Table of Contents

Introduction
Totally Forgiven vs Behavior Matters - Part 1
Totally Forgiven vs Behavior Matters - Part 2
The Book of Life and the Books
The Book of Life (incomplete)
Sodom
No Condemnation, but...

Sodom

Table of Contents

The episodes about Sodom in Genesis (13.10-13; ch 14; ch 18-19) have some interesting theological aspects.

In chapter 13 Lot separates from Abram and goes and pitches his tents near Sodom. At the end of Chapter 13, God tells Abram that He was going to give him all the land he could see, which includes the land where Lot settled.

Chapter 14 is a chapter of judgment and grace. In 14 the kings of Mesopotamia come and attacks the cities of the Valley of Siddim, which includes Sodom, and carries off plunder and captives. Lot and his family are among the captives. Even though the term judgment is not used, we are told in 13.13 that "the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." Judgment can be assumed.

When Abraham finds out that Lot has been captured, he gathers a tiny army and goes off to rescue Lot's family. However, Abraham extends grace, and rescues not only Lot and his family, but all of the captives and recovers the plunder. (foreshadows Isa 49.6) Both Melchizedek (14.18-20) and Abraham (14.22-24) make it clear to the king of Sodom, that it was by God's power that Sodom was rescued. And it is also by grace that Sodom is allowed to keep their goods.

In chapter 18 God visits Abraham, and tells him that the "outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great," so he needs to go down and check it out. The reason for telling Abraham is because
"Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." Gen 18:18-19 Since Abraham is to be a blessing for all nations and since Abraham is just, God gives Abraham an opportunity to be a blessing to Sodom and Gomorrah, and request mercy for them. So what follows is the well known story of Abraham bargaining with God to spare the city if only ten righteous men can be found. Since Abraham is just, he does not negotiate for fewer than ten righteous men, tacitly admitting that if Sodom is wicked, it needs to be destroyed.

When the two angels and the Lord arrived in Abraham's camp at the beginning of chapter 18, Abraham extends to them the height of hospitality--a tender calf, fresh baked bread, and water their feet. In contrast when the angels arrive in Sodom in chapter 19, only the foreigner, Lot, offers them hospitality. The citizens of Sodom demand gang rape. Because only one righteous man was found in Sodom, God destroyed it, but he saved the one righteous man and his family. But even in His judgment, God extended mercy. Because of Lot's request, God spared Zoar, when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain. He left a remnant of that nation. Gen 19.21-24 Again this is a story of judgment and mercy.

The question needs to be raised: by what standard did God judge Sodom and Gomorrah? By what standard did he use to determine that there were not ten righteous men in Sodom and Gomorrah?

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Matt 25:31-40

God sent the people of Sodom hungry and thirsty strangers, and observed how they were treated.

No Condemnation, but ...

Paul says:

Rom 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, NIV

Does this mean that Christians, those who have been saved, will not face judgment of any kind from God? Does this mean that God no longer sees the sins of those covered by the blood of Jesus? If so, how does the following verses fit in?

Matt 7:1-2 "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. RSV

James 3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. NIV

1 Cor 11:31-32 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. NIV

Apparently Christians are still subject to judgment, God's evaluation of their actions and possible disapproval.

How do we reconcile Rom 8.1 with the latter verses? There is much I do not understand, but here are a few keys. First of all there is a difference in terms. I In Rom 8.1, the Greek word for "condemnation" is katakrima. In Matt 7.2, the word for "judgment" is krima. There is a difference in degree between katakrima and krima and between condemnation and judgment. For those in Christ Jesus, whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, there is no terminal judgment with a sentence of the fiery lake (Rev 12.15), and there is no separation from God.

Another key is a difference in purpose. The purpose of condemnation is to render punishment for laws broken. It is to separate unholy people from a holy God. The purpose of judgment of God's children is correction, to remove unholy behavior from holy people. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" Heb 12:7, NIV

This, of course, brings up additional questions: When are we judged? Are we judged for everything we do? What are the consequences of being judged? When do these consequences occur?