Building Godly Character

March 31, 2010

We all have the potential within us to be great men and women of faith. We also have within us the pressures, desires, and willingness to sin if we allow ourselves. The book of Romans tells us that all are sinners and in need of God’s grace and mercy. We like to look at the disciples of great men of faith, because they were. Yet, each of the 12 battled their flesh in one way or another. Some with pride, some with anger, whatever it was they all came to the place of receiving the forgiveness they could only find in Jesus. That is all but one. One disciple sat at Jesus feet, saw and learned, watched and listened, yet in his heart there was no change. There are two things that allowed Judas to fall. The first is Greed.

Matt. 26:14-16 “¹⁴ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests ¹⁵ and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.”

For 30 pieces of silver Judas was willing to betray Christ. Even after he had decided to betray Christ, he was still willing to act like nothing is wrong.

Matt. 26:25 “Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”  And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”

He even stoops to use an act of affection as the means to betray.

Matt. 26:47-50 “And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” ⁴⁹ So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.”

We sit and wonder how could this man that knew Jesus face to face act in such a way. The second mistake Judas made was allow the guilt of his sin overwhelm him.

Matt. 27:3-10 “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”  “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”  ⁵ Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.  ⁶ The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.”^{a]”>[a] 7} After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. ⁸ That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. ⁹ This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,  “They took^b]”>[b] the thirty pieces of silver— the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.^c]”>[c]”

In this story we can look at the chief priests like the devil is in ours. When we sin the devil is there to guilt us…no matter the fact that it was he who coxed us to sin in the first place. Judas knew the message of Jesus he knew the truth that lead John to write

1 John 2:1-2 “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. ² He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

We are not to sin, but if we do we know that Jesus Christ stands as our advocate and is faithful to forgive us. Now we all know “Christians” like this. They know the truth, but yet they are willing to allow their sin to get the best of them.  Some are even willing to betray their leaders as Judas did. We must remember, if it were not for the grace of God, I would be there too. Pray that the God of all grace will keep you until the day of His return.

Calvary Christian Center, Assemblies of God, Louisville, KY