By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.
2 Peter 2:8
This ‘righteous man’ is Lot, nephew of Abraham. The previous verse says ‘just Lot’ was ‘vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.’ This word ‘vexed’ means ‘to tire down with toils, to exhaust with labour.’ The ‘vexed’ in verse 8 is different, and it means ‘to torture, to torment, to trouble greatly, to afflict, to oppress with evils.’
Notice that this was going on ‘from day to day.’ As he moved his family to Sodom, trying to feel at home amongst wicked sodomites, Lot was greatly ill-at-ease. The sights he saw and the words he heard tormented him every single day.
When righteous people dwell in a Godless culture, the danger is that our souls will be stained by the filth that surrounds us.
The Holy Spirit that indwells us is bothered by sin, and He prompts us to be bothered by sin too.
If we aren’t careful, we’ll be exhausted by the war to protect our families. We may let our guard down. We may stop living a separated life. We might stop guarding our children’s eyes and ears.
Every Christian dad ought to monitor the books, magazines, social media sites, and friends that surround his children. It’s a matter of protection from dangerous influences.
The defilement of our culture must not wear us down.
Instead, we ought to renew our efforts to teach our children right from wrong. We should teach the omnipresence and omniscience of God so that we’ll fear Him and depart from evil. Faithfulness to Family Bible Time and church services are essential if we are going to fortify them.
Wise is the parent who shuts off the tap that spews forth perverted sewage into his family’s eyes and ears day after day. It may require a filter, disconnection from the Internet, or even a move.
It wasn’t separated Abraham or his son Isaac who was vexed!
Father, thank You for making me right with You through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who came to live in me the day You saved my soul. I rejoice to belong to a God as holy as You are! Keep us from being immersed in a culture that defies You and is on course for Your judgment in a fiery hell. Help us to be different, holy, set apart, distinct – all for Your glory. Help us to hate sin, love righteousness, and live in fear of displeasing You. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.