Based on Acts 1:15-22 (New King James Version)
“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, ‘Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.’ (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) ‘For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’ ‘Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
What did happen with Judas Iscariot? Was he the chosen one to do what he did, or did he have a choice to do something different? There are many that believe that everything is predestined, and that no one has any kind of control, or option, or power over their own person, and that everything that will be shall be, that we are simply the product or realization of a master plan. This is one argument. But, if we see the Word in its entirety, and not just a few places in the Word, we should realize that things are not like that. Ever since God made man, since Adam and Eve, God gave man the power to choose to obey, to be able to determine their own way, under their own reasoning. Because if everything was predetermined as many think, then all of the effort God has invested to give us His counsel, His Word, and everything that He teaches us would be just because. Therefore, we will not insult a perfectly intelligent and righteous God with the thought that everything that He does and says is to waste His time, because He has nothing else better to do. Even more over, we should not put God’s feelings to being so cruel that He would send His only Son to die for nothing, because if everything were predestined in our lives, then why would He just not let everything take its course and protect from evil what He loves the most? A doctrine can be taken as sound when it agrees with the Word of God as a whole.
If we see the Word as the Lord Himself left written, we should see that everything is choice. One of the key places in the Word is the parable of the sower of seed. This is what the Word says: “And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.’ When He had said these things He cried, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!…’ ‘…Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.’” Luke 8:4-8, 11-15. So then, the person is the one that determines what they do with God’s Word when they listen. The Sower (God through men) gives the opportunity for all to listen to His Word. Everything that is created even talks about Who God is, and the Word says that they have no excuse. Why? Because God is a God of opportunities, of giving every person a chance to know Who He is through His works, and to be exposed to His Word and give them the opportunity to be saved. That is the goodness of God.
So, what was it then that happened with Judas Iscariot? The Lord gave him the greatest opportunity any human could ever have. Judas lived with the Lord (God) for three years. He saw all of the miracles and heard all of the messages and teachings from the Lord personally. He witnessed everything. But what did Judas decide to do with his opportunity? He despised God, despite everything he witnessed, for the things of this world, for the pleasures that this world offers. He not only sold the only begotten Son of God, but also his own soul for 30 pieces of silver. There were eleven other disciples that could have done it also, but he decided to do it, under his own free will. The Lord decided to die for us, but those that formed part in making it possible did it under their own will, because they let themselves be guided more by their sin than by God, the One they had right in front of them.
This is another dilemma that many have, that whether or not a person can lose their salvation, and this comes into the conversation because if we argue that Judas Iscariot had the freedom to choose, then every person also has that same power. Because, if Judas would have decided not to sell the Lord, and he would have remained in his faith just like the others, would he have been saved? Of course! But this is what the Lord taught, and why we can affirm what happened with Judas: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. Judas participated in everything the disciples did, but what really saves a person is doing the will of the Father. Can Christ be lost? Of course not! But can a person choose to let go of the faith that can save them, by not doing the Father’s will anymore? In that regard, and unfortunately, free will never ceases to be because God subjected everything to love, and in love, there is always a choice. This is what we also see: “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.” 2 Peter 2:20-21. This is the problem. And unfortunately, there is not just one Judas Iscariot, but there could be many, when despising the knowledge of the Lord for the world and its pleasures. For it is also written: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4. This was the problem with Judas, and this is the problem that many have today, that they love the world and doing what they want more than God. The salvation that God gives us is an opportunity, and not an obligation or a right. It’s a gift. The Lord does not owe us anything. So then, what are you choosing to do with the opportunity that God has given you through the Lord Jesus? Lord bless! John