Reach Your Family

II Peter 2:4-9 "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah . . . and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes . . . making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked . . . The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:"

Reach Your Family

Believe it or not, these verses are part of one long sentence! As you read verses 4-10, remember that this sentence is an "If...then" sentence. In the first several verses, we see God's justice in Old Testament times (the fallen angels, Noah and the Flood, Lot and Sodom and Gomorrha). Bringing it all together, verse 9 says that if God did these things in the past, then He will still deliver the godly and punish the unjust. In other words, God has not changed. No matter how bleak the future looks, the wicked will still be punished, and the just will still be delivered. You can rest in that.

In reading this passage, another important truth stood out to me. Let's compare the two men named in this passage: Noah and Lot. We know that Noah was a just man-he found grace in God's sight. We also know how God miraculously spared him from judgment during the Flood. Did he succeed in convincing the world around him? Not really. Though he tried to convince society around him, they continued in their wicked ways and were destroyed in the Flood.

Did Noah convince anyone to escape the judgment of God? Yes, he convinced his family-those closest to him. I'm so glad he did, because I wouldn't be here otherwise! When you read the genealogy of Noah, read it with interest because those are your ancestors. Though he might have been a "failure" in winning the world, he won the people closest to him. And that made a huge difference in the generations to come.

Now compare Noah's legacy with Lot's. He too was considered "just" in the eyes of God. Because the Bible calls him "just," we know that Lot believed in God's coming Messiah. But Lot's daily actions did not accurately reflect his righteous standing in God's sight. Like Noah, Lot also failed to convince the world around him to turn from their sins. Just like the people in Noah's day, the people of Sodom and Gomorrha continued in their rebellion and were destroyed for it.

Did Lot convince his own family at least? No, he did not. His life did not lead the people closest to him to faith in God. Though he was "just" (in position before God-he was saved), he was not just in his testimony with his family. Because he failed to reach his family, the effects were felt for generations. Have you ever heard of the Moabites or the Ammonites? They were descendents of Lot who defied God and His people at every turn.

Though we are commissioned to reach the world with the Gospel, we must not forget to reach our own families and those closest to us! That is why our daily testimony is so important. What our families see in us should lead them to Christ.

Don't be like Lot, who got to heaven but didn't bring others with him. Let's be more like Noah, who lived in such a way that his family put their trust in God too. Reach your family-- the generations to come are depending on it!


Prayer Requests:

- Revival services tonight in Water Valley, MS and Kent, WA

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