Why were the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah places of great sin and judged so harshly?

Q: Why were the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah places of great sin and judged so harshly? – S.P.

A: The people of Sodom had a false sense of security. They had obtained all the military power and economic strength; they also had sinful pleasure. They had become obsessed with fun and leisure; they were too busy for God. They were filled with idolatry, exchanging the truth for a lie. Man began to worship himself.

Today’s culture has become the same way. The Bible says that there is a way that seems right to a man but the end is death (Proverbs 14:12). People can be laughing on the outside while their hearts and souls are empty, sorrowful, worried, and concerned. Something is missing in their lives.

History shows that one of the directions an affluent nation takes before judgment comes is sexual perversion. Pornography is all over the internet. People can pull it up on their computers, and they do. You don’t have to leave your recreation room; it’s all there, on television, in the movies, and in the music.

The people of Sodom ran after the same perversion. But there was at least one man, Abraham’s nephew Lot, though living in this wicked environment was unhappy and miserable. He had one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the world, but instead of influencing the culture of his city, Lot was influenced by the culture of his city.

Many have a Christian heritage but are living the same way. Something is missing. Christians must not let the world push them into its mold. People will say, “Well that will never happen to me,” but Jesus when talking about Sodom said, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). We are to “look to [God] and be saved” (Isaiah 45:22).

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

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