Genesis14-18: Followers and Posers

Being called out as a poser is never a good thing. I play some guitar. Learned through hanging around with musicians. I wouldn't call myself a musician. But I do like to play a bit of guitar. Sometimes, because I have my guitar alongside of some musicians, I'll get asked to play a song or for some event. I kinda get an uneasy feeling in my stomach, and shift allot in my chair, "I'm not really much of a guitar player", I stammer. Och, called out- poser! I read through Genesis 14-18 (the parts about Abram and Lot) and I see someone who is a true follower of God, right alongside a true poser.
The Bible makes it so plain: Being a Follower of God has a cost but being a Poser costs more then you thought.
Being a Follower or a Poser is a difference of Place Ch 18;1-7; 19:1-3 - The messengers of God show up to both Abram and Lot, in fact Jesus shows up to talk to Abram face to face. But these two God worshipers were in different places. Abram was in Hebron- the place of God's promise. Lot was at the gates of Sodom, with it's 'valley culture'. This place was definitely the wickedest little valley in all the land.
Being a Follower or a Poser is a difference of Captured Heart Ch 14:1-15
Lot's heart had been captured by the wickedness of Sodom. I find it curious that as we are told of the battle in the Canaan and the Red Sea Valley, by the kings of these cities against the rising super power of the day, that Lot was captured at home. Obviously although he had a heart turned towards Sodom's wickedness it wasn't something he wanted to be known as fighting, or maybe dieing for. The warning for my heart: be careful not to be captured by something that is not worth fighting for!
Abram's heart has been captured by the heart of the power of God's promise and so he fearlessly rushes out into battle against four kings and their armies. In one night, with only 317 men, Abram does what the 5 defeated kings could not do in a years worth of battle! Abram had grabbed hold of the power of God's promise and went to war to redeem his kinsmen!
Being a Follower or a Poser is a difference of Response ch 18:16-32;19:4-14
When Jesus tells Abram what He is about to do to Sodom, Abram intercedes. He appeals to God, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" He pleads for God's mercy to be poured out for even a mere ten found righteous, out of the thousands who probably live in these two cities. After all Abram knew there was Lot, his wife, his two daughters (that's four) as well as all those who must have worked for lot, and perhaps a few of Lot's friends or his daughters' fiancees and family? Surely there must have been a mere ten influenced by Lot, a follower of Abram's God. Sadly, we find in chapter 19 the answer to be NO! This is a sick picture.ALL the men of the city gathering around the house of Lot to have a sexual orgy with two innocent strangers who have come into the city! Lot offering his two young daughters to these hundreds of perverts! What a wicked evil, sinful, despicable response! Then after the angels urge Lot and his family to flee for their lives because God is going to wipe out these cities they 'linger' and have to be 'seized' and placed out side of the city by force!
2 Peter 4:6-8 wrecks my thinking! Here Lot is called a righteous, yet tormented, man of God- Lot is a deep spiritual Poser. A man who had faith in the God of Abram so that he experienced 'fire insurance' yet gave his heart to the wickedness of the world. Lot is called righteous in 2 Peter because, as the Bible bears out, we cannot make ourselves righteous. Righteousness is a gift from God at the moment of belief. we have the righteousness of Christ because of the grace of God, when we believe. Lot however never thought compromise and taking advantage of such grace would cost him this much- his home, his wealth, life as he knew it. The compromise was so complete that it infiltrated his entire family. In the end his wife paid the ultimate price, and his daughters were so twisted that they committed incest with their daddy. How terribly sad.
I like to think that I would be like Abram not Lot. The truth is Abram shows us more Christ then Christians. He believes the promise of the Father. Goes to battle against the worst of enemies -sin, death and hell; Comes back from battle bloodied and victorious. Presents the 'booty'- the rescued kinsmen- before God and is given the rightful birthright!
We are Lot! Heart bent on sin, wickedness, driven by the standards of the world. Unless we are rescued by the Gospel our choices of self indulgence will cause us to live and even die for something we really weren't willing to fight for..... the good news for us is that we by faith can grab hold of the Redeeming Victor- who came in a manger- Christ!