Alas, many do so! Notwithstanding all her opportunities and means of grace, notwithstanding all her special warnings and messages from Heaven — she lived and died graceless, godless, impenitent and unbelieving. Luke 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back to the things behind. Many people in the crowd along the road believed that He was going to Jerusalem in order to establish His earthly kingdom immediately. ", g. Are you trusting to your religious knowledge? This was no small privilege. Light and knowledge and faithful preaching and abundant means of grace and the company of holy people — are all great blessings and advantages. a. They look back. That preaching is sadly defective, which dwells exclusively on the mercies of God and the joys of Heaven — and never sets forth the terrors of the Lord and the miseries of Hell. You may have spiritual advantages of every description; you may live in the full sunshine of the richest opportunities and means of grace; you may enjoy the best of preaching and the choicest instruction; you may dwell in the midst of light, knowledge, holiness and good company. You have seen the history of Lot's wife — her privileges, her sin and her end. : A Book for Young Men and Women (eBook), What the Bible Teaches about Ethnic Harmony, Justification: The Proper Object of Justifying Faith, Critical Race Theory & Intersectionality: The Real Problem, What Christ Expects Of His Church During Times Of Opposition, Identity Hermeneutics: The Obsession with Personal Identity and the Distortion of the Truth. Luke 17:32 Translation & Meaning. The summer insects cannot always sport in the sunshine. Use the scale on the left to tell how often the verses below are googled compared to each other. This is a simplified translation of the original Greek word. 30  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. There are thousands who run well for a season and seem to bid fair to reach heaven — but by and by give up the race and turn their backs on Christ altogether. d. Settle it, lastly, in your mind that the comforting ideas which the Scripture gives us of Heaven are at an end — if we once deny the reality or eternity of Hell. I ask the children of Christian parents to mark well what I am saying. The religious people and the upright citizens didn’t want to have anything to do with either, but Jesus loves both and shows compassion toward both. The drowning of the old world by the flood,the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah,the overthrow of Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea,the judgment on Korah, Dathan and Abiram,the utter destruction of the seven nations of Canaan. Alas, many do! They know they are not what they ought to be — they are not yet born again and fit to die. He uses a different word: He says, "Remember." We are told that the views of our fathers about Hell, and the devil, and punishment — are obsolete and old-fashioned. I know that all this sounds dreadful in many ears. It "has cast down many wounded; yes, many strong men have been wounded by it!" The history of the sin which Lot's wife committed, is given by the Holy Spirit in few and simple words: "She looked back from behind her husband, and she became a pillar of salt." Surely it is helping the devil, if we do not tell them plainly that, "The soul that sins shall surely die!" Yet what good effect had all these privileges on the heart of Lot's wife? I wish to be as broad as the Bible — neither less nor more. It is sad to write of these things — but it is far more sad to see them. It is a privilege to hear family prayers morning and evening, to hear the Word of God regularly expounded, to have a quiet Sunday, and to be able always to go to church. We are invited to leave the old paths of apostolic Christianity. It is saddest of all to observe how many flatter themselves that it is all right with their souls — when it is all wrong, by reason of this love of the world. . I ask the members of evangelical congregations in the present day to mark well what I am saying. Little by little, the "things seen" push out of their minds the "things unseen" and, like the plague of locusts, eat up every green thing in their souls. Remember Lot's wife. The immense danger of worldliness is the grand lesson which the Lord Jesus means us to learn. Who knows but the wretched carelessness of many baptized people arises from this, that they have never been told plainly of Hell? None of us are perfect; God will never require it." And what will your end be? In all this there is much to be learned: I see a lesson here which is of the deepest importance in the present day. To get what Luke 17:32 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context  and relative popularity. Luke 17:32, NASB: "'Remember Lot's wife." Seek first the kingdom of God, and believe that then all other things shall be added to you. ", i. 3. Compared with millions of her fellow creatures in her time, Lot's wife was a favored woman. ", It is a solemn warning, when we think of the person that Jesus names. The same fire which melts the wax — hardens the clay; the same sun which makes the living tree grow — dries up the dead tree and prepares it for burning. Without can not be used by it self, meaning that it has to be minimum one more condition included (all/at least one,etc) all: "fish", without: "bread", will search for verses that contains "fish" but NOT "bread" start: I would sincerely cry aloud, "Remember the sin of Lot's wife!" I entreat you not to stifle conscience by vague hopes of God's mercy, while your heart cleaves to the world. Take heed that you do not prove a copy of the character John Bunyan draws, Mr. Facing-both-ways. We saw the pillars of salt. They forget that people often die very suddenly; and that, as they live — they generally die. He is the kindest friend — who tells me the whole extent of my danger! You cannot live always; there must be an end one day. You cannot enter the kingdom of God on the credit of your parent's religion. It is a great privilege to live in a house where the fear of God reigns. Alas, many do! I believe there never was a time when warnings against worldliness were so much needed by the church of Christ as they are at the present day. Do not try to drive a hard bargain, as if you wanted to give Christ as little of your heart as possible, and to keep as much as possible of the things of this life. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. Allow me to wind up all by a few direct appeals to your own heart. They are willing to see all their idols broken — but this one. Lot's wife had many privileges; but Lot's wife had no grace! All Rights Reserved, An Encouragement to be Valiant in a Time of Persecution and Martyrdom, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, Rethinking Regeneration (5-Part MP3 Series). Settle it firmly in your mind, that the same Bible which teaches that God in mercy and compassion sent Christ to die for sinners, does also teach that God hates sin and must, from His very nature, punish all who cleave to sin, or refuse the salvation He has provided. They cease to be jealous about sound doctrine; they pretend to find out that it is "uncharitable" to think one person has more religion than another; they discover it is "exclusive" to attempt any separation from the customs of society. Luke 17:32, KJV: "Remember Lot's wife." Why, then, the need of the sanctification of the Spirit is cast aside and despised! Break off every known sin; come out boldly from the world; cry mightily to God in prayer; cast yourself wholly and unreservedly on the Lord Jesus for time and eternity; lay aside every weight. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” a. Charity itself can say nothing when the soul has been summoned away in the very midst of wickedness, without even a moment's time for thought or prayer. There are cases where one hopes, as it were, against hope, about the souls of those we see go down to the grave. But it is good for us all to mark these things. For my own part, it seems just as easy to argue that we do not exist — as to argue that the Bible does not teach the reality and eternity of Hell. And the Lord Jesus Christ holds her up as a beacon to His church; He says, "Remember Lot's wife! He cries, "Remember Lot's wife!". It is all gone; it is buried; it is overflowed by the love of the world. I ask the servants of Christian families to mark well what I am saying. From living flesh and blood — she was turned into a pillar of salt! She seemed to doubt whether God was really going to destroy Sodom: she appeared not to believe there was any danger or any need for such a hasty flight. If not, you are no better than Lot's wife. The faith, the knowledge and the prayers of these two righteous men could have been no secret to her. 1. You must have . It is the highest privilege to be the child of a godly father and mother, and to be brought up in the midst of many prayers. ", It is a solemn warning, when we think of the person who gives it. Beware lest you overreach yourself — and end by losing all. Believe me, the question is not one in which we are obliged to fall back on the theories and inventions of man. .repentance of your own,faith of your own andsanctification of your own.If not, you are no better than Lot's wife. You cannot put off your soul's concerns forever — a day will come when you must have a reckoning with God. If you desire to be a healthy Christian, consider often what your own end will be. We have forgotten that He who judges us is the Lord, and that the man who teaches the same doctrine that Christ taught, cannot be wrong. Book Review: What About Evil? Remember Lot's wife. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance. They live like the men of Sodom and the men of Noah's day: they eat and drink and plant and build and marry and behave — as if Christ was never going to return. We are to embrace what is called a "kinder theology" — and treat Hell as a pagan fable or a bugbear to frighten children and fools. Little things will often show the state of a man's mind, even better than great ones; and little symptoms are often the signs of deadly and incurable diseases. The knowledge of God was confined to a few favored families; the greater part of the inhabitants of the world were living in darkness, ignorance, superstition and sin. There are few warnings in Scripture more solemn than that which heads this page. At last they end by giving up the last remnant of their own Christianity, and becoming thorough children of the world. Where is the unswerving abstinence from worldly amusements which once marked their course? Against such false teaching I desire, for one, to protest. How Much Does God Really Care About Your Gender? They are no longer strict about the company they keep, and the places they visit. But there is always some darling evil habit which they cannot tear from their heart. Oh, better a million times be laughed at and thought extreme in this world — than go down to Hell from the midst of the congregation, and end like Lot's wife! But, alas, how often they prove unstable as water and are ruined by the love of the world! Be thorough, be real, be honest, be sound, be whole-hearted. Their congregations are well looked after; cottage lectures, prayer meetings, house-to-house visitation are their weekly delight. They went with all their sins upon them, unpardoned, unrenewed and utterly unfit for Heaven. But I do urge on every professing Christian who wishes to be happy — the immense importance of making no compromise between God and the world. Quotes available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. He has looked back. It is a blessed thing indeed to be taught the gospel from our earliest infancy and to hear of sin and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and holiness and Heaven — from the first moment we can remember anything. The girl becomes a young woman — and cares for nothing but dress, mirthful company, novel reading and excitement. Remember Lot's wife. Wis 10:7 f. Luke … Well would it be for many professing Christians, if they were more afraid about their souls than they now are! Truth In A Culture Of Doubt – Is God Immoral Because Of Suffering? The last days are on His mind when He says, "Remember Lot's wife! It is impossible that she could have dwelt in tents with them for any length of time, without knowing whose they were, and whom they served. Such a ministry may be soothing and pleasant — but it is far more likely to lull you to sleep — than to lead you to Christ or build you up in the faith. You must eat the bread of life for yourself, and have the witness of the Spirit in your own heart. Keep in full view of your mind, that all who die unpardoned and unrenewed are utterly unfit for the presence of God and must be lost forever. I would willingly say to the vilest and most profligate of mankind on his deathbed, "Repent, and believe on Jesus, and you shall be saved." Once more I say, it is not privileges alone which make people Christians — but the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ says to us, "Remember Lot's wife." If you are such a one, I say to you this day, "Take heed! "Remember Lot's wife. It is good to be reminded that God can punish sharply, those who sin willfully; and that great privileges misused, bring down great wrath on the soul. I wish everyone to do his real duty in that state of life to which he is called. In the early years of their married life, they seem to follow Christ diligently and to witness a good confession. The cold chilly evening will come at last and stop their sport forever. Luke 17:32, NLT: "Remember what happened to Lot's wife!" We have spoken of mercy — but not of judgment; we have preached many sermons about Heaven — but few about Hell; we have been carried away by the wretched fear of being thought "low, vulgar and fanatical." When Melchizedek, king of Salem, came forth to meet Abraham with bread and wine, she was there. Seek to have a saving interest in that love. The Lord Jesus Christ says to us, "Remember Lot's wife. How many married people do well in religion, to all appearance, until their children begin to grow up — and then they fall away! "The friendship of the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4). . I am sure that it is high time to remember the sin of Lot's wife. Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife. Beware of ever supposing that you may go too far in religion — and of secretly trying to keep in with the world. a. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 31  In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. ", It is a solemn warning, when we consider the subject Jesus is upon. We are told no more than this. Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. They are weary of the wilderness and the manna — and would gladly return to Egypt if they could. If language has any sense belonging to it — Hell is forever. Sermon after sermon sounds in their ears. They aim at being thought Christians. What does it mean to be “called” in the New Testament? "If any man loves the world — the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). They are advanced to some rich situation; they marry a worldly wife; they are puffed up with pride and neglect study and prayer. We want him healed!” It startled the Jewish religious leaders in the audience. Whatever happens to your house and property — see that you make sure of Heaven. ", h. Are you making some profession of religion — and yet clinging to the world? If you are such a one, I say to you this day, "Take heed! Without that, no man will ever be saved. ", Lot's wife was a professor of religion; her husband was a "righteous man" (2 Peter 2:8). Lenski has called attention to the fact that attempting to parallel the usage of the “eagle” figure in Matthew 24:28, with that of Luke 17:37 —as though they refer to the same event, has led to much “misinterpretation” (The Interpretation of Luke, Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1946, p. 891). He is speaking of His own second coming to judge the world; He is describing the dreadful state of unreadiness in which many will be found. I do not wonder. I believe He would have us observe that Lot's wife was lost by looking back to the world. The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Learn, then, that the mere possession of religious privileges will save no one's soul. Let us be provided with safeguards and antidotes against the disease that is around us and, not least, let us become familiar with the story of Lot's wife. The "love of other things" has taken possession of their hearts and choked the good seed of the Word. The moment a man begins to think he knows better than God, and that God does not mean anything when He threatens — his soul is in great danger. Are Christian Ethics Merely Reflections of the Primitive Beliefs of the Ancient Greco-Roman World? I have often been told that "broad" views are needed in the present day. Does that sin seem small in the eyes of any reader of this message? It is a privilege. It is not to be classed with lesser disputes about liturgies and church government. I believe that the time has come, when it is a positive duty to speak plainly about the reality and eternity of Hell. This is the feeling, I dare say, that rises in some hearts. And being dead, they yet speak. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. These are the things that you ought to seek after when you try to get a situation; these are the things which make a really good place. His church becomes half empty; his influence dwindles away; the world has bound him hand and foot. No lips have used so many words to express the awfulness of Hell, as the lips of Him who spoke as never man spoke, and who said, "The word which you hear is not Mine — but the Father's who sent Me" (John 14:24). But they have caught the epidemic disease — they are infected with the love of this world! ", a. He has walked in the steps of Lot's wife. The command of the angel was clear and unmistakable: "Look not behind you" (Genesis 19:17). .that it is a perilous thing to sin against light,that God hates sin, andthat there is a Hell. They all tell us plainly that "the wicked shall be turned into Hell" (Psalm 9:17). I cannot blame the Prayer Book litany, as some do, for retaining this petition: "From sudden death, good Lord, deliver us.". They enjoy the opportunity of hearing the gospel regularly preached, and of attending many ordinances and means of grace, and they settle down on their lees. I feel constrained to speak freely to my readers on the subject of Hell. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1]. The watchman who keeps silence when he sees a fire, is guilty of gross neglect. Even to them He says, "Remember Lot's wife! It was a hopeless end. The long section from the end of verse 20 to verse 37 is Jesus' answer, first to the Pharisees (verses 20-21) and then to His disciples (verses 22-37). You cannot trifle forever — a time will come when you must be serious. The Scripture describes the end of Lot's wife in few and simple words. They seem to be "rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17), while they have neither faith, nor grace, nor spiritual-mindedness, nor fitness for Heaven. Her heart was in Sodom, though her body was outside. I am sure that her history is full of useful instruction to the church. LOT FLEES TO ZOAR.. “Run for your lives! Beware of a half-hearted religion! The same almighty hand which first gave her life — took that life away in the twinkling of an eye. It is the evilest of places, the world in all its “glory,” as it were, and Lot's wife wants to return to it, just as some of the Israelites later wanted to return to Egypt, to the world. What does it mean to remember Lot’s wife? He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” (Luke 17:32-37) Comment: I think this passage clearly builds upon the very important statement Jesus has just made (v. 21) in reply to the Pharisees’ asking when the kingdom of God might come. A flood of false doctrine has lately broken in upon us. But they flatter themselves that, when their last illness comes — they shall have time to repent and lay hold on Christ and go out of the world pardoned, sanctified and fit for Heaven. Let us value religious privileges — but let us not rest entirely upon them. All this is very good. It is all forgotten! In John 4:23, what does it mean to worship God “in spirit”? They walk in the steps of Lot's wife! If texts are to be interpreted fairly — there are those who will be cast into Hell. Step by step, they go back from the decided position they once took up. What does Luke 17:31 mean? I implore you not to drown convictions by childish imaginations about God's love, while your daily ways and habits show plainly that "the love of the Father is not in you." What is the use of hiding eternal punishment from the impenitent and the ungodly? Remember Lot's wife. But you are forgetting that the grand object of the gospel is to persuade men to "flee from the wrath to come," and that it is vain to expect men to flee, unless they are afraid. A straw may show which way the wind blows — and one look may show the rotten condition of a sinner's heart (Matthew 5:28). Their faith and practice are both sound, and walk hand in hand. Place is Hell are few warnings in Scripture more solemn than that heads... A great thing in these days of unbelief, to believe, to be ranked with mysterious problems, that! 19:17 ) deeper look at Luke 19:33 and understand the real meaning behind God 's truth, spoiling... Nipping frost cuts off the spiritual blossoms which once appeared to promise so fair promise so fair thing to against. Abundant means of grace and the places they visit whatever happens to your religious knowledge that mere! Old-Established Christian — i ask him to look this question fairly in the steps of Lot 's wife ''... 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