There is another thing I observed about the story of Lot that we rarely pay attention to when discussing the issue of sexual purity. Most times, emphasis is on how he slept with his two daughters, rescued by angels and how his wife turned to a pillar of salt.
It is rare to hear anyone talk about how his immediate environment contributed to the pollution of his mind. Lot's environment contributed to his sexual failure. There was a mistake Lot made that contributed to the corruption of his soul.
The bible (Gn 13:12) says, "Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom".
At this point, Lot was not in Sodom yet but his direction was towards Sodom. From afar, he saw Sodom and all its corruption. Sodom girls passed in front of his house often and he saw what their men were doing. From afar, he heard the blast of Sodom's music through their DJ.
Later, having stayed near Sodom, In Genesis 19:1-2 the bible says,
[1]That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground
At this point, Lot was already living inside the city walls of Sodom. The ways, the culture and worldview of Sodom has infiltrated him one way or the other. At this point, he was not looking at Sodom from afar but now lives in it.
Speaking about Lot, little wonder why the bible says, ""For that righteous man dwelling among them, in SEEING and HEARING, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;*"( 2 Pet 2:8).Lot's mind was polluted because he was in the wrong place.
If the righteous lives near Sodom, it is just a matter of time, he will migrate and integrate into Sodom. In fact, he will have friends in Sodom who may influence him. He will listen and dance to their music. He will watch their movies and may even marry a Sodomite.
Sodom represents an environment where immorality thrives. It is that place where righteous people are influenced to go against their vow to be pure. Living in a Sodomic environment pollutes the mind of the righteous and breaks their defenses.
If you are serious about living purely, there are places and environments you should avoid. There are streets where your children should not be raised especially If you are still a tenant. Rent in a good environment. Children are impressionable. They pick habits that form some of their character from their immediate environment.
I grew up in a Sodom environment where boys and girls (prostitutes) smoke hemp and do their thing. Just beside the house where I grew up as a teenager, I saw sexually provocative ladies and the hotel around did not help matters. I knew some of their songs till I patronized Sodom's trade as a teenager.
Just like Lot, I saw the scenes of activities in Sodom and heard the sound of Sodom. It polluted my mind early in life as a teenager. Thank God for the blood and the word that purified my mind. Environmental influence is powerful and can influence positively or otherwise.
No man desiring to live purely should pitch his tent near Sodom. It is a place of corruption. Run from Sodom. Stay away from people whose minds have been Sodomized. The culture&influence of Sodom is strong.
