I have had this reoccurring dream over the years where toward the end of my life I “walk away” from God. It’s been a long time since I’ve had it, but every time I do, I wake up in a panic. Why? Because that is the very last thing I would ever want to let happen in my life. I had one of my closest friends tell me in the last year that he is “proud of me because I have always stuck with the stuff” when several of our friends walked away from God, at least for a specific season in their lives. That cannot happen to me. Unfortunately, it does happen. It happened to Judas.
What’s amazing about Judas’ defection is that he had walked and talked with Jesus. He had not only watched the miracles, but he also participated in them. He saw the massive crowds. He experienced the life-change both physically and spiritually. Somehow, he missed it! Why? How? I think it’s because of faulty motivations. He saw the gospel as transactional instead of transformational. For Judas, he coveted power and prestige. I believe this to be clearly displayed in God’s Word (John 12:6). He thought that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom for the benefit of his disciples. It was all about his wants.
Over the years, I have filled out reference forms for our students who are desiring to serve at Lake Ann Camp for the summer. One of the final questions is: Will this person be best for Lake Ann Camp, or will Lake Ann Camp be best for this person? In other words, is this person going to be a giver or a taker? Will this person contribute to the mission? Ultimately, our lives, when stripped down, come down to this question – Is my legacy going to be one of taking or giving? Sadly, Judas was a taker. Don’t be a taker!
Nothing has the power to breakdown unity more than someone on the team who is self-driven. Now, instead of putting all your energy in one direction for one cause, you are having to troubleshoot issues stealing valuable time and resources. When the disciples heard of Jesus’ prediction, each one of them feared that he was the one who would betray him. As they began asking questions, the truth came out that it was Judas. The disciples were confused not understanding what Jesus was implying. While they didn’t realize Jesus' indictment, Judas did. It must have been a sad moment when Judas realized that Jesus knew.
You don’t want to be the kind of person who “goes to church,” has Godly parents, has a Timothy Award in AWANA, graduated from a Christian school, and in the end “walk away” from the giver of life. While I do not believe that a person can lose his salvation, I do believe that there are plenty of professors who don’t have the promise of salvation because they have not truly believed in Jesus, turning from their sins. The Bible warns of this reality in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Wow! Those are terrifying words to hear! The reality is that the person “did some good things,” but he wasn’t a child of God. Why? Probably the wrong motivations, just like Judas. Instead of the glory of God as his motivating factor, it was the gratification of man.
I would never seek to cast doubt into your heart about whether or not you are truly a Christian, but I do think that your actions and attitudes will prove some things over time. Sometimes when I think about that dream, I can sense the demonic oppression in my life. Make no mistake, Satan wants me to “fail” which would impact plenty of people. By the way, Satan wants you to fail too. The key is to “check your heart” and see why you are doing what you are doing. If you’re not doing things for the glory of God, it’s only a matter of time before your actions will catch up to your motivations. So, let’s pray and live this verse together – Psalm 19:14: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
What’s amazing about Judas’ defection is that he had walked and talked with Jesus. He had not only watched the miracles, but he also participated in them. He saw the massive crowds. He experienced the life-change both physically and spiritually. Somehow, he missed it! Why? How? I think it’s because of faulty motivations. He saw the gospel as transactional instead of transformational. For Judas, he coveted power and prestige. I believe this to be clearly displayed in God’s Word (John 12:6). He thought that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom for the benefit of his disciples. It was all about his wants.
Over the years, I have filled out reference forms for our students who are desiring to serve at Lake Ann Camp for the summer. One of the final questions is: Will this person be best for Lake Ann Camp, or will Lake Ann Camp be best for this person? In other words, is this person going to be a giver or a taker? Will this person contribute to the mission? Ultimately, our lives, when stripped down, come down to this question – Is my legacy going to be one of taking or giving? Sadly, Judas was a taker. Don’t be a taker!
Nothing has the power to breakdown unity more than someone on the team who is self-driven. Now, instead of putting all your energy in one direction for one cause, you are having to troubleshoot issues stealing valuable time and resources. When the disciples heard of Jesus’ prediction, each one of them feared that he was the one who would betray him. As they began asking questions, the truth came out that it was Judas. The disciples were confused not understanding what Jesus was implying. While they didn’t realize Jesus' indictment, Judas did. It must have been a sad moment when Judas realized that Jesus knew.
You don’t want to be the kind of person who “goes to church,” has Godly parents, has a Timothy Award in AWANA, graduated from a Christian school, and in the end “walk away” from the giver of life. While I do not believe that a person can lose his salvation, I do believe that there are plenty of professors who don’t have the promise of salvation because they have not truly believed in Jesus, turning from their sins. The Bible warns of this reality in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Wow! Those are terrifying words to hear! The reality is that the person “did some good things,” but he wasn’t a child of God. Why? Probably the wrong motivations, just like Judas. Instead of the glory of God as his motivating factor, it was the gratification of man.
I would never seek to cast doubt into your heart about whether or not you are truly a Christian, but I do think that your actions and attitudes will prove some things over time. Sometimes when I think about that dream, I can sense the demonic oppression in my life. Make no mistake, Satan wants me to “fail” which would impact plenty of people. By the way, Satan wants you to fail too. The key is to “check your heart” and see why you are doing what you are doing. If you’re not doing things for the glory of God, it’s only a matter of time before your actions will catch up to your motivations. So, let’s pray and live this verse together – Psalm 19:14: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”