People, in our day, answer this question with two differing approaches. Because we live in a world where those committing sexual perversion have become a protected class, certain circles of the church have rushed to accommodate them. They propose this up-and-coming theory, however anti-intuitive it might be- God destroyed Sodom not because it was a city given over to perversion, but because it was a city that failed to exercise hospitality. He poured out His wrath not because the men of Sodom pounded on Lot’s door, wanting to sexually assault the angels, but because the angels were not treated with grace and compassion. God wasn’t angry over what they wanted to take, but what they failed to give.
The more conservative wing of the church, of course, takes an older view, a more intuitive view. The narrative here goes like this- Sodom allowed sexual perversion to take such deep root that when angels came to visit the locals viewed them as fresh meat. This grave evil that gave birth to this grave crime inspired God’s grave wrath.
While the second view, the more intuitive, the more historical view has more to go for it than the politically correct more modern view, both seriously miss the point. Yes, the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness. Yes, sexual perversity both brings to pass God’s wrath and provokes of God’s wrath. But a more careful look at the story tells us why Sodom was destroyed. God destroyed the city not because of the evil of the unbelievers. He destroyed it because of a lack of a remnant. God destroyed Sodom because of the failure of the church, of the believers.
Remember Abraham’s careful conversation with God, his virtual negotiation for the city of Sodom. Would God spare the city if there were fifty righteous there? Forty-five? Forty? Finally God agrees that He will spare the city for ten. But Abraham could not find even ten. Don’t miss though what might have been. God would have spared this dark and evil city had there been but ten righteous people. Despite the perversion, despite the scope of the evil, God would have been spared for just ten righteous.
We live in a dark and evil land, amongst a dark and evil people. We too, in ourselves, are dark and evil. But we, by His grace, have a righteousness that is not rightly our own. We have a perfect righteousness. And by that, we can be the very reason God might spare our nation, our culture. We plot and we worry about how to take back this institution and that. We strategize and we compromise, that we might earn a place at the world’s table, for the sake of the world. When what we are called to do is to seek first His righteousness and His kingdom. What we are called to do is the right thing.
We surely can retreat from the battle, and excuse our fear as pursuing personal righteousness. We call this folly pietism. I fear, however, that we are falling off the other side of the horse. Here we call piety pietism, and worldliness we call being missional. Piety, however, is the mission. Rescue your neighborhood, your city. Rescue your nation, those who are caught up in perversion. He commands us to rescue the Lots in our day.
