Is how we treat other people important? We might think that if we are right with God, our relationships with others are not important. After all, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. But can we love God without loving our fellow man? No. Jesus taught the second great commandment was to love our neighbor as ourselves. And when we mistreat our fellow man, we don’t just sin against our neighbor; we sin against God.
Sodom is well known by Bible students as a wicked city. Sodom’s immorality is seen in Genesis 19. Ezekiel says Sodom did not care for the poor and needy. But Genesis 13:13 says, “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” When we mistreat or neglect our fellow man, God counts that as a sin against Himself. If we seek to love God, we must love others, for it is through our actions towards them that we truly show our love for Him.