writes, "It is widely held in modern Christendom that the faith of a genuine Christian cannot fail. But
He Condemns a Hardened Hart
fessed faith in Christ, he is eternally secure (cf. Matt. 10:33: "Whoever shall deny Me . . . I will also deny him"; and 2 Tim. 2:12: "If we deny Him, He also will deny us").
I am committed to the biblical truth that salvation is forever.5 Contemporary Chris tians have come to refer to this as the doctrine of eternal security. Perhaps the Reformers' terminology is more appropriate; they spoke of the perseverance of the saints. The point is not that God guarantees heaven to everyone who professes faith in Christ, but rather that those whose faith is genuine will never totally or finally fall away from Christ. They will persevere in grace unto the very end. Even if they fall into grievous sins or continue in sin for a time, they will never abandon the faith completely. A. W. Pink, writing on this subject, says, "[God] does not deal with [believers] as unaccountable automatons, but as moral agents, just as their natural life is maintained through their use of means and by their avoidance of that which is inimical to their well-being, so it is with the maintenance and preservation of their spiritual lives. God preserves His people in this world through their perseverance."6
True believers will persevere. Professing Chris tians who turn against the Lord only prove that they were never truly saved. As the apostle John wrote, "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us" (1 John 2:19). No matter how convincing a person's testimony might seem, once that person becomes apostate, he or she demonstrates irrefutably that the testimony was hypocritical and the professed salvation was spurious. God will keep His own. He "is able to keep [them] from stumbling, and to make [them] stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" (Jude 24).7
5. For a complete discussion of the issue of the believer's security, see John F. MacArthur, Saved without a Doubt (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1992).
6. Arthur W. Pink, Eternal Security (Grand Rapids: Guardian, 1974), 15. 7. Cf. Zane C. Hodges, Th e Gospel Under Siege (Dallas: Redención Viva, 1981), 68 – 69. Hodges writes, "It is widely held in modern Christendom that the faith of a genuine Chris tian cannot fail. But this is not an assertion that can be verifi ed from the New Testament." Th en, on the basis of 2 Tim othy 2:17 – 18, which he calls "a fundamental passage on the defectibility of human faith," Hodges argues that Scripture teaches genuine believers may indeed succumb to apostasy.
Th is passage proves no such thing. Th e apostle Paul was not implying that people whose supposed faith had been overthrown were genuine believers. Th e gnostic heresies of Hymenaeus, whose faith Paul described as shipwrecked (cf. 1 Tim. 1:19 – 20), were the doctrines of unregenerate false teachers. Th ose who forsook the faith for such teachings were not to be considered brethren (cf. 1 John 2:19). Whatever faith they had was only "human faith" — to use Hodges' expression — and that is not saving faith.
Th e next verse, "Nevertheless, the fi rm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'Th e Lord knows those who are His' " (2 Tim. 2:19), underscores the truth that saving faith, which is wrought by God, cannot fail. We cannot always see whose faith is genuine and whose is a sham, but God knows.
Jesus Heralds His Gospel
Judas is a prime example of a professing believer who fell into absolute apostasy. For three years he followed the Lord with the other disciples. He appeared to be one of them. Presumably he thought of himself as a believer, at least at the outset. It is doubtful that he joined Christ's band with the intention of turning against Him. Although somewhere along the line he became greedy, that could hardly have been his motive in the beginning; Jesus and the disciples never had anything of material value (Matt. 8:20). Apparently Judas initially shared the hope of Christ's kingdom. He likely believed that Jesus was the Messiah. After all, he also had left everything to follow the Lord. In modern terminology, he had "accepted" Jesus.
For three years, day in and day out, he occupied himself with Jesus Christ. He saw the Lord's miracles, heard His words, even participated in His ministry. In all that time, no one ever questioned his faith. He had the same status as the other disciples. Except for the Savior Himself, who knew the thoughts of Judas's heart, no one ever suspected that this man would betray Christ.
Yet while the others were growing into apostles, Judas was quietly becoming a vile, calculating tool of Satan. Whatever his character seemed to be at the beginning, his faith was not real (John 13:10 – 11). He was unregenerate, and his heart gradually hardened so that he became the treacherous man who sold the Savior for a fistful of coins. In the end, he was so prepared to do Satan's bidding that the devil himself possessed Judas (John 13:27).
Judas was so skilled at hypocrisy that he stayed on the inside right up to the very end. On the night he betrayed the Lord of glory, he was there in the upper room, seated next to Jesus. He even let the Savior wash his feet. And that was after he had made his bargain to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver!
Jesus knew it all the time. In John 13:18 He said, "I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.' " Why did the Lord choose Judas? To fulfill Scripture. Jesus was quoting Psalm 41:9. Another psalm that prophesied about Judas is 55:12 – 14:
It is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it Neither is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against
me, Then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man mine equal, My companion and my familiar friend. We who had sweet fellowship together, Walked in the house of God in the throng.
He Condemns a Hardened Hart
That is a perfect picture of Judas. He was as close as anyone could get to the Savior but as far from salvation as it is possible to be. It would have been better for Judas if he had never been born (Matt. 26:24).
Judas and his life of treachery stand as a solemn warning to anyone who casually professes faith in Christ. We learn from his story that it is not enough to be close to Jesus Christ. One may "accept" Him and still fall short. The individual who responds positively but not wholeheartedly risks being lost and damned forever. In the words of Psalm 55, one who is friendly to Jesus and enjoys His sweet fellowship may yet turn against Him and thus condemn himself. Judas is proof of that.
One of You Will Betray Me
It was not the will of God apart from Judas's own choice that he should betray Christ. At every opportunity, Jesus warned Judas and entreated him to repent and be saved, but at every point Judas turned away. Judas had heard the gospel according to Jesus, yet he refused to turn from his sin and selfishness. Jesus' words in John 13 represent His final, loving appeal to this man. In the end, however, the Savior's merciful entreaty would condemn Judas in the hardness of his heart.
John 13:21 describes a dramatic moment during the Lord's last supper on the night He was betrayed: "Jesus . . . became troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.' " Imagine the shock that must have rattled that group — all except for Judas.
What was it that troubled Jesus? Probably a lot of things. He might have been troubled because of His unreciprocated love for Judas; or because of the ingratitude in Judas's heart; or because He had a deep hatred of sin, and the incarnation of everything sinful was sitting right next to Him. Surely He was troubled by Judas's coldhearted hypocrisy and imminent betrayal; and because He knew Satan was moving in on Judas; and because Judas was a classic illustration of the wretchedness of sin, which He would bear in His body the next day. But perhaps most of all, our Lord was troubled by the knowledge that Judas was about to make — or had already made — a decision that would condemn him to eternal torment. Judas, one of Jesus' own disciples, had never really been saved (cf. vv. 10 – 11) and was about to be lost forever.
The hearts of the disciples must have raced when Jesus said one of them would betray Him. They didn't know whom He was talking about. Matthew 26:22 says they all asked, "Surely not I, Lord?" Even Judas, always playing the part, said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" Jesus' reply, "You have said it yourself" (v. 25), told Judas that the Lord knew his heart.
Jesus Heralds His Gospel
Who Is It?
It is interesting that the disciples were perplexed. Apparently Jesus had treated Judas the same as the other disciples. For three years the Lord had been gentle, loving, and kind to Judas — exactly as He had been to the other eleven. Any rebukes from Jesus for Judas's unbelief had been private and personal. Publicly He had treated him like one of the group. All the disciples would have known if Jesus had treated Judas any differently. If Judas had in any way been thought of as the black sheep of the group, someone would surely have suggested his name as the betrayer. But no one did. In fact, Judas was the treasurer of the group. The disciples all trusted him.
Contrast the hatred Judas harbored for Jesus with the love John had for the Savior. John reclined at the table next to Jesus. This was normal posture for a banquet. The table was a low platform, and all the guests reclined on the floor, resting on their left elbows, using their right hands to eat. John, reclining to the right of Jesus, had his head at chest level to Jesus. When he turned to speak with Him, Christ's head would be just above his. Because of his great love for the Savior, John loved to be there, near the Lord's heart.
Peter signaled to John to ask Jesus who would betray Him. "He, leaning back thus on Jesus' breast, said to Him, 'Lord, who is it?' " (John 13:24 – 25). Peter and John may be the only ones who heard the answer. Verse 26 says, "Jesus therefore answered, 'That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.' So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot."
The Guest of Honor
This was not only an answer to John's question; it was yet another loving appeal to Judas. The morsel was a piece of unleavened bread, broken from the cakes prepared for the meal. On the table during the Passover feast was a dish filled with bitter herbs, vinegar, salt, dates, figs, and raisins. Those ingredients were mashed into a paste with a little water, and it made a kind of dip. The host would put a piece of unleavened bread in the dip and give it to the guest of honor. Jesus, in a gesture of love toward Judas, dipped the morsel and handed it to Judas on His left, as if Judas were the guest of honor. Jesus had already washed Judas's feet; now He treated him as an honored friend. That should have broken Judas's heart, but it didn't. His heart was like granite; he had made his final decision.
John 13:27 portrays the sinister nature of Judas's final rejection: "After the morsel, Satan then entered into him." There's an eternity in that verse. Judas
He Condemns a Hardened Hart
had been beguiled by Satan, flirting with evil while pretending to follow Christ. Now Satan entered his heart and took full control. In that awful moment, the evil will of Judas resisted the final offer of Jesus' love. The day of salvation thus expired for him. Judas was damned to hell by his own choice; his doom was sealed.
Do It Quickly
Jesus was through with Judas. All He wanted to do now was get him out of the room. "Jesus therefore said to him, 'What you do, do quickly' " (v. 27). Judas was confirmed in his unbelief, and Jesus had no more to say to him. He was an intruder on Jesus' time alone with His disciples.
Scripture says, "Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, 'Buy the things we have need of for the feast'; or else, that he should give something to the poor" (vv. 28 – 29). None of them, except possibly Peter and John, yet knew that Judas would be the betrayer. His testimony had been so convincing, his hypocrisy so slick, that none of them yet realized he was capable of such treachery. Yet he was possessed by Satan himself. How wrong appearances can be! How deceiving is a carnal person's profession of faith!
Into the Night
Off Judas went into the night (v. 30). It was the beginning of eternal night in his soul as well. Judas, who had been privy to the greatest spiritual advantages afforded any man, had squandered that wonderful opportunity just to fulfill his illicit passion. Why? Because his faith was never genuine. In the beginning he had responded positively to Christ, but never with a heart of sincere, obedient faith. His life, lived in the unclouded light of Jesus' presence, ended in a night of despair. That frightening potential exists for every person who comes to Christ without a committed heart.
Kiss of Death
It is a bitter irony that Judas's final contact with Jesus was a kiss. It was the kiss of death — not for Jesus, but for Judas. It happened later the same night, in the garden where the Savior went to pray. That kiss was the prearranged signal by which Judas had agreed to identify Jesus.
Kisses between men were part of the culture of Jesus' time. Slaves would kiss the feet of their masters. Those who sought mercy from an angry monarch
Jesus Heralds His Gospel
would kiss his feet, begging for pardon. Great reverence was expressed by kissing the hem of a superior's garment. Students kissed their teacher's hand as a sign of respect. But an embrace and a kiss on the cheek was a sign of close affection, warm love, and intimacy. Such a gesture was reserved for the closest of friends.
And so the kiss of Judas became the most despicable of all acts. He could have kissed Jesus' hand or the hem of His garment, but he chose instead to feign affection for Christ. Thus he not only gave his conspirators a sign, but he also made his act all the more repugnant. Perhaps he thought he could still deceive Christ and the disciples. But Luke 22:48 records that Jesus said, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Even those sorrowful words could not stop this deranged man. Mark 14:45 says Judas only said, "Rabbi!" and kept kissing Him.
The Lord Jesus had to endure those despicable kisses. His final response, recorded in Matthew 26:50, was, "Friend, do what you have come for." The Greek word translated "friend" in this verse is hetairos, which literally means, "comrade," or "fellow." Jesus was not addressing Judas as a warm friend at this point. "Friend" is a name He reserves for those who obey Him (John 15:14).
That was Jesus' farewell to the son of perdition. Judas must still hear these words ringing in his ears, as he will for all eternity: "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:48). "Do what you have come for" (Matt. 26:50).
They All Forsook Him and Fled
The behavior of the rest of the disciples at this point raises the question of how they differed from Judas. Matthew 26:56 says, "All the disciples left Him and fled." Jesus had predicted this earlier when He said, "You will all fall away because of Me this night" (v. 31). They did turn away from Jesus. Peter even denied Christ three times, and sealed it with a curse. How did that act differ from Judas's betrayal?
For one thing, it was motivated differently. The disciples fled out of fear and in the pressure of the moment; Judas's betrayal was a calculated act of treachery. The disciples failed in the face of a great trial; Judas's act of treason was something he plotted and schemed to carry out, the response of a greedy heart. The disciples later turned from their sins and humbly accepted Jesus' forgiveness; Judas was resolute in unbelief and hatred; he even confirmed it with the sinful act of suicide (Matt. 27:5). The disciples' denial was a lapse of normally faithful behavior; Judas's sin manifested an utterly depraved soul.
The mark of a true disciple is not that he never sins, but rather that when he does sin he inevitably returns to the Lord to receive cleansing and forgiveness.
He Condemns a Hardened Hart
Unlike a false disciple, the true disciple will never turn away completely. He may occasionally turn back to his fishing nets, but ultimately he is drawn again to the Master. When Christ confronts him, he will return to a life of ser vice for the Savior.
The Marks of a False Disciple
Judas illustrates false discipleship. Note carefully the characteristics of his hypocrisy. First, he loved temporal gain more than eternal riches. He wanted glory; he wanted success; he wanted earthly treasures. Perhaps he was disappointed that Christ did not fulfill all his political expectations for the Messiah. He may have had his heart set on a high position in Christ's earthly kingdom. It is typical of false disciples that they get on board with Jesus to get what they want, but when instead of delivering He makes demands on them, they turn away. Such people reveal that they never had genuine faith to begin with. They are like the seed that springs up in rocky soil. It grows well for a while, but when the sun comes out, it withers and dies (cf. Matt. 13:20 – 21). They follow Christ for a season but eventually sell Him for selfish desire, money, prestige, or power.
Second, Judas was marked by deceit. His show of faith was only a masquerade. False disciples are masters of subtle deception, adept at deluding others. They pretend to love the Lord, but their kisses are the kisses of betrayal.
Finally, Judas and all false disciples are in it for what they receive. They are satisfied with a salved conscience, peace of mind, a good reputation, or spiritual self-satisfaction. Some of them profess Christ because it is good for business or because they think trusting Christ will bring health, wealth, or prosperity. But they will sell the Savior just as Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Like Judas, they love the world and they love darkness. Their halfhearted faith turns inevitably to hard-hearted unbelief.
I fear there are multitudes like Judas in the contemporary church. They are friendly to Jesus. They look and talk like disciples. But they are not committed to Him and are therefore capable of the worst kind of betrayal.
A real disciple, on the other hand, may fail Christ but will never turn against Him. A true Chris tian might temporarily fear to stand up for the Lord but would never willingly sell Him out. Inevitably, true disciples will falter, but when they fall into sin, they will seek cleansing. They won't wallow in the mire (cf. 2 Peter 2:22). Their faith is neither fragile nor temporary; it is a dynamic and ever-growing commitment to the Savior.