Genesis 19 tells the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his family were saved by the angel of the Lord and pulled out of the city before its impending punishment. They were instructed to flee to the mountains and not to look back. However, Lot’s wife did look back – perhaps with a desire to return. She seemingly loved the things and the life in those degenerate cities.
In our Lord’s great prophecy of the last days, Jesus refers to Lot’s wife as a picture of a Christian who loves the world. The present end time governments and systems are going to be destroyed as were Sodom and Gomorrah. True Christians “must not turn back (to the world but) ‘Remember Lot’s wife,’” (Luke 17:31,32). Jesus explained that it’s impossible to have divided affections. Matthew 6:24 (NIV), “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Apostle John exhorts us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15 (NKJV).
If we fail to build the proper superstructure of the Christian character and allow the world and its ungodly influences to overtake our spirit, we will be crushed in times of crisis. 1 Corinthians 3:13 reads: “Each one’s work will become manifest, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” Along the same line, Hebrews 10:38-39 (HNV) says: “…the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction…” Lot’s wife shrank back and turned into a pillar of salt. She thus became a memorable illustration of Christians who lose their salvation in Christ. Why salt? Because the salt must have been mixed with the burning sulfur rain which came down from heaven.
