Subject: Are you onced saved always saved? |
Bible Note: Now on to Judas. You wrote: The perfect example of how this doctrine is false is Judas Iscariot. He believed in Jesus Christ, walked with Him, was one of the Twelve and was given the same powers from Him as the others. Yet what Christian believes that Judas Iscariot went to Heaven? You place a lot of importance on Judas' having been in His presence and receiving powers along with the other eleven disciples (you place same area of importance on satan, now that I think on it) Mark 6:7 Jesus sent them out and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He did not give them and "powers". As a matter of fact they drove out demons and healed the sick. The power of the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and Judas had been long since dead. The evil of his nature gradually unfolded itself till "Satan entered into him" (John 13:27), and he betrayed our Lord (18:3). Afterwards he owned his sin with "an exceeding bitter cry," and cast the money he had received as the wages of his iniquity down on the floor of the sanctuary, and "departed and went and hanged himself" (Matt. 27:5). He perished in his guilt, and "went unto his own place" (Acts 1:25).Further note how Acts says Judas fell by SIN (he was not FORCED by Satan, who had entered into him; he was personally ACCOUNTABLE for his actions): Act 1:25 "That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." When a Christian receives Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit enters that Christian's body, soul and spirit. God has claimed that person for His own and as a result, demons cannot occupy the same place as the Holy Spirit. Satan knows this and that is why he tries so hard to get to people first and have his demons or demonic influence control or affect that person. Judas saw the miracles (Luke 6); he attended prayer meetings of Jesus with his other disciples (John 18:2). He had a "ministry" (Acts 1:17) and place of responsibility among the believers (John 13:29). He was trusted by the other believers - enough to carry the bag of money (John 13:29). Apparently Judas thought - or at least attempted to appear - that he was a believer ("manifest thyself unto us"), as opposed to being one of those in the world: John 14:22 "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" Judas' downfall was money - the "thirty pieces of silver" - ironically, the very ministry with which he was entrusted. Regarding the state of Judas' soul: During the time he seemed to be following Jesus, except that when the woman anointed Jesus with expensive perfume (John 12), Judas was outraged, saying the money should have been given to the poor. It says, "He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put in it." (vs.6) Judas was with the flock, but not of it. -khuck |