Today Scripture passage above out of Acts 8 and the Continual Scripture Study at the bottom from Genesis 19 speak of God's grace and judgment. When salvation from God comes it comes in two forms, one a physical reality to believe God for judgment and mercy is coming, and comes, and judgment in the form of grace and mercy to the soul of man. If you narrowly escape a disaster by God's divine intervention of angels/ministers or intervention through obedience of a minister of God, you will see the power of God working in your life to not only make you more aware of God, but to also see God's grace in one's life. Let begin by looking at Philip. His obedience to God had him catch up to a man in search of scriptural knowledge and undertanding. This man was in his own heart searching to understand a passage in Isaiah he was reading. This Eunuch/a castrated male with great authority under the Queen of Candance in Ethiopia. Point being one he is a Eunuch, a male castrated either by choice and/or order of the government. It matters not, he had power in the land of Candance under the power of the queen. The gender role often decided if one was serving a queen, for her protection, but whether it was volunteer in regards of whether the Eunuch was taken as a slave/servant by force or not isn't determined. What is determind is God sent Philip to explain scripture to the man who just finished worshipping in Jerusalem.

Can we ignore the fact God sent someone to give understanding to a person that knew not his Messiah had come. Knew not that Jesus had been born, beaten and bruised for our sin and crucified, dying on the cross for our sin? This person was in need of salvation. In need of hope. His eternal state of his soul was in question and facing judgment by scripture, yet with judgment came grace, because God wanted this Eunuch to know about his Son and to understand the price he paid for his sin. Philip expounded on the scriptures in Isaiah, and the man had the chariot stop and asked to be baptized. You need to read more of Acts 8 to discover this information I am giving.

In Genesis 19 we see salvation coming to Lot and his family, for they would narrowly escape Sodom and Gomorrah destruction by fire and brimstone by two messenger/angels sent to investigate the city and find Lot the nephew of Abraham. Lot and his family would escape, but he would loose his wife who would look back to see the cities being destroy by fire and brimstone. She became a pillar of salt. With God's salvation comes instruction, and judgment comes to those that break God's instruction. Lot sought permission to go to a little city because he could not walk much further down the road, and God granted it, but because of Lot's fear, he went even further then he thought possible. God's grace often taking one down the road further then thought possible. Why because God knows what you can handle and how far you can go physically.

Judgment came to Lot not because of his sin, but the sin of a nation of Sodom and Gomorrah, but his escape came by God's grace and mercy for Lot and his family. You think this one act of grace would last a life time, but his daughters would sin against their own father by getting him drunk and having children by him, because they feared they would never have a husband. Instead of asking God, they would choose the path of sin.

Grace of God in a person's life is first understood at the point of salvation, his mercy understood when consequence of not receiving his grace is understood. Lot understood God's mercy enough to ask to go before going to a small city and then further down the road. He knew that his protection would rely on God's response as well has his mercy.

Just because judgment comes to the soul seeking God, does not mean grace is not there, nor that God's mercy is not bestowed. Salvation is a gift first from God demonstrating his grace/love. Yet the conviction of sin in itself is the understanding God's original judgment for sin that continues on without repentance. If you generally seeking God, then salvation is going to come in the form of grace through Christ Jesus, if judgment is all around you, God's grace has not abandon you, but his rescue is going to be on time. if the judgment to another comes, and salvation is not given, then it was your time to go before the judgment seat of God for eternity. Lot's wife disobedience did not allow to have God's mercy and grace on earth but only the judgment that came to Sodom and Gomorrah. Did she believe in God, don't know the extent of her belief, but we know that her sin of looking back caused her to receive the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah on earth.

If we are genuinely seeking God like the Ethiopian God is going to send someone to explain things including about the cost of sin and Christ death and resurrection. The sharing of his mercy and grace is going to be understood. Yet not receiving what God's offer's is going to allow eternal judgment to eventually come. When God answers obedience to his instructions is important. His grace is going to come once followed. Eunuch found salvation through Jesus, found God's grace and was baptized as a demonstration of faith and following in the footsteps of Jesus who was baptized for our example of what we need to do in following the instructions of God.

Two different stories both stories includes the people in sexual confusion, no the Eunuch as a Eunuch either by choice only or because of his station in life, but the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah had to do with rape, but homosexuality was issue based on the fact the men wanted to have sex with the men under Lot's protection. Lot was even willing ot sacrifice his daughters, but did not have too, because God's angel were protecting Lot has will that night they would escape. The knowledge of why Sodom and Gomorrah was evil, would be known to Lot and his wife. God's protection of Lot and his family in that city coming to an end.

We must press forward in faith and not look back, we must strive to understand scripture and allow God to either speak to our heart or send someone to help in our understanding, knowing that God will not abandon those that seek and follow and his instructions. After all the Eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship as tradition had required.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to understand salvation and grace might show us your judgment that coming if we repent not and obey not, but your grace is for mercy and salvation for our soul first and then our physically being. Help us to trust and obey your word in our life as you reveal it to us. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Genesis 19:15-30 KJV
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:
28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.