pollutions of the world and then go back into the pollutions of the world, neglecting the salvation God has provided. The means of escaping righteous punishment is to hold fast to the Lord!
Temptations. Earlier, we noted that all men have sinned; it should also be noted that even Christians may sin, too (1 John 1:8, 10). But it doesn't have to happen. You see, the apostle Paul tells us, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). Once again, we see that God has provided a means of escaping, and this is an escape for every temptation! Since temptation can lead to sin (Jas. 1:14, 15), it becomes clear how important it is that we know of this means of escape!
Jesus demonstrated that means of escape, and it is recorded in the Gospels for our learning, that we, too, may know of this means of escape for every temptation: the word of God! We may remember that in the devil's temptation of Jesus while He was in the wilderness, Jesus answered every time by saying, “It is written” (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10). The answer to every temptation will be found within God's word! But to escape, we must know what God's word says — and we must desire to escape. If we turn back, like Lot's wife, we will not escape.
Should we fail to follow God's course for escape, we will perish. — Steven Harper
