Email
Text/SMSAnswer
The Bible sometimes calls people “righteous,” even though everyone is imperfect. For instance, Abraham is called “righteous,” though he lied about his wife (Genesis 15:6; 12:10–20). Noah is “righteous,” though he became drunk with wine (Genesis 6:9; 9:20–21). Zechariah is “righteous,” though he doubted God’s message that his wife Elizabeth would have a son (Luke 1:6–25). Similarly, 2 Peter 2:7 calls Lot “a righteous man,” even though his story in Genesis mostly highlights his failures. Ultimately, Peter’s description sheds light on a key theme in the Bible—God’s grace alone makes a person righteous, not his individual morals or deeds.
Lot was Abraham’s nephew (Genesis 11:27). Like his uncle, Lot fell short of God’s moral standards. For example, he unwisely chose to live near the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13:10–13), eventually living in Sodom itself (Genesis 14:12). After settling in the city, when a group of men wanted to rape guests staying in his home, Lot diabolically offered his daughters to be raped instead (Genesis 19:6–8). Then, when God sought to destroy the cities because of their sin, Lot foolishly hesitated to leave. Angels had to urge him to do so (Genesis 19:15–16). Tragically, Lot’s story gets even darker. A truly horrifying incident occurred after he fled the cities. Namely, Lot got drunk, and his daughters took advantage of his condition, committing incest with him (Genesis 19:30 –38; cf. Proverbs 20:1; Leviticus 18:6–7).
Unlike Abraham, Noah, and Zechariah’s stories, Lot’s doesn’t highlight any of his righteous deeds. But Peter still calls him “righteous.” It’s important to remember that the Bible’s story of Lot is not exhaustive. That is, readers don’t have access to his full biography. As a contrasting example, the Bible calls Daniel “righteous” (Ezekiel 14:20) yet never mentions him sinning. This doesn’t imply that Daniel never fell short of God’s moral standards—it simply means that the Bible only tells part of his story.
While we lack a clear example of Lot’s righteousness, there are some hints of good behavior. His soul was “tormented” by the lawlessness he saw around him in Sodom (2 Peter 2:8). He showed hospitality to his guests. Unlike his wife, Lot didn’t look back when God destroyed the cities (Genesis 19:26).
We can also infer Lot’s righteous state from a story that occurs before Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction. When angels visit Abraham, Abraham pleads with God to spare the cities if any righteous people are in them (Genesis 18:16–33), and God agrees. Though God destroys the cities, He spares Lot (Genesis 19:18–22). This suggests that God must have considered Lot righteous.
Furthermore, it’s helpful to consider all of what the Bible says about the relationship between a person’s status and his behavior. Jesus is the only human to have lived a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15). All others have sinned (Romans 3:23). Fortunately, God doesn’t declare people righteous based on their moral perfection. If He did, no one would be saved. Instead, it’s God’s goodness, mercy, love, and grace—His undeserved blessing—that make people righteous. God extends grace to undeserving people according to His will (Romans 3:24; Titus 2:11). Sins are forgiven—even the sins of Lot.
The Bible teaches that righteous works are the result of receiving God’s grace, not the basis for it (Ephesians 2:8–9; 2 Corinthians 12:9). Justification, which is God’s declaration that someone is righteous, occurs by grace alone and is received through faith alone. Sanctification then follows, which is when a saved person becomes more like Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24). Thus, justification leads to sanctification, and sanctification is the result of justification. A saved person is declared “righteous” even before his behavior reflects his righteous status.
Second Peter 2:7 doesn’t contradict Lot’s story in Genesis; instead, it adds to it by informing readers that the immorality Lot saw in Sodom deeply distressed him. As someone who still wrestled with sin, Lot also made choices that were not in line with his righteous status. This struggle wasn’t unique to Lot. Paul’s honest admission reflects a similar battle that all Christians experience: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). Like all past and present Christians, Lot was in a lifelong process of aligning his desires and behaviors to the righteous status that God graciously gifted him.
