Worldly Choices- Genesis 13

In 1 John 2:15-17, John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

The world, as the word is used here, describes a system of opposition to God and His reign. Similar to the rulers of Psalm 2, the world represents a system of thought antagonistic to the Creator. They are values and belief systems.

We live a life filled with choices. Each morning we wake up, we have the choice to be thankful. We have a choice to serve God and love one another. We have a choice to serve ourselves and use one another.

Our values, our beliefs, inform our choices. For example, if I value church attendance, I may choose to avoid a certain field because it limits my ability to attend church.

What we value affects how we make choices. Abram is provided with an opportunity to make a decision. As we live life, we will be faced with a host of choices. It is inevitable. What we need to do, then, if we are to avoid wordly choices, it to develop a biblical value system.

Let us look at Abram’s life, learn from his experiences, and develop a biblical value system that will lead us away from worldly choices.

I. Choices occur in everyday life- 13:1-7

One of the remarkable aspects of life is that each day, though mostly lived in obscurity and mundane tasks, we have incredible choices. Each choice before us provides us with an opportunity to bring glory to the triune God or to diminish His glory. That changes the way we think (or, it should!).

Abram leaves Egypt, traveling back to his wilderness journey. While there, he moves back and forth to familiar areas (Bethel, in between Ai), and Abram worships the LORD once again.

Interestingly, this comes on the heels of Abram’s doubt, which is an encouraging reminder that our life in the Lord is not based on one bad decision (however costly that decision may be).

Things seem to be going well for Abram up until verse 5. Lot, who originally joined with Abram, seems to be doing well financially, too (potentially a fulfilling of 12:3?). Lot has a good bit of livestock and tents (people), and the land cannot maintain them.

At times, nature offers us choices (such as the famine in 12:10). At other times, divisions present us opportunities to choose. Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen fight because of the limited resources. What furthers the difficulty is the mentioning of the Perizzites and the Canaanites. For one, that means more people need more resources. But it also is important because of the wickedness of the Canaanites and the Perizzites (this will become important as the progression of God’s plan develops).

Choices come throughout our lives and offer us opportunities to love God or the world (to use John’s words). I know I am not the only one who does not view everyday with this sort of significance. But we are taught this in the Lord’s prayer, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10). It is found in the 1st of the 10 Commandments, “You shall no other gods before me.” (Ex. 20:3)

II. Choices display values- 13:8-13

We see the truths of Matthew 12:33 displayed right here in these verses. Abram, a gracious man (there is a sense of “please” in his comments to his nephew). Abram gives Lot the choice, a display of generosity on Abram’s part. Rather than giving the choice back to his uncle (a wise choice, considering 12:1-3), Lot chooses. His choice is not foolish (water and land is needed). However, it reveals a struggle that we all face: selfishness (see 1 John 2:16). We have the two approaches contrasted.

A. Godly values focus on others, worldly values focus on ourselves- 9-12

Abram offers, as I mentioned before, the choice to Lot. He focused on Lot rather than himself (compare this difference with 12:11-13).

While this does not mean we neglect ourselves, choices do display our values. Do we value others, created in the image of God? Or, do we value ourselves in preference to others?

Godly values defer to others. Paul says this in Ephesians 5:21, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This is presented in the marital relationship, parental relationship, and employee relationships.

Contrast Abram’s approach with Lot’s. Lot chose the best place (like the Garden of Eden). He chose “for himself” the best land. Lot’s choice displays a focus on himself, which in turn, provides us with a window into his values.

This is true in our lives as well. An individual decides to stay at work to complete that project reveals a value of work over family. When we indulge in gossip, we demonstrate a desire to build ourselves up while tearing down others. A multitude of examples could be given. Values are revealed by our choices based on their focus.

What do our choices reveal about our values?

B. Godly values focus on the big picture, worldly values focus on the present- 13

While this verse does provide information to Lot himself, it would seem that the people of Sodom had a reputation. Lot, focused on himself and his needs, fails to consider or submit to his uncle. He thinks only of the here and now. He does not consider the bigger picture. This is a key aspect of worldly thinking.

Think of the different sins. What is the one thing they have in common? They promise immediate gratification. Sexual sin, gluttony, pride, anger, gossip, stealing, etc., all provide “instant satisfaction.” That immediate gratification is contrasted with the faithful focus of the heroes and heroines of Hebrews 11.

Do your choices reveal a focus on the big picture, or a focus on the present?

III. Choices are essential in our transformation- 13:14-18 (Gal. 5:16-24)

The LORD blesses Abram with a reminder and greater specificity to His initial promise in 12:1-3. His seed will be as numerous as “the dust of the earth.” This promise is more elaborative than the first, or at least more descriptive. God then commands Abram to walk through the land that He will give to Him.

Abram displays a godly value system, showing submission to his nephew, Lot, and follows through with his agreement. He proceeds to settle in the area that God promises, after which he builds an altar to the Lord. This last section, paired with Gal. 5:16-24, offer us a helpful description of how choices can help us in our growth toward Christlikeness (i.e., transformation, or sanctification).

A. Choices are opportunities to “walk” in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16)

As we consider this chapter from the life of Abram, we are provided an opportunity to demonstrate how choices are essential for our growth in Christlikeness. They give us opportunities to walk in the Spirit (i.e., daily living).

I mentioned this toward the beginning, but each choice we face, no matter how mundane, is an opportunity to walk in the Spirit or fulfil the desires of our flesh.

B. Results are descriptions of how we are living (Gal. 5:19-21, 22-23)

While choices give us opportunities to walk in the Spirit or fulfil our desires, the results of our choices describe how we are living. In other words, they are the “fruit” of our decisions (see Matt. 7:15-20).

It is like wearing your team’s shirt. You are letting people know for whom you pull. If I sport my Dallas Stars hockey jersey, I am demonstrating that I am their fan. The results of your choices demonstrate for whom you are living (i.e., God or yourself).

This is encouraging. It helps us determine if we are living by the Spirit. It is like in college where professors would lecture for 45 minutes, have you read a couple of books, and then schedule a test. You prepare for the test, you know the material, and you take the test. However, you never receive a grade back. What do you do? How do you proceed with the class? You do not know because you do not know how you did on the test!

The results of our choices provide us with the answers from the quiz of life. It allows us, through the grace of God, to either repent and learn from our mistakes or to rejoice in the fruit of the Spirit. It is a grace of God.

C. Choices are a reminder of the need to filled (controlled) by the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 5:18)

In our self-sufficient society and culture, where we are self-made men, we fail to appreciate this truth. We need God to save us, and we need God to transform us. We cannot live the Christian life alone, without the church to be sure, but more importantly, without the Triune God.

Listen to this prayer, a wonderful prayer demonstrating our dependence upon God,

“O Lord of Grace,

The world is before me this day, and I am weak and fearful, but I look to thee for strength;

If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall, but on the Beloved’s arms I am firm as the eternal hills;

If left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame thy Name, but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit, I shall bring thee glory.

Be thou my arm to support, my strength to stand, my light to see, my feet to run, my shield to protect, my sword to repel, my sun to warm.

To enrich me will not diminish thy fulness; all they loving kindness is in thy Son, I bring him to thee in the arms of faith, I urge his saving Name as the One who died for me.

I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.

Accept his worthiness for my unworthiness, his sinlessness for my transgressions, his purity for my uncleanness, his sincerity for my guile, his truth for my deceits, his meekness for my pride, his constancy for my backslidings, his love for my enmity, his fullness for my emptiness, his faithfulness for my treachery, his obedience for my lawlessness, his glory for my shame, his devotedness for my waywardness, his holy life for my unchaste ways, his righteousness for my dead works, his death for my life.”

Worldly choices demonstrate a worldly heart. Godly choices demonstrate a godly heart. Yet, as I am sure we can agree, it is not always that clean cut. We make good and wise choices and we make wrong and worldly choices. The question is, What are we doing about it?

Using the examples of Abraham and Lot, and Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 5, I believe there is much that we can, and only through the Spirit, do to make choices that glorify God.

I pray that the Word of the Lord and the Spirit of God have renewed our thinking about the choices that we face everyday.