Genesis 19:4, 5

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

Now Sodom shows its true colors.

Lot had urged the angels to come inside because he knew what kind of city this was. He knew the streets were dangerous. He knew the darkness of the place. And before the visitors even lay down, the whole thing erupts. The men of the city surround the house, both old and young, from every quarter. This was not a hidden problem in one little section of town. This was the city.

And when they said, “bring them out unto us, that we may know them,” they were not saying, “We want to meet them.” They were not asking to have a conversation with them. In this case, to “know” means to have homosexual relations with them. That is exactly what the text is saying.

So the sin here is not vague. It is open. It is aggressive. It is shameless.

That is what sin does when it is no longer checked. It stops hiding. It stops blushing. It comes right out into the street and starts pounding on the door. What may once have been whispered becomes public. What may once have been hidden becomes celebrated. That is Sodom.

And notice how broad the corruption was. Old and young. All the people from every quarter. This was not just a few wicked men on the fringe. This was a culture given over to perversion. The city had lost all restraint.

That is why compromise is so dangerous.

Lot did not get here all at once. He looked toward Sodom. Then he pitched his tent toward Sodom. Then he moved into Sodom. Now Sodom is pounding on his own front door. That is always the way compromise works. A man thinks he can live near sin without being touched by it, but sin never stays in its corner. Sooner or later it presses in.

Inside the house were the messengers of God.

Outside the house was the spirit of Sodom.

What a picture that is.

And it is still the same today. When a culture throws off the fear of God, it does not become more enlightened. It becomes more shameless. Sin always promises freedom, but what it produces is corruption, confusion, and violence of soul.

Beloved, when sin is no longer resisted, it does not stay quiet. It becomes bold, public, and destructive.