God told Abraham he would spare the cities if 10 righteous men lived in the city. He didn鈥檛 find 10 righteous men. But he pulled Lot to safety, almost against Lot鈥檚 will. Lot and his family are often used as an example of what not to do. He, his wife, and his daughters made bad choices, here and afterward. God spared him anyway, and in 2 Peter, in the New Testament, Peter calls Lot righteous. For all of his bad choices and mistakes, Lot is still called righteous. Not because of what he did, but because God himself intervened in Lot鈥檚 life.
Our righteousness comes from God himself, who gave Jesus for our sake, the righteous for the unrighteous, Peter says. This gives us hope. No matter how many times we make a mistake or simply get in over our heads, the love of God and the grace of God are enough to pull us to safety.
That鈥檚 not a blank check to do whatever we want because God will bail us out! That same letter from Peter reminds us to live holy and godly lives. God will destroy the wicked, but for each person who believes in Jesus Christ, we look forward to the new heaven and the new earth, where we will spend eternity with God. Not because of what we have done, but because of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Dear God, I thank you that I am righteous because of what Jesus did for me. I pray now for my family and friends who don鈥檛 yet have a relationship with you. Just as the angels led Lot, lead my loved ones now to a place where they can understand how much you love them! Amen.