It seems to be an odd desire. If someone said this to me, it would certainly suggest that they were a little off. I not only want to be tormented, I want to a Lot. Are you getting concerned? Are you wondering about my mental stability? If my premise for this post is convincing, you too will be asking to be tormented, you will want to be a Lot. Now you are probably very concerned.

I do not consider myself a righteous man.

When I hear of people in the Bible being called righteous, I think to myself, how can anyone be righteous? Aren’t we all sinners? If we sin, how can we be called righteous?  …Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Genesis 6:9b (NIV). Righteous and blameless, not sure what that looks like, but I know that’s not me. I want to be righteous and blameless; I want to be a Lot.

We are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness.

…for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27 (NIV). I have no problem with this concept. This is the root of grace through faith not of our own doing. This concept appeared in scripture not only after Jesus’ death but also before Jesus came to earth; here are just a few: Job 29:14 (NIV) Isaiah 59:17 and 61:10 (NIV). I don’t know about you, but I see these not as righteous people but as people who embraced or were being told to embrace righteousness through putting on God’s way of living. Even if you do this well, you still are not righteous but rather you embrace righteousness.

I have a long way to go.

While I take God at His word, that He sees me as righteous through Jesus, I don’t see myself as righteous. I want it. I want it a Lot. If I were righteous, blameless, maybe life would be easier. Wait, Job was righteous (upright) and blameless Job 1:1(NIV) and look what happened to him. I am nothing like Job, at least in my view I fall short too much for God to say “have you considered my servant [Dave]?” Job1:8 (NIV)  I am nothing like Job or Lot, but…

I want to be a Lot.

2 Peter 2:8(NIV) for that righteous man [Lot], living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard. I want a righteous soul. I want to be tormented, to be a Lot. I am more likely to be angered by sin, others’ sin, while being unaffected by my own. Tormented by sin? Not me. Just really angry that everyone else is so messed up and happy bragging that I am not a sinner like them. Luke 18:9-14 (NIV).

That was an exaggeration but not a Lot.

I am glad I am a not sinner like them, those who reject Jesus Christ, not because of my arrogance or sense of righteousness but because the Bible makes it clear that I am saved because I have not rejected Him. I am clothed in His righteousness, but I still don’t consider myself a righteous man, I am too often too angry at sin. To be angry at sin produces nothing but negative emotion that can lead to negative actions. Anger at sin usually puts a beam in my eye as I try to call out and even pluck out a speck from everyone else’s eye.

Maybe torment is the result and cause of righteousness.

 I am stepping out on a limb, a limb that supports my desire to be a Lot. If I am tormented by sin, I will desire to be different and for others to do/be the same. If I am angry at sin, I most likely don’t see mine because I focus on theirs, how bad they are. While I would not go as far as to say this is a solid theology that can be fully defended, the concept, I believe, is biblical. If I am tormented by sin, to see it addressed means I have to look at me as well as others. If I look at me, I am apt to change or at least be in the process of change. I will seek God, I will seek to please God, I will be righteous in my pursuits. That same torment means I will desire that others seek God and become righteous in their pursuits as well.

My premise is now complete.

To be tormented by sin is the outcome of being righteous and the cause of one wanting to be righteous, to be a Lot. If I am tormented, I will want to be different and others to be different. This doesn’t mean I am righteous but rather I am seeking to be righteous which, by faith, drives me toward God and opens the door for God to see me, through the blood of Jesus, as righteous.

I want to be tormented a Lot.