Escape the Past. Set Your Heart on God.
Lot’s wife fled Sodom, yet her heart turned back. Jesus’ warning still speaks: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32, KJV). Discover why following God means leaving behind the world and the old life of sin.
The Call to Escape
“Escape for thy life; look not behind thee” (Genesis 19:17, KJV). God’s mercy calls for decisive obedience.
A Heart Made New
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV). Do not return to what Christ has called you to leave.
The Warning in Genesis 19
Lot’s Wife Looked Back
“And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed” (Genesis 19:15–17, KJV).
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:24–26, KJV). The warning was plain, and the consequence of looking back was real.
When God Says Leave, Do Not Linger
In Genesis 19:12–22 (KJV), the angels warned Lot that the LORD would destroy the city and urged him to bring his family out. Lot’s sons in law treated the warning as a joke (verse 14), and Lot himself lingered (verse 16). Yet “the LORD being merciful unto him,” the angels took his family by the hand and led them outside. Mercy provided a way out, but they still had to go.
The command was urgent: “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee” (Genesis 19:17, KJV). Lot pleaded for refuge in Zoar, and the angel answered, “Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither” (Genesis 19:22, KJV). God’s warning was not an invitation to hold on to Sodom; it was a call to leave it. Likewise, Scripture says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15, KJV), and “put off concerning the former conversation the old man” (Ephesians 4:22, KJV). Lot’s wife shows how dangerous it is to turn toward what God has called us to forsake.
“Remember Lot’s wife.” — Luke 17:32 (KJV)
Jesus Christ, warning against a heart that looks back while God calls it forward (Luke 17:26–33, KJV).
Two Paths: Looking Back or Walking in Freedom
Lot’s wife looked back toward what God was judging (Genesis 19:26). Scripture presses the same question upon us: will we cling to the world and the old sin nature, or follow the Lord into new life?
Looking Back: The World and the Flesh
Allegiance: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” — 1 John 2:15 (KJV)
Desire: “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” are “not of the Father.” — 1 John 2:16 (KJV)
Outcome: “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof.” — 1 John 2:17 (KJV)
Old nature: “Our old man is crucified with him,” yet we must not “let sin...reign” again. — Romans 6:6, 12 (KJV)
Conflict: “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit.” — Galatians 5:17 (KJV)
Moving Forward: The Spirit and New Life
Allegiance: “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” — 1 John 2:17 (KJV)
Freedom: “That henceforth we should not serve sin.” — Romans 6:6 (KJV)
Identity: “Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God.” — Romans 6:11 (KJV)
Practice: “Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead.” — Romans 6:13 (KJV)
Direction: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16 (KJV)
When Egypt Begins to Look Appealing
In the wilderness, Israel remembered Egypt’s food: “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely” (Numbers 11:5, KJV). Yet their nostalgia overlooked the bondage they had escaped. When former sins seem comforting, remember the whole story: what once satisfied the flesh also held the soul captive.
When Fear Says, Return
Faced with the promised land, the people cried, “Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt” (Numbers 14:4, KJV). Fear turned their eyes from God’s promise toward a familiar prison. We face a similar choice when hardship tempts us to trade obedience for the old life.
When Grace Calls, Press Forward
Paul gives us a better direction: “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14, KJV). At Life Covenant Ministries in Centralia, Illinois, we urge one another to leave former bondage behind and keep our eyes on Christ.
Leave the Old Life Behind
Step 1
1. Set your heart on Christ. Colossians 3:1–2 (KJV) says, “seek those things which are above” and “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Name the worldly desire that keeps drawing your heart back.
Step 2
2. Lay aside sin and keep moving forward. Hebrews 12:1–2 (KJV) calls us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us” and to run “looking unto Jesus.” Confess what hinders you, then choose one act of obedience today.
Step 3
3. Walk in the new life Christ gives. Colossians 3:9–10 (KJV) speaks of putting off “the old man” and putting on “the new man.” Remember the promise of 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV): “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” Ask God to make that change visible in your choices.
Examine Your Heart Before God
James 1:22 (KJV) urges us to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Let these questions move you beyond reading to honest reflection and faithful action.
What am I still tempted to look back toward?
Is there a past sin, relationship, habit, or worldly approval you miss more than you want to admit? Bring it into the light before God. James 1:23–24 (KJV) warns against seeing ourselves in a glass and then forgetting “what manner of man” we are.
Where do I hear God’s Word but resist obeying it?
Consider a command you understand but keep postponing. James 1:22 (KJV) says, “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” What specific act of obedience can you take today?
Which desire competes for my loyalty to Christ?
Ask whether comfort, acceptance, or an old pattern is shaping your decisions. James 1:25 (KJV) describes the person who continues in God’s word as “not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work.” What would continuing in obedience look like here?
Who can help me follow through faithfully?
Prayerfully consider sharing your struggle with a trusted Christian who will encourage truth and accountability. Let reflection lead to action: James 1:25 (KJV) says the doer “shall be blessed in his deed.”
Do Not Look Back—Follow Christ Today
Leave the old life with God rather than turning toward it again. Pray honestly about what holds your heart, repent of the sin you have named, and trust the Lord’s direction. Then take one concrete step today: put away a temptation, seek accountability, or obey the Scripture you have been avoiding. Keep walking faithfully, with your eyes on Christ.