Despite the command in Leviticus 19:15 and 25 to judge righteously, our own judgments sometimes are not righteous and not just. We too often jump to conclusions, just as we can do about Lot, who after living in Sodom after his split with Abraham, seemed to adopt some carnal decisions such as offering his daughters to the disgusting homosexual crowd to protect the angelic guests in his house, and who later was drunk and became tricked into incest. Though many would condemn him, the apostle Peter in II Peter 2:7-8 described Lot as "righteous Lot," a man who was vexed and tormented daily by the lawless deeds which surrounded him. While Lot's decisions may seem grievous to us, the repetitious references to "righteous" indicates that God penetrates through to the heart (something we cannot yet do), bringing a more accurate judgment than we could unless we had a full measure of God's Holy Spirit which gives us a relationship, His Word, and His ways. Righteousness is a gift from God rather than something we can achieve on our own merit. Ultimately, we must realize that righteousness is a continual lifetime process of aligning our thoughts, attitudes, and actions with His will, avoiding sin while actively seeking to do good, loving, forgiving, and serving others, trusting that God alone is the righteous Judge.