by David Brenneman
"We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him." John 6:69-71.
All throughout a person's life there will be afforded the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as a person's personal Lord and Savior. The offer stays on the 'table', as it were, until such a person's deep rejection of the offer is so absolute that God in Christ Jesus removes them from the world.
It really hit me this morning to really really contemplate the depth of the true rejection of Judas Iscariot concerning the "words of eternal life" that Peter states for the reasons they have to remain with Jesus.
One of my study Bibles, in the study notes, made mention that it was never recorded in any of them of Judas Iscariot ever referring to Jesus as Lord or as Christ. Of any human beings in all human history who had the most absolute purest of relationship with and personal interactions with the very Creator of all things...and he still threw away all of this for 30 pieces of silver.
Every opportunity in 3 and a half years of personal experience never truly got through to Judas.
The remorse we read about after being fully used of the Devil had nothing to do with repentance that would lead to salvation.
Judas has the singular distinction in Hell of betraying the very Son of God with a kiss.
Throughout his time with Jesus Judas was taught by God and he embraced his pride and self-righteousness first. He 'played along' thinking that if he was right about believing that this Jesus would stir up an uprising against Roman rule he would be on the ground floor of power. Then he learns that is absolutely not what Jesus had in mind to do.
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20.
In the rough sense Paul and Judas both had traits of similar qualities to each other. In Paul's 'other life' as Saul he had the power and authority that Judas lacked to go after all who belonged to "the Name".
When faced with the absolute truth of God, however, Saul truly saw the light and truly turned and repented whereas Judas did not.
The truth of God in Christ Jesus is available to all in this world! It took hundreds of years to write but we have access to it on every single smartphone and tablet in microseconds! If needed it takes less than 30 seconds to download the entire Bible to a computer. We can order a Bible and get one in 2 days or less in most cases. We of all generations have the least of excuses to state we didn't know.
Have you been making excuses for either not coming to Christ for salvation or for not being a fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ?
Excuses, excuses, excuses. Every single one that will be said to Jesus either at the Great White Throne Judgment for the unsaved or at the Behma Seat for Believers, every single individual will probably have excuses as to why they didn't come to Christ for salvation for the unbelieving or why they didn't do more as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Great unabashed, unrestricted, unrestrained shame and horrors come at the revealed truth of our lives before the Holy God of all Creation. Those saved in Christ Jesus are the only ones forever forgiven.
Nobody, until they die, will ever fully come to grips with their choice of coming to Christ or rejection of Him as their personal Lord and Savior.
Everyone physically alive has a sin nature that distorts the truth of God in Christ. In Believers there's the Holy Spirit who brings to mind all that Jesus commanded. In the lives of the unbelieving there's only the invitation to all of that is possible in Christ should they ask Jesus to be the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.
Every opportunity was given to Judas. My Dear Reader, every opportunity is given to you to either come to Christ for salvation or for those who are saved, to truly live a life in Christ that glorifies our Father in Heaven.
Every opportunity. Judas could have let go of self at any time and could have really believed. He was able to talk to Jesus about anything and didn't. He could have known such wonderful things but didn't because of what he refused to let go of.
How many opportunities have we all squandered and let die?
Jesus Christ is going to come back someday and many will cry and shriek in horror that it wasn't until He did and they were left behind that they really were so foolish.
Consider it well that every single prophecy about Jesus was fulfilled. "It is FINISHED" meant that everything about Jesus was completed that was both the Father’s desire and all Scriptures that spoke of Jesus.
If indeed this massive volume of prophecy in fact came fully true you had better believe that what's written of the return of Jesus Christ is also set in stone to happen as well.
Choice was set before Judas. Choice was set before Saul of Tarsus.
Choice was set before David the shepherd.
Choice was set before Cain.
Choice has been set before you.
The Spirit of God is as alive and active in the world as spoken of in the Bible today as He was when He came after Jesus's resurrection.
Every opportunity is there for all Believer's to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, not half-hearted people.
Every opportunity is there for all who haven't yet come to Christ for salvation to choose to receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
One second after you die its too late for everyone to do the right thing.
Every Opportunity. Judas wasted his...will you do the same?
All New American Standard Bible Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. A corporation not for profit.
