In the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, we see two facets of God’s character. We see his great patience (agreeing to spare a wicked city for just ten righteous people), and we see his fierce anger (destroying both cities).
As we grow deeper in our faith, we should find ourselves developing not only a deeper respect for God because of his anger toward sin, but also a deeper love for God because of His patience toward the sinner.
As we grow deeper in our faith, we too, should find ourselves more and more repulsed and angered by sin, but also more and more sympathetic and merciful to others lost in sin.
Many Christians today have this backwards. They are complacent toward sin and angry and judgmental toward the sinner (other and ourselves).
Today, spend some time in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where you stand in this matter. Ask Him to guide you and grow you in being more aware of and angry toward sin, but also in being compassionate toward those who fall for the schemes of the enemy. Use these scriptures to help guide your prayer time.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Romans 12:9
O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Psalms 97:10
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
