In the first part of this two-part series, we looked at the fact that many writers will agree that there are pagan connections to Christmas but conclude that it is still acceptable to keep the festival.   We gave two examples and continue with further examples.

EXAMPLE 3:

Here is another approach to try and justify Christmas celebrations:

“The Lord, through His sacrifice, has cleansed us of our sins. He sanctifies what he touches.  When we came in contact with Him, it is we who were cleansed. It is not Him who is defiled.  The woman with the issue of blood who touched Jesus (Mark 5:25-34) was made clean. It was not Jesus who was defiled. Likewise, Jesus touched the unclean lepers and cleansed them (Matthew 8:3). Jesus came in contact with many people, and it was never He who was defiled. It was they who were cleansed.

“I think this principle can be applied to Christmas. Yes, Christmas has pagan origins. Yes, it is a highly commercial time. Yes, many do not have their eyes on Jesus. But for the Christian, it is a time to reflect upon the birth of our Lord and to celebrate His coming into the world to die for our sins.”

This approach is exactly what the Bible condemns.

In our Update 122, dated December 19, 2003, we read the following in our Q&A, “Why don’t you celebrate Christmas?” 

“The age-old question is, however, why is it so important to know that Christmas and its customs were a pagan invention? What is wrong with ‘Christianizing’ those pagan customs? We might not be able to bring Christ BACK into those customs (as He was never part of them in the first place), but why can’t we bring those customs to Christ and use them to worship Him in that way?

“Simply, because the Bible prohibits us to do so. The concept of adding pagan practices to godly worship, known as ‘syncretism,’ is condemned throughout Scripture. Again, we encourage our members, subscribers and friends to read or re-read our booklet, ‘Don’t Keep Christmas,’ for a more comprehensive analysis of this important question.

“In short, we read in Deuteronomy 12:29-32, that God commanded Israel that ‘you do not inquire after their [pagan] gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.” You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way…”

“What could be clearer? God commands us NOT to worship Him in the way that the Gentiles did. Christmas was a pagan festival in honor of pagan gods. God FORBIDS us to worship Him in that way. We read in Matthew 15:7-9 that we worship Christ IN VAIN when we teach ‘as doctrines the commandments of men’ or pagans. The Ryrie Study Bible comments regarding the passage in Deuteronomy 12:30: ‘The Israelites were not even to inquire about the worship of the Canaanites, lest they be tempted to INCORPORATE ASPECTS OF IT INTO THEIR WORSHIP OF GOD.’

“That is, exactly, what the Roman Catholic Church did. That is exactly what God PROHIBITS His people from doing!”

EXAMPLE 4:

Another writer gives us an insight into further antagonism towards those who say that Christmas is not a festival that true Christians should keep:

“Q. WHAT IS A PROPER CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WHO CLAIM CHRISTMAS AND OTHER CHRISTIAN CELEBRATIONS ARE PAGAN?

“A. First, if we are honest, we are forced to acknowledge that aspects of Christmas certainly are pagan: the revelry, drinking and overeating, commercialism, coveting, and immorality that are rife during the season. The holiday atmosphere as represented by these sins surely cannot be considered a part of true Christianity. Also, holly and mistletoe, Santa Claus, and the like are not found in Scripture either, though certain trappings of the season, like Christmas trees, candles, wreaths, and bells, are not necessarily wrong if they classify as decorations rather than gods. Anything can become a god if we lose perspective and don’t put God first. Further, enough eons have elapsed so that any pagan connections with items such as Christmas trees are now truly meaningless.

“I believe Christians must part company with those, such as certain cultists who advocate totally ignoring the celebration of Christ’s birth. We are unsure of the exact date on which our Savior was born. In fact, Dec. 25 is almost certain not to be the day. Does that matter? The precise day of the year should not deter us from designating a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Further, there is nothing wrong with having family gatherings, exchanging gifts, sending greeting cards, singing, going to special services at church, and enjoying good food God has provided. We should use Christmas as a special time to witness to unsaved loved ones and acquaintances too. Many people have trusted Christ as Savior through the local church during the holiday season, the only time when some people enter a church.

“‘Christmas is for children’ is quite true. Many of us remember our early childhoods as the time when the account of the Christ Child was especially enthralling. Therefore, we adults can make Christmas a time of unselfish giving toward children (not just material things, by the way), creating great experiences that they will remember all their lives. It is an important part of bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Many of us remember events surrounding our early Christmases better than any other times during our entire childhoods.

“These are responses that I believe honor the Lord. Christmas is not going to go away and critics will always be around. If some Christians cannot in good conscience observe Christmas, or any other Christian celebration, they have the privilege of leaving it alone.”

That is quite a statement but is hardly a proper response to people who claim Christmas and other Christmas celebrations are pagan!   Here’s why:

It is incorrect to say that any pagan connections with items such as Christmas trees are now truly meaningless.  God, who doesn’t change (see Malachi 3:6), said quite categorically that His people should not follow the customs of worship who serve false gods (compare again Deuteronomy 12:29-32).   That was true in the times of the ancient Israelites and still applies to God’s people today.

As often happens, those who disagree with the practice of keeping Christmas are labelled as cultists with opponents trying to denigrate and falsely accuse them so as to undermine their standing.

The assertion is made that “Dec. 25 is almost certain not to be the day” but that “it doesn’t matter.”  Is it not strange that the celebration of His birthday which they say is not on December 25^th is a wrong date and yet they keep it?

What can be said about the argument that “we should use Christmas as a special time to witness to unsaved loved ones and acquaintances too”?   So, they use a time that is not the date of the Savior’s birth, pretend it is, and to try and teach others that this is quite alright? What sort of example is that?

Regarding the training of children, they say that “It is an important part of bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).” To teach children God’s Word is indeed the responsibility of parents, but that must be based on the sure foundation of the truth.   Teaching them lies about a pagan festival with a cloak of so-called Christianity draped over it is not in line with what God expects of us.

It is stated that “Christmas Is not going to go away” which may well be true but that does not mean that true Christians have to be involved in it.   It is highly unlikely that Halloween is not going to go away but we should never have anything to do with that demonic celebration, either.

The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates have consistently taught that we must never be involved with Christmas celebrations.

One of our Q&As has the following headline: “You teach that Christians should not keep man’s holidays, such as Christmas, but rather, they need to observe God’s annual Holy Days. Why can’t we do both? And what, exactly, are those annual Holy Days, and how are they different from days such as Christmas?”  We address in that Q&A the fact that the world’s holidays of which Christmas is just one, should not be kept, and it goes into the biblical Holy Days that God’s people are commanded to keep.  You can access this Q&A at: https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/q-a-8343/

Of course, becoming lax in this area couldn’t happen to us, could it? Not all that long ago a photograph appeared of a former evangelist in the Church of God who had taught the truth about Christmas, until the mid-1990’s, when he was standing in front of a Christmas tree obviously enjoying the experience.   His new-found “freedom” seemed to have allowed this action that he preached vehemently against in his ministry in the Church of God.  Quite a turnaround!

“Whether to celebrate Christmas or not, is man’s choice. However, to decree whether it is right or wrong to do so, is God’s prerogative.”(See our weekly Update 122, dated December 19, 2003).

In Mark 7:6-7, we read Jesus’ words, quoting Isaiah, when speaking to the Pharisees and scribes: “He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’”  It is obvious for those with eyes to see that this applies to modern mainstream Christianity as they have discarded the Holy Days of God and replaced them with man-made holidays of which Christmas is just one of them.   We must never forget that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Also, as mentioned repeatedly in this series, a reading (or a re-reading) of our booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas” could prove to be very well worthwhile, as we approach this time of the year once again.

Lead Writer:  Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

It is interesting when reviewing this question that many writers will agree that there are pagan connections to Christmas but conclude that it is still acceptable to keep the festival.

There was a special report on the BBC News website some years ago entitled “Whose Christmas is it anyway?,” which stated the following:

“Apparently, the season of good cheer did not start out as exclusively a Christian festival. According to Pagans, the early Christian church hijacked December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus because they saw that everyone was already having a good time and decided to take advantage of it.

“Historical debate has been raging for a long time over the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ, with estimates ranging from sometime in September to much later in February.

“But the most important date in the festive season for Pagans is the winter solstice which always takes place around December 21. Called Yule, it is one of the traditional Celtic fire festivals and marks the return of the light after the longest night of the year.

“The Pagan Federation, an umbrella group for Pagan organisations, describes Paganism as a spiritual nature-venerating belief system rooted in the ancient nature religions of the world.”

In spite of so many understanding the roots of this worldly festival, there are still those, who with limpet-like qualities, cling tenaciously to the fact that “we know all of this, but it is fine to keep this end-of-year celebration”.

Let us look at several examples, although we could quote many more.  Because we believe that the examples shown are in gross error we have, for once, deliberately not put the source for the examples shown. Although they have been taken from websites that have published this information, the reasons they give are fairly generic, and to publish specific names when others have the same kind of reasoning could be seen as a personal attack on their set of beliefs.

EXAMPLE 1:

One commentator wrote on 25^th December 2020, the following in a long article, amongst many other similar assertions:

“This year of all years — with a clarity denied us in happier times — it is possible to recognise in Christmas its fundamentally Christian character. The light shining in the darkness proclaimed by the festival is a very theological light, one that promises redemption from the miseries of a fallen world. In a time of pandemic, when the festive season is haunted by the shadows of sickness and bereavement, of loneliness and disappointment, of poverty and dread, the power of this theology, one that has fuelled the celebration of Christmas for century after century, becomes easier, perhaps, to recognise than in a time of prosperity. The similarities shared by the feast day of Christ’s birth with other celebrations that, over the course of history, have been held in the dead of winter should not delude us into denying a truth so evident as to verge on the tautologous: Christmas is a thoroughly Christian festival.”

You have to wonder about the depth of deception that has been foisted on a deceived world by authors who can cleverly use words to show exactly the opposite of what is meant in the Word of God.

In his book “4000 Years of Christmas,” Earl W. Count writes: “‘The [Roman Catholic] Church finally succeeded in taking the merriment, the greenery, the lights, and the gifts from Saturn [a Roman sun god patterned after the Persian sun god Mithras] and giving them to the Babe of Bethlehem.’”  Mr Count is one of many authors who write extensively about the pagan roots of this end-of-year festival.

When considering the relevant Scriptures and some external sources, we can, indeed, find out the approximate time of Christ’s birth, but it is impossible to find out the exact date. It is all to do with King David who had divided the priests into several “courses” or divisions — that is, each group or “course” of priests was to serve God for a specific period of time. Luke 1:5-9 shows that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was of the course of Abijah (which courses are listed in 1 Chronicles 24) and that he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course or division. Each course lasted eight days — from Sabbath to Sabbath.  By studying this, it becomes clear that John was born in the spring and Jesus was born six months later – around late September or early October. It is clear that Jesus was born in the autumn — not on December 25.   For a full exposition of this important matter, please study this Q&A:

Therefore, to associate the light shining in the darkness—Jesus Christ—with Christmas is absolutely ridiculous. Christ was not born anywhere near Christmas. If we want to associate a “light” with Christmas, it would be Satan, who pretends to be an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and whom Christ saw fall from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18).

EXAMPLE 2:

After questioning all of the trappings of this festive season, another writer asks a number of questions and then comes up with a conclusion.   To start with, the question is asked: “So can Christians have Christmas things?” and states the following:

“Since the pagan origins of Christmas have long passed and Christians no longer have any association with paganism and certain Christmas decorations, my personal view is that some decorations may or may not be harmless.

“Others, however, perhaps should be avoided. Is your tree the centerpiece of your house and does it distract from worship of God? Do you spend too much time decorating the tree instead of praying and having a Bible study with your family all while playing ‘O Christmas Tree’ pagan tree-worship songs? In this case, I believe you should not have the tree.

“The problem with avoiding holidays entirely could be you are the oddball. But if that’s what God wants, then it’s ok to be the oddball. After all, Halloween should definitely be avoided by Christians. But Christmas? I don’t know. At least, I’m not prepared myself to get rid of Christmas just yet. Maybe this will change, but for now I don’t feel convicted to eliminate and avoid Christmas entirely; just to avoid some things like mistletoe and ungodly things and ungodly songs.

“But you should pray and decide for yourself whether Christmas decorations are good for you and your family. Ask God to impress on your heart what He wants you to do, and surely God will show you.

“All that said, have a merry Christmas and a happy holiday full of joy and the love of Christ! And be sure to use this time as an opportunity to show the love of Christ to others one way or another!”

That seems to be fairly typical of the approach of many where accepting wrong practices is questioned but still going ahead with the celebrations.   In fact, this writer wishes everyone “a merry Christmas and a happy holiday,” even though he also says: “After all, Halloween should definitely be avoided by Christians. But Christmas? I don’t know. At least, I’m not prepared myself to get rid of Christmas just yet.”   There is no conviction in his argument, and Romans 14:23 states: “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”

The argument, as expressed above, that the pagan origins of Christmas have long passed and that Christians who keep Christmas have no association with paganism is blatantly false. In our booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas,” we read on pages 19-20 these observations under the heading “Counter Arguments of the Carnal Mind”:

“Some may respond by saying, ‘So what? Why not keep Christmas anyway? Even though Christmas is a pagan festival and its customs are pagan in origin, I do it to honor Christ. And even though the Bible doesn’t command us to keep it, doesn’t God give us the freedom to celebrate the birthday of His Son whenever we want? And further, if we don’t like the “paganism” associated with Christmas, why not just keep Christmas solely to honor Christ, while leaving all the pagan customs behind?’

“Yes, we humans can come up with all kinds of reasons to hang on to our traditions and beliefs.  We somehow want to justify our actions rather than coming to terms with the truth of the matter, and it quickly becomes evident how strongly our beliefs entrench our customs.  We don’t give up easily, even when shown to be wrong.

“For example, we know that Christmas has become totally commercialized, and it is being kept alive by commercialism. As U.S. News & World Report points out in its December 23, 1996 article, on page 64: ‘To turn Christmas into a purely religious celebration now might cheer those who want to “take back Christmas.”… But such an observance “would lack the cultural resonance and impact of a holiday deeply rooted in the marketplace.” If Christmas came to that… “we probably wouldn’t keep it as a society.”’

“And, while Christmas is widely touted as a time of ‘peace on earth and good will toward men,’ it is a well-known fact that Christmas is the time of year in the Western world when more crimes are committed than at any other time.  It is a time when alcoholism runs rampant.  It is a time when commerce reaches its peak of illogical and irresponsible conduct and behavior, and people incur credit card debts that they can never repay, only to fulfill their ‘obligation’ to give gifts to others.  Parents lie to their children, telling them that Santa Claus will come through the chimney to bring Christmas presents, and that if they don’t behave, Santa Claus won’t bring them presents at all.”

We know what the world says about Christmas, but what does God have to say about this celebration? Although the word “Christmas” is never used in the Bible, are there guidelines and principles on how to look at this issue?

One author explained the pagan origin of Christmas and its ongoing pagan “relevance,” as follows:

“It may sound silly to some people but not everyone believes Christmas is a Christian holiday. After all, we hear ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ every year. It’s said to be all about the birth of Jesus. But not everyone believes this.

“Why? Because the Christmas tree, the toys given to children, Santa Clause, and his 8 tiny reindeer… had nothing to do with Jesus originally. Neither does the Easter bunny, for that matter. No, Christmas was originally a pagan celebration…

“Romans had a holiday known as Saturnalia, it was a time of lawlessness between December 17-25. During this holiday no one would be punished or brought to court for anything they did. This meant you could pretty much do anything you wanted.

“During this time each community would select a sacrifice. A person that they would force to indulge in every kind of pleasure they could and then on December 25th they would kill them. This was thought to be a method of destroying evil…

“If you have ever been to New Orleans LA. or Mobile AL. then you know about something called Mardi Gras. It’s a time of Parades where people dress in costumes and throw beads, toys, and Moon-pies. It’s called a family event in Mobile. But this is actually about as pagan as it gets.

“The holiday is actually all about gods and goddesses, parties of excessive drinking, and sexual pleasures. I know because I lived in Mobile, AL. most of my life.

“So what do the churches in the area do about this? Wait for it…THEY GO OUT AND THROW BEADS!!! What?! Why would they be celebrating such a thing?

“It’s because they want to be ‘relevant’ to the culture and use it as a method of ‘evangelism.’ While they are throwing beads and Moon-pies to people they are also trying to preach the gospel. So what you get is a mix of pagan and Christian influences.

“This is EXACTLY how Saturnalia became Christmas. People of the time tried to ‘evangelize’ the pagans by telling them they could still celebrate this holiday. The only problem is it didn’t have anything to do with Christ. So they began to say December 25th was the birthday of Jesus. And Christmas was born. A mix of pagan and Christian influences.”

In the next instalment, we will continue to address the fact that Christmas is pagan to the core, and that we are NOT to mix pagan customs with the worship of God, which further hammers home that the keeping of this festival should not be kept by those who are followers of Christ.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

What you are referring to is the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) which was held in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.  This event is a global United Nations summit about so-called climate change and how countries are planning to tackle it.

On the BBC website is an article entitled “Climate change: What is it and why is everyone talking about it?” https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/45880633

This website states that “When we talk about climate change, we are talking about global changes in the Earth’s average temperature.  The Earth’s average temperature moves up and down naturally, but it has been increasing more rapidly than it usually does. This change is impacting on the planet’s environment – which is everything natural around us; rivers, trees, plants, animals… everything!

“Scientists say many of the changes to the Earth’s climate are caused by human activity – this means things that humans are doing. Some of those things are: the burning of oil, coal and gas, waste, deforestation and urbanization and population growth.

“Scientists say the world is about one degree Celsius warmer than it was 300 years ago when the Industrial Revolution started and people began to work in factories. A very influential 2018 report by an international group of scientists said that if the planet’s temperature goes up by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, it will cause huge problems for the planet. Melting ice in places like the Arctic and Antarctic would lead to a rise in the Earth’s sea levels, flooding many coastal areas and islands. Extreme weather like heatwaves, droughts and storms would happen more often and become more severe.

“The 2018 report encouraged world leaders to make climate change a priority. It said countries needed to work together to limit the rise in temperature rise to 1.5 degrees and stop changes to the planet that would be a catastrophe for life on Earth.”

To clarify, we do not necessarily agree with the concept of man-made global warming or climate change, as presented by scientists and described in the above article. There are still many unanswered questions, including reports to the effect that data has been strongly manipulated to “prove” “man-made climate change.” Some scientists even go so far as to say that we are not overserving global warming, but rather another ice age. The late producer and inventor/originator of the American “Weather Channel” was a strong opponent of the concept of man-made climate change and filed numerous lawsuits to prove errors and misrepresentations, which all were dismissed when he died. The late famous writer Michael Crichton (“Jurassic Park”), who was also a doctor, challenged the concept of climate change as well.

We do not have to concern ourselves in this Q&A with the accuracy or inaccuracy of the concept of man-made climate change as it is the purpose of this Q&A to point out an altogether different problem.

We had a “talking shop” for 13 days with a rush at the end of the conference to agree to a deal acceptable to all those in attendance.

There have been many reports around the world about this conference, and for the sake of brevity we will just choose one report.   The Daily Mail reported on 14th November 2021 that “Cop26 president Alok Sharma today warned China and India they would have to ‘justify’ political scheming that hamstrung a global climate deal to protect their coal interests.   The Cabinet minister rounded on the Asian nations after the Glasgow summit last night agreed a watered-down deal on climate change following their last-gasp intervention. The Glasgow Pact was watered down at the last minute with the wording on a section covering unabated coal – the burning of coal without climate change mitigating technology – changed from ‘phase out’ to ‘phase down’, leading to angry responses from European and vulnerable countries. Mr Sharma, who appeared on the verge of tears and apologised for the change as Cop ended last night, insisted to Sky News that it had achieved ‘something remarkable’. But he added: China and India are going to have to justify to some of the most climate-challenged nations what happened.’”

There you have it in a nutshell.   Man’s inability to agree on something that they all felt was so important that so many of the world’s nations were gathered, but unable to agree fully on how to go about resolving the issue.

The world has many seemingly insurmountable problems but there is never the will with so many to look at this and many different issues that they all feel are crucial to man’s survival and for the common good.  Self-interest always seems to come to the fore.

What is the approach and understanding of the Church of God of which Jesus Christ is the Head?  True Christians are challenged to come out of the governmental and political systems of this world.

In our Q&A “Are Christians supposed to make this a better world?” we write:

“Jesus, during His earthly ministry, likened this world to a building. In Ephesians 2:20-22 the Church is likened to a building. Jesus, in referring to the present evil world, said it is built on a foundation of the sand of Satan’s way of vanity, covetousness, envy and jealousy, competition and strife, violence, rebellion, contention, unhappiness, suffering and death. THIS WORLD IS DOOMED TO CRASH! And great shall be the fall thereof.

“Jesus did not come to repair or remodel or make over this building — this world — this civilization. Its foundation is faulty — that of Satan. Its superstructure — its systems of government and legal systems of law and justice, its systems of faulty and materialistic education, its religions, its social systems and customs — all its superstructures faulty, producing discontent, unhappiness, contention, competition and strife leading to violence and destruction, anguish, suffering, poverty and death. Those are the supporting columns and beams of the superstructure of the building that is this world. Jesus did not come to reform this world — to bring it a ‘spiritual revival’ — to pray for it or to save it or any of its ways.” (see https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/q-a-13266/)

The Church of God does not get involved in the politics of this world.   The fruits of it are plain to see and only the return of Jesus Christ can set right what is impossible with man in charge, ably guided and directed by Satan who is the god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4).

As mentioned, we are not taking a position on the merits or demerits of the conference itself, nor on the accuracy or inaccuracy of reports, claims, scientific studies and records pertaining to “climate change,” but commenting on how it is impossible for man to fully come together in the perceived interest of all people – and the difference between the conference behaviour and its outcomes when viewed against biblical instruction.

And so, to the question: “Can true Christians learn anything from this conference?  There would have been many well-meaning people attending this conference but a good question to ask is “what were the fruits of it?”

(1) We are told to esteem others better or “higher” than self.  In Philippians 2:3-4 we read: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better [higher] than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”  While this was information given to the Church, by extension, it is a principle that works with those outside the Church too.   There would have been those at the conference who were sincerely trying to resolve what they saw as grave issues for mankind but many others, as evidenced by what happened, were interested mainly in how it seemingly or allegedly affected themselves and their countries.   Selfishness, which we are not to engage in, was on show as representatives of so many countries displayed this in their own narrow self-interest.

(2) The governments of this world don’t have the answers to the continual rise of man’s insoluble problems.  We only have to look at the state of the world we live in to acknowledge that man is out of his depth through his own self-imposed dilemmas.   It will get so bad that Jesus said, as reported in Matthew 24:21-22: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”   This clearly shows that things will get continually worse so that only the intervention of Jesus Christ will resolve man’s problems and put right the wrongs of the last 6,000 years.

(3) This conference highlighted man’s inability to look after this planet properly.   In Genesis 2:15 we read God’s instruction to our forefather, Adam: “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”   Right from the time of the creation of man, God expected him to look after that which had been given to him.   History confirms how badly mismanaged this world has been. This is true regardless of the issue of climate change. We read in Revelation 11:18 that Jesus Christ will return to “destroy those who destroy the earth.”

(4) The objectives that were agreed, it seems, reluctantly by some and were “watered down” to accommodate others, may still not be met by some countries showing that man is regularly unable to keep his word and commitments.   What trust can you put in such people when you know that what they say and do are often two different stories?  In Joshua 21:45 we read: “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”   This shows that when God says something He can be trusted.   In 1 Thessalonians 5:24, we read: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”   God’s Word is His bond.   Man fails on a daily basis in this regard.

(5) It appears that concerns raised at this conference are not new.   In our weekly Update number 997 dated 20th November 21, there was a section headed “The Climate Change Scare” which reads as follows:

“The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on November 12:

“For the past two weeks in Glasgow, Scotland, world leaders have gathered at COP 26,  the United Nations Climate Change Conference to listen to the same message: Disaster is just around the corner.

“[But] consider this news story from 1972: ‘We have ten years to stop the catastrophe,’ said the UN’s environmental protection boss… for more than 50 years, the United Nations and the media have regularly predicted we’re on the verge of calamity… In 1982, after the catastrophe failed to materialize, the New York Times covered the second UN conference on the environment, which opened ‘amid gloom’. The piece quotes Mostafa K. Tolba, executive director of the United Nations environmental program, as saying that if things aren’t fixed by the turn of the century — the year 2000 — the world would face ‘an environmental catastrophe which will witness devastation as complete, as irreversible, as any nuclear holocaust.’

“In 1989, a senior UN environmental official [said] that if we didn’t fix climate change by 1999, we would have ‘Global disaster, nations wiped off the face of the earth, crop failures’… In 2004, the Guardian newspaper said a ‘secret report’ from the Pentagon to President George W. Bush said climate change would ‘destroy us.’ Among the predictions: Major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas. Britain is plunged into a ‘Siberian’ climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world…

“As of 2019, the UN said ‘only 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change’… That gives us until 2030 — or 58 years after the warnings of 1972. Advocates for change believe if they just scream louder… they’ll get the world to agree to a complete upheaval of modern life and trillions in spending…”

“Buenos Aires Times wrote on November 11:

“Pope Francis warned time was ‘running out’ to save the planet while expressing regret at his absence from climate talks in Glasgow, in a letter published Thursday… ‘this occasion must not be wasted, lest we have to face God’s judgement for our failure to be faithful stewards of the world he has entrusted to our care,’ wrote Francis.”

It is interesting to read how often these issues have been raised in the last half-century and the noises now being made have all been made before.  Many can be “frightened” by the prognostications of doom and gloom but the true Christian doesn’t need to take note of the new religion of climate change activism.   God knows what is going on and what will be needed in the future and our trust must be in Him not in fallible human beings.

In light of the many failed scientific predictions regarding the dangers of climate change and its terrible consequences, the question could be asked as to how real it really is. But again, the concern of this Q&A is to address the inability of man to solve any real or perceived problems.

(6) How many times was God mentioned in this conference about these world crises?   Quite probably His Holy Name was mentioned more in blasphemy than in invoking His help and thanking Him for His wonderful creation.   Satan has done a wonderful job in hiding the truth from the world at large so that God is seen as irrelevant or non-existent to so many.   Anyone expounding the truth about God and His Master Plan of Salvation would have been seen as odd, eccentric, or even worse.   There is no fear of God today.   “They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest’” (Jeremiah 5:24).

In Romans 3:9-18, Paul gives a crushing indictment about the Jews and the Greeks at that time, and by extension, mankind right up until today: “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.’ ‘Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit’; ‘The poison of asps is under their lips’; ‘Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary observes: “Here again is shown that all mankind are under the guilt of sin, as a burden; and under the government and dominion of sin, as enslaved to it, to work wickedness. This is made plain by several passages of Scripture from the Old Testament, which describe the corrupt and depraved state of all men, till grace restrain or change them. Great as our advantages are, these texts describe multitudes who call themselves Christians. Their principles and conduct prove that there is no fear of God before their eyes. And where no fear of God is, no good is to be looked for.”

Many will have been genuinely disappointed in the outcome of this long conference, but trust in and reliance on man is both unwise and misguided. The alleged concerns that delegates raised at this conference and all of the many real insurmountable problems that currently exist will not be eliminated by further conferences and agreements or man’s ingenuity, but only by the return of Jesus Christ who alone has the power and wisdom to resolve all of the issues that man has brought on himself.  And yes, Christians can learn from the recent climate change conference in that we must rely on and trust in God alone; and that man’s way and his thoughts need to be replaced by the righteous rule of Christ.

The Bible tells us not to trust in man, only God is totally trustworthy. Psalm 118:8-9 says: “It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.  (Also see Psalm 40:3-4, Micah 7:5, Jeremiah 17:5.)

Scholars have identified 1,845 different biblical references to the second coming of Jesus Christ.   He will return to set up the Kingdom of God and, at last, human beings will learn the right way to live.   Based on what is happening in the world right now shows that that time is both necessary and imminent!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the first part of this two-part series, we reviewed the background from where Lot parted company with Abram, as we read in Genesis 13:11: “ Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.”   We then saw that Sodom was destroyed as Lot, his wife and two daughters fled from the city.

Let us continue with the story, as we read Genesis 19:30-38

^“Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.  Now the firstborn said to the younger, ‘Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth.  Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.’  So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.  It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, ‘Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.’  Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.  The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.  And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.”

First, we note that the daughters made Lot drunk. Lot did not initiate his drunkenness, but he gave in to his daughters’ conduct of giving him too much wine to drink. Nevertheless, Lot should have resisted the temptation. We are reminded of the drunkenness of Noah, when his grandson Canaan abused him sexually, and when Noah awoke and realized what had happened and what Canaan had done to him, he cursed Canaan, Ham’s son, for his evil deed.

Then, we note that the daughters felt they had to make Lot drunk, in order to produce offspring with him, apparently understanding full well that Lot, being sober, would not have agreed to such action voluntarily.

It is quite possible that the culture that they had imbibed during their years in Sodom could have made their acts seem reasonable to them, and they could have become insensitive to sin after living amongst such a society for some years.  They thought that their family would not have any descendants and so took matters into their own hands.   It doesn’t seem like lust, more the desire to preserve their line and produce offspring.   However, it was against the instructions of God as we read in Leviticus 18:6-7, where the subheading in the New King James Bible is “the laws of sexual morality”:

“None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord.  The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.”

Of course, this instruction was recorded in the Bible hundreds of years later than this incident, and so they may not have thought it to be a “big deal”.   Nevertheless, it was unnatural and an underhand way of deceiving their father. And, as mentioned above, they knew it was wrong and that their father, being sober, would not have agreed to it. The fact that the passage in Leviticus 18 was recorded later does not mean that the prohibition did not exist and was unknown to the daughters. It is also possible that Lot’s daughters were aware of his previous offer to the homosexual men, and they might have thought, if he could do that to us, we could also do this to him.

In addition, according to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, we read: “Barrenness in the East was looked upon as a ground of great reproach as well as a punishment from God” and perhaps their comment ‘there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth’ (Genesis 19:31) was a part of their thinking.”

Of course, this is not to excuse such behaviour but to show what they may have been thinking about.   We know that Sarah and Rachel went many years without bearing a child and the frustration that it caused both of them until they did finally bear a child. Sarah and Abraham sinned when they tried to produce offspring through Sarah’s maid Hagar, rather than waiting for God to fulfil His promise that Sarah herself would become pregnant, and the consequences were disastrous.

We all have to live with the consequences of our actions.   They did not put their reliance on God, (as Abraham and Sarah at first doubted God’s word as well.) We know that Galatians 6:7 reveals: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  There are always consequences for our actions, whoever we are.

There were a lot of factors to take into account, but Lot’s daughters made a decision that would reverberate with the nation of Israel in the future.  Reviewing some of the commentaries about this incident are very helpful.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary states:

“See the peril of security. Lot, who kept chaste in Sodom, and was a mourner for the wickedness of the place, and a witness against it, when in the mountain, alone, and, as he thought, out of the way of temptation, is shamefully overtaken. Let him that thinks he stands high, and stands firm, take heed lest he fall. See the peril of drunkenness; it is not only a great sin itself, but lets in many sins, which bring a lasting wound and dishonour. Many a man does that, when he is drunk, which, when he is sober, he could not think of without horror. See also the peril of temptation, even from relations and friends, whom we love and esteem, and expect kindness from. We must dread a snare, wherever we are, and be always upon our guard. No excuse can be made for the daughters, nor for Lot. Scarcely any account can be given of the affair but this, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? From the silence of the Scripture concerning Lot henceforward, learn that drunkenness, as it makes men forgetful, so it makes them to be forgotten.”

As mentioned above, Lot did not become drunk “voluntarily,” but he gave in to his two daughters who gave him too much wine, and so, wanting to please them, he drank too much, which he should have refused to do. As a consequence, he became “insensible to their action” (Ryrie Study Bible).

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament says:

“But Lot’s daughters had so little feeling of shame in connection with their conduct, that they gave names to the sons they bore, which have immortalized their paternity. Moab, another form of ‘from the father,’ as is indicated in the clause appended and also rendered probable by the reiteration of the words ‘of our father’ and ‘by their father’ (Genesis 19:32, Genesis 19:34, and Genesis 19:36), as well as by the analogy of the name Ben-Ammi equals Ammon. This account was neither the invention of national hatred to the Moabites and Ammonites, nor was it placed here as a brand upon those tribes. These discoveries of a criticism imbued with hostility to the Bible are overthrown by the fact, that, according to Deuteronomy 2:9, Deuteronomy 2:19, Israel was ordered not to touch the territory of either of these tribes because of their descent from Lot; and it was their unbrotherly conduct towards Israel alone which first prevented their reception into the congregation of the Lord, Deuteronomy 23:4-5. – Lot is never mentioned again… even his death is not referred to. His descendants, however, frequently came into contact with the Israelites; and the history of their descent is given here to facilitate a correct appreciation of their conduct towards Israel.”

We read in the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary the following information about Moab and Ammon:

“Moab (perhaps ‘from father’).  The starting point for both was in the vicinity of Zoar. Thence the roving Ammonites went to the NE whereas the more peaceful Moabites remained near their ancestral home displacing the Emim (Deuteronomy 2:11; cf Genesis 14:5).

“Coming up from Egypt the Israelites approached Moab through the desert facing Moab outside the bordering circle of hills on the SE.   They were forbidden to molest the Moabites in the enjoyment of the land that they had taken from the Emim (Deuteronomy 2:9-11).   They therefore applied for permission to pass through the territory of Moab and, being refused, went around its borders.

“Moab did not fight against Israel for 300 years. The Moabites were only too friendly, sending their daughters to cultivate friendly relations with the Israelites and to entice them to their idolatrous services.

“The national deity of the Moabites was Chemosh (which see), mentioned only in Numbers 21:29; Judges 11:24; 1 Kings 11:7, 33; 2 Kings 23:13; Jeremiah 48:7, 13, 46.

“Ammon ‘inbred’, another form of Ben-ammi.  A nomadic race descended from Lot’s youngest daughter, as the more civilized Moabites were from the elder one.   Although the Israelites were forbidden to molest the Ammonites, Ammon was often in league with nations against Israel, such as with Moab (Deuteronomy 23:3-4); with Moab and Amalek (Judges 3:12-13), with the Syrians (2 Samuel 10:1-19), with Gebal and Amalaek (Psalm 83:7) and was almost always hostile, both before and after the captivity (Nehemiah 4:3 etc).

“The Ammonites were governed by a king (1 Samuel 12:12).   The national deity was Molech (1 Kings 11:7) often called Milcom (1 Kings 11:5, 33).

“The Ammonite names in the Bible shows that the language was akin to that of the Hebrews.

“Solomon set an example in marrying Ammonite women.   Rehoboam’s mother being Naamah. An Ammonitess (1 Kings 14:31) which example Israel was too ready to imitate (Nehemiah 13:23).”

The daughters did not trust God to provide husbands for them and took matters into their own hands with the consequences that we read about in 1 Kings 11:33.  This was in connection with Jereboam’s rebellion: “…because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David.”

The many bad decisions that Lot made together with living and being actively involved in an evil city which was full of sin meant that the daughters of Lot were exposed to so much that was wrong.   Further, it would seem that being concerned about their lineage caused them to behave in such a shocking way, and we must not immediately dismiss the concerns that barren women had in those days.  For example, Rachel, the wife of Jacob said “Give me children or else I die!” (compare Genesis 30:1).

These are reasons, not excuses for their sinful behaviour, but those reasons are in no way justifications for sin, and the consequences have been seen through history.  For us, there are many lessons to be learnt from this whole episode, as we read in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

One of the most important lessons that we can take from this story is to be careful about the company we keep, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”    The ESV renders this as: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’”

In addition, God warns us not to be involved in the evil system of this world, let alone supporting it (compare Revelation 18:4; 2 Corinthians 6:17). Today, many say that even though they might be against abortion personally, they must support it as elected politicians. This double-standard and hypocrisy does not produce good fruits, and Lot might very well have given a wrong impression to his daughters, seeing him to be actively ruling and judging in Sodom. Today, many may not be in a position of simply moving away from a sinful city (even though it would be unwise to move into a sinful city such as San Francisco), but they must not be in any way become a supporting part of its sinful system.

Had Lot and his family understood this truism, they would have avoided what turned out to be very distressing and life-changing events.

Please note:

We also have these other Q&A’s on Lot and his daughters:

How Many Daughters Did Lot Have?

The Bible says that Lot was just or righteous. But did he not commit horrible sins? How can he then be called “righteous”?

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link

Whenever and wherever it is necessary, we try to give the background to any question which can give reasons and explanations that might not otherwise be taken into account.

Let us look into the background of Lot. He was the son of Abraham’s brother, Haran, and his wife was Milcah (see Genesis 11:27-29).   We may have read these events many times before, but it is helpful to review them again with the thought in our mind that we are all, to one degree or another, a product of our environment.   Bearing that in mind may give more than a clue as to why some terrible sins could have been committed.

In Genesis 12:1-4 we read:

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’   So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

We read in the following verse: “Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan” (Genesis 12:5).   They then went to other places and finished up in Egypt because of a severe famine (verse 10).

In chapter 13, we read that Abram left Egypt and became very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold, and Lot, who also had flocks and herds and tents, went with him.  Then we read in Genesis 13:6-7: “Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.”

Abram, being the considerate man that he was, offered a choice to Lot, even though it was he to whom God had made His promises. We read in verse 8-11: “So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.  Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’  And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east.  And they separated from each other.”

This was the first of a number of mistakes that Lot made when deciding to go east towards Sodom and Gomorrah, as we read in verse 13: “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.” We also read that at first, Lot “pitched his tent even as far as Sodom” (verse 12), but later, he ended up living in Sodom (Genesis 14:12). It is important to see the events leading up to the sin that Lot’s daughters committed with their father, as we will discuss later.

In chapter 14, we read that Lot, who by that time dwelt in Sodom, was captured, apparently because of his goods and, as we will discuss, the stature and influential position that he had in Sodom, and he was then rescued by Abram. The narrative about Lot continues in chapter 19 where the sub-heading in the New King James Bible is “Sodom’s Depravity”.   Lot had chosen to live in a very sinful city.   We have covered the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, not just about their homosexuality, but all of the other sins that they were guilty of, and this can read in the following Q&A:

https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/you-write-about-the-sexual-sins-of-sodom-and-gomorrah-but-werent-they-guilty-in-other-ways/

It was a city where Lot should never have gone to in the first place. But he did, and the consequences were dire for him and his family.

Let us move on to Genesis chapter 19:1-3:

“Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.  And he said, ‘Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.’  And they said, ‘No, but we will spend the night in the open square.’  But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.”

We read that Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. The Ryrie Study Bible remarks: “The gate of Sodom was the centre of public activity. Lot’s being there may indicate he was a judge in the city  (see 19:9).” The Application Bible adds: ”Evidently Lot held an important position in the government or associated with those who did because the angels found him at the city gate. Perhaps Lot’s status in Sodom was one reason he was so reluctant to leave.”

Elliott’s Commentary for English Readers states:

“This personal respect had made him close his eyes to the sinfulness of the people, and he had consented to live inside the town, and even to let its citizens marry his daughters.”

Lot showed the customary hospitality to the angels whom he probably did not recognize as such (compare Hebrews 13:2), but the problems were only just beginning, as we read in verses 4-5:

^“Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.  And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.’”

To try and counter this affront to his guests, he made a terrible mistake, as we read in verses 6-8:

“So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, ‘Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!  See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.’”

To offer his daughters in such a manner to a baying mob was a shocking sin!   We read the following in Barnes Notes on the Bible:

“The wicked violence of the citizens displays itself. They compass the house, and demand the men for the vilest ends. How familiar Lot had become with vice, when any necessity whatever could induce him to offer his daughters to the lust of these Sodomites! We may suppose it was spoken rashly, in the heat of the moment, and with the expectation that he would not be taken at his word. So it turned out. ‘Stand back.’ This seems to be a menace to frighten Lot out of the way of their perverse will.”

The Application Bible comments:

“Possibly Lot was hoping… that the homosexual men would be disinterested and simply go away… [Lot’s] terrible suggestion reveals how deeply sin had been absorbed into Lot’s life. He had become hardened to evil acts in an evil city.”

Lot might even have thought that in offering his two daughters to these homosexual men, they would recognize the evil of their contemplated action and leave in shame (which of course did not happen), but to make such an offer was a terrible sin.

The locals continued to argue with Lot and the men (angels) came to the rescue, as we read in verses 9-11:

“And they said, ‘Stand back!’ Then they said, ‘This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.’ So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.  But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.  And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.”

The family were then urged to leave the city – verses 12-14:

^“Then the men said to Lot, ‘Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!  For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.’  So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.”

In verses 15-17, we read that Lot and his family had to be persuaded to leave the city:

^“When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’   And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.   So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’”

Lot pleaded with the two angels that he be allowed to flee to a city named Zoar, rather than escaping to the mountains (verses 18-22).

Lot’s wife looked back which they were instructed not to do: “The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.  Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.  So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.  But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (verses 23-26)

When we review the actions of Lot, we see the climate and culture that they, as a family, were subjected to and it does not make good reading:

Lot made the choice of going to live in the wrong place.

1. He chose to live in the sinful city and “sat in the gate” (Genesis 19:1) which was an important place and showed that Lot was a leading citizen, a judge and a ruler of some kind.
2. His family would be affected by their surroundings and the fact that Lot had become an active part of the “system” of Sodom. If he could behave in this way, then his family, including his daughters, must have believed that it could not be that bad.
3. He offered his daughters to the baying mob.
4. He was reluctant to leave Sodom even though he knew it was a rotten place and he had been told that God would destroy it (Genesis 19:15-17).
5. He allowed himself to become drunk, which we will examine, when terrible sins with his daughters took place.

In spite of all of these mistakes, we read in 2 Peter 2:6-8: “… and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)…”

The Benson commentary observes:

“And turning the cities of Sodom, &c., into ashes — When the inhabitants of those places were sunk into the lowest degeneracy; and condemned them with an overthrow — Punished them with utter destruction, both of their persons and habitations; making them an ensample — Not an example to be imitated, but an example to be avoided, as the word υποδειγμα, here used, signifies.

“Hence Jude, to express the same idea, uses the word δειγμα. And delivered just Lot — By the miraculous interposition of his providence; vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked — Exceedingly grieved by the lewd behaviour of the lawless Sodomites. For that righteous man, dwelling among them — Lot appears to have dwelt sixteen years in Sodom, after he parted from Abraham; a long space to abide in one of the lewdest and most outrageously wicked cities in the world, and not be tainted with their vices. Doubtless, as he was so exceedingly grieved with their lewd conduct from day to day, he often earnestly desired to leave the place… In seeing their base actions, and in hearing their lewd speeches, he vexed — Εβασανιζεν, tormented; his righteous soul from day to day — For their wickedness was incessant; with their unlawful deeds — The cry of which came up at length to heaven, and brought down upon them flaming destruction.”

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link

In the first part of this two-part series, we covered a number of areas where we have to be careful about the company we keep.   Let us move on to the question of friends.

Our good and true friends are those who will be with us in the bad times as well as in good times.   They will not be fair-weather friends. We have to be aware of the admonition in Proverbs 16:28: “A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.”

Proverbs 17:17 states that “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.” A friendship that is underpinned by God’s Holy Spirit and the love of God will be able to withstand the inevitable ups and downs that life throws at us.   The Free Dictionary states that “Human beings necessarily depend on one another, as you can’t manage all by yourself; no man is an island.  This expression is a quotation from John Donne’s Devotions (1624).”

A very important and vital part of the company we keep is outlined in Proverbs 27:6: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”   Very often, we can bridle when we are told something that we don’t want to hear or don’t agree with, but a true friend we should cherish—one whom we can trust, someone who will be straightforward, honest and without hypocrisy towards us—and we should not resent and argue with those true friends who give us honest counsel.  And that is nowhere better expressed than in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

As someone once wrote: “Fake friends are like shadows, always near you at your brightest moments, but nowhere to be seen at your darkest hour.   True friends are like stars, you don’t always see them but they are always there.  True friends are always there for you. Fake friends only appear when they need something from you.”

We also have to be on our guard against evildoers and not be complicit in any of their ways.  Psalm 26:5 gives clarity to those with whom we should not have friendship or fellowship: “I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.”

We are advised in Psalm 37:1: “Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.”

The Pulpit Commentary observes: “The feeling does not need to be eradicated, but only to be held in check. Faith in God’s retributive justice will enable us calmly to await ‘the end’ (Psalm 73:17),  in full assurance that ultimately God’s vengeance will overtake the wicked man, and he will receive condign (fitting and deserved) punishment. Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Envy is not a natural passion. To envy the evil-doers on account of their prosperity is at once a folly and a danger. Their position is really not enviable; and, if we allow ourselves to envy them, we shall be tempted to follow their example (see Proverbs 24:1)”  Again, the company we keep is a vital factor in our Christian lives.

Psalm 59:2 delivers a very similar message: “Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men.”

“The story is told of a farmer in a Midwestern state who had a strong disdain for ‘religious’ things. As he plowed his field on Sunday morning, he would shake his fist at the church people who passed by on their way to worship. October came and the farmer had his finest crop ever–the best in the entire county. When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local paper which belittled the Christians for their faith in God. Near the end of his diatribe he wrote, ‘Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.’ The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite. In the next edition of the town paper, a small ad appeared. It read simply, ‘God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October’” (William E. Brown in Making Sense of Your Faith).In Malachi 4:1, we read about the eventual and inevitable outcome of the proud and the wicked: “‘For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘That will leave them neither root nor branch.’”

Being aware of evil men and their schemes and plans is necessary so that we can avoid being in, and involved with, their wrong way of life.   It can be too easy to turn a blind eye to wrongdoing; that is, to ignore something that you know is wrong.

Another area to avoid is that of those who are very negative and seem to thrive on misery.

We’ve probably all heard the phrase that misery loves company and negative people can enjoy making others miserable.

“Misery loves company, and it’s really no big surprise either. While happier people can sometimes help balance this out, a miserable person is a force to be reckoned with, and one that if unwatched, will attempt to bring you down as well.  The thing is, no miserable person wants to see a bunch of happy, cheery people around them. If this were the case, then the term ‘misery loves company’ wouldn’t hold true. Having a miserable friend, spouse, or co-worker is bad enough, but dancing to the same miserable tune that they are is what you really want to watch out for.

“Why DOES misery love company? Is it out of jealousy? Is it out of resentment? Do miserable people just naturally attract one another? It’s actually a combination of all three, although which factors are weighted more heavily than the others will depend on the actual individual.  Most people that are happy with life generally don’t criticize or attempt to belittle others unless it was done to them first. I can always tell when someone is miserable though when I hear those kinds of questions…, it’s an obvious attempt at bringing you down to their level” (feelguide.com).

In these two Q&As, we have seen that we are not to walk with, or be envious of evildoers; we are not to be of the world and its ways, cling to those who flatter or be unequally yoked in any way with others who have a wrong mindset.   We are also to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing, not to mix with the wrong crowd and stay away from those who are perpetually negative and spread misery.   Peer pressure can also be a stumbling block where the prevailing ethos in society or the company we keep can be a major distraction, if we are not strong enough in the faith to dismiss and remove this from our lives.

The importance of keeping good company cannot be over-emphasized, and good and true friends can help us in achieving our goal of making it into the Kingdom of God.   We must always keep in mind that “evil company corrupts good habits.”

Someone observed wisely that “You’re the coach: you pick the players on your team.  If you affiliate with people who are pessimistic, burned out, and negative, you’re likely to adopt those same views.”

We should surround ourselves, wherever possible, with uplifting and positive true Christians, whose guiding principles would be wholly positive and not disruptive to our faith in any way.

So, what are we to do about it?   Let us review a few verses that can be very helpful.

We can learn a lot from the Psalms, and the Scriptures below show what our approach should be:  “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners,Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).   The Pulpit Commentary observes as follows:

“(1) He ‘does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly’; i.e. he does not throw in his lot with the wicked does not participate in their projects or designs;

“(2) he standeth not in the way of sinners; i.e. he does not take part in their actions, does not follow the same moral paths; and

“(3) he sitteth not in the seat of the scornful; i.e. has no fellowship with them in the ‘scorn’ which they cast upon religion.”

Psalm 26:4-5 also delineates those with whom we should have no fellowship: “I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers. And will not sit with the wicked.”

The Treasury of David opines: “So far from being himself an open offender against the laws of God, the Psalmist had not even associated with the lovers of evil. He had kept aloof from the men of Belial. A man is known by his company, and if we have kept ourselves apart from the wicked, it will always be evidence in our favour should our character be impugned. He who was never in the parish is not likely to have stolen the corn. He who never went to sea is clearly not the man who scuttled the ship.”

Psalm 111:1 tells us: “Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.”

We read in Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: “I will praise the Lord with my whole heart – With undivided affections; holding back nothing. I will allow nothing to be in my heart that would interfere with the fullness of praise; no coldness or dividedness of affection; no love for other things that would deaden my love for God; no suspicion respecting him that would chill my ardor; no unbelief that would drag me down to earth, while the language of my lips ascended to God.  In the assembly of the upright – With the righteous when they are gathered together for public worship.”

Further good advice can be found in Psalm 141:4-5: “Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.”

That is a good place to finish where the psalmist, David, prays for safekeeping from wickedness as the sub-heading to the chapter in the New King James Bible reads.   By being aware of the company we keep and opting for the only way that leads to salvation, we will reap the benefits for eternity!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

For someone who is called by God into His true Church, the company that he or she keeps is of paramount importance.   When someone responds to God’s calling, they will repent, be baptised and receive God’s Holy Spirit as they start on their onward journey towards the eternal Kingdom of God (compare Acts 2:38).   Anything that is a stumbling block or hindrance to their progress is to be resisted with all of their might, and with help from God, that can be achieved.

We can’t choose our family but we can choose our friends.   As one old saying goes, “friends are the family you choose.”

The American entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn said that “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Bearing this in mind, we should think about the people with whom we spend time, particularly bearing in mind the great calling that God has given us.

There will be those who may have no interest in our beliefs but on the face of it may seem to be good friends.  In such a case, we have to determine whether they will be a help or hindrance to our Christian Way of Life.

The Bible is clear about the importance of keeping good company.   We should all know about peer pressure.   Wikipedia defines this as follows: “Peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers, or the effect on an individual who is encouraged and wants to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, values or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual.”  We know that younger people are much more prone to such pressure, usually wishing to be one of the crowd and not stand out as someone who is different, but older people can also be affected if they are not properly grounded.

It is vital that those people we spend time with are not those who want to influence our actions contrary to our beliefs.   Some may seem to be good friends, but at what cost?   We have to be alive and alert to the company we keep.   Peer pressure can be felt by anyone, and so we shouldn’t just think that this is just for other people to consider.

If we’re not careful, peer pressure can drag us into the ways of this world.   We are called to stand out from the evil ways of society which are in opposition to the right Ways of God.

The Bible has much to say about this, as we read in Proverbs 13:20-21: “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.  Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.”

The Book of Proverbs is packed full of advice to those who have ears to hear, and regarding the company we keep, we read the following in Proverbs 14:6-7: “A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, But knowledge is easy to him who understands. Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.”

We also read: “Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; For their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking” (Proverbs 24:1-2).

We are not part of this world or its ways, as Romans 12:2 reveals: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

We often use 2 Corinthians 6:14 in the context of marriage or business.  However, it is also a verse with much wisdom, showing us what our behaviour must be: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

“The Apostle Paul used this powerful word picture to impress in the minds of the Corinthians how they should deal with people outside the church. The city of Corinth was a powerhouse of immorality. It was riddled with different temples for gods and goddesses. Temple prostitution was pervasive and there was a considerable number of people in [Corinth] who were sexually immoral.   For the citizens, sexual looseness wasn’t condemned, but rather tolerated and at times, even promoted” (https://becomingchristians.com).

In other words, it was pretty much like our current promiscuous, permissive, liberal and indulgent society.

We have to beware of those who may like to say that they are our friends but are not, as evidenced by their conduct.  “A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:28) and “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips” (Proverbs 20:19).

In Acts 20:28-30, we read the exhortation of Paul to the elders of the Church: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”   Now, while this is addressed to the ministry, the same principles apply to everyone in the Church.   Wolves in sheep’s clothing may even pretend to be our friends.

Deception can be everywhere, as Satan seeks to throw us off track, and being aware of the company we keep is vital.  1 Corinthians 15:33 contains a short but vital piece of advice: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”

There is an interesting passage of Scripture in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13:

“I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.  Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.  But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.  For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?  But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person.’”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges observes:

“The Apostle would not have his converts flee from the world, as so many did in later ages, but remain in it and leaven it. This course must bring them into contact with many ungodly men, whose evil example they must not follow, but whom they cannot altogether avoid, unless they would retire altogether from the active business of life. But if any member of the Church bring dishonour on the Christian name by such sins as those which are named, the Christian is bound to shew his sense of such flagrant inconsistency and hypocrisy, by refusing even to sit down to a meal with him. It is not difficult to follow the spirit of such an exhortation now, though it may be impossible to observe its letter. We cannot help meeting men of depraved morals and irreligious lives in business or in general society; we can, nay we must, refrain from making such persons our associates and intimates.”

There are Scriptures that show that mixing with the wrong people is something that we must avoid.   Being part of an ungodly crowd must not be the guideline for us, even if they are of those whom we consider to be friends. You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life.   It is also better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction!

Again, Scripture points the way ahead for us.  We read in Exodus 23:2: “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”

Of course, there will always be those who know better than the One who created us all; that is just the arrogance of man.  However, Proverbs 14:12 (also Proverbs 16:25) answers man’s audacity: “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

Wrong involvement with the world and its ways are addressed in James 4:4: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Because we are not of this world, we see how the world’s reaction to our conduct is outlined in John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Staying away from company that can distract us from our life-long career of following the ways of God is imperative.   Even allowing some small departures from the path we have been called to follow could ultimately be catastrophic for our future.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)