Psalms 109:13
Example of Judas
13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
The entire book of Psalms was written from about 450 to 1,500 B.C. This is a prophecy written about Judas Iscariot at least 481 years before he betrayed and rejected Jesus. It is further proof that names can be blotted out of God’s book of life; though, the codices, the Septuagint and the Vulgate, read ‘his name,’ instead of ‘their name,’ referring to Judas alone. There is no reason implied why anyone else’s name can’t be blotted out who reject Christ after salvation, especially in view of Exodus 32:32-33 and Revelation 22:18-19. Refer to Luke 10:20 for the reasons why doctrine’s against this belief hold no water. Here, we’re going to prove that Judas was a justified and a saved man; therefore, having his name written with the righteous in the Lamb’s book of life and that he died a condemned and a damned man; therefore, had his name blotted out of the book as said in Psalms 109:13. This alone should be proof that anyone can lose salvation. Unfortunately, it won’t be.
Judas was once saved in his physical life as proved from a number of passages. Judas had to have had his name written in the book of life in order for it to be taken out (Ps.69:25-28; 109:13; Acts 1:20). Judas was a bishop of the church (Ps.109:8, Acts 1:20). He was a familiar friend of Jesus, a man Jesus trusted, and ate of Christ’s bread (Ps.41:9). Jesus gave him power over demon spirits to cast them out and to heal every kind of sickness and disease (Mat.10:1-4, 8; Mk.3:14-15; 6:7; Lk.9:1-2). He was sent forth as a representative of Christ to all of Israel (Mat.10:5-6) and was part of the apostolic ministry (Acts 1:17, 25). He was called to preach (Mat.10:7) and had the peace of God to give to a home as all Christ’s disciples had (Mat.10:13). Judas was an apostle, which means he was divinely called and sent forth by God to do His work (Lk.6:13). He was a sheep in the midst of wolves like all the disciples were (Mat.10:16) and had the Holy Spirit in him (Mat.10:19-20). As a disciple, Judas was ordained by Jesus to the ministry (Mk.3:14) and just as successful at it as the other disciples were (Lk.9:6, 10). He also had eternal life at one time by Jesus’ own admission (Jn.17:2).
So Jesus considered Judas a familiar friend; the Hebrew word for familiar means, to confide in, as to be secure without fear. Many people teach that Judas had the devil in him since birth. Jesus wouldn’t call an unsaved man controlled by the devil “My own familiar friend,†nor would he have confided in or ate bread with such a man. Those who were very intimate and personal friends always did breaking bread with another and partaking it together. Judas had the Holy Spirit and the power of Christ in him to heal and cast out demons. Can a kingdom divided against itself, stand? Would a man possessed by Satan cast out Satan (Mk.3:23-27)? Only saved men are given the Holy Spirit and authority over devils (Jn.3:5-6; Rom.8:9). Judas had been a righteous man, on fire for God before he gave way to sin and damned his soul.
Judas’ soul was damned during the last days of his life and was never renewed again, which is possible to do (Heb.6:6). He fell by transgression from the ministry and apostleship (Acts 1:25). Satan had entered him at the end of Christ’s ministry (Lk.22:3; Jn.13:2) and he became a thief (John 12:6). Judas became an adversary and betrayer of Christ (Jn.6:70-71) just as Peter would deny Christ (see Peter’s fall in Mat.26:34, and in Mark 14:27-31 from this book). Neither had happened when first spoken of, so they were still innocent until acted out. Judas’ salvation had been confirmed in John 17:2, while in John 17:12, Jesus states that all will be kept except the son of destruction in order that prophecy would be fulfilled.
How did Judas fall from something he never had (Acts 1:25)? That defeats the very definition. Some translations say ‘turn away’ or ‘turned aside.’ We turn from sin to follow Jesus (Jn.8:12). So it is very true that you can turn from Jesus to follow sin, lest Jesus took our free will in exchange for our salvation. It was also said that Satan entered him. This proves that Judas wasn’t always under the manipulation of him or submitting to Satan’s temptations to transgress against the righteousness of God through stealing, lying, and betrayal. Neither thief nor covetous, greedy person will ever inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor.6:9-10). No one dieing a saved man will be condemned at judgment having Satan at his right hand (Ps.109:6-7). All Judas’ labor was in vain, being counted as worthless (Ps.109:11; Phil.2:16). All his righteousness could not save him the day he betrayed Jesus and took his own life (Eze.3:20). He showed no mercy to Jesus and persecuted Him (Ps.109:16).
God is still merciful and just to forgive such a man as this if that man would return to Him. Judas never did. The KJV and RSV translation of Matthew 27:3 does say Judas repented himself after he saw that he was condemned. But the Greek word for ‘repent’ in that verse only means he had deep regret (Turn to Matthew 27:3 for more information about that). Judas was a saved man after coming to Christ and walking with Him. Sin, which is the only thing that has ever condemned man, later condemned the same Judas. His name was in the book of life and was taken out just as anyone who sins against God (Ex.32:33). But let no one who is saved say they aren’t condemned by ‘normal sin’ because it was never against God. All sin is against God and all man’s sin is betrayal to God by saying your authority own is greater than His.
Matthew 27:3
Example of Judas
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Judas was an apostle of the gospel of God (Lk.6:13) and filled with the Holy Spirit (Mat.10:19-20). He also became a thief (Jn.12:6), betrayed Jesus (Mat.27:4), and committed suicide (Mat.27:5). Some say he was always filled with the devil, despite his three years of casting out devils. Therefore, destined to be condemned in order to fulfill prophecy (Ps.69:25-28; 109:6-20). God has never destined one for destruction, but chooses everyone to be saved (1 Tim.2:4). Even the Antichrist has a choice. It’s just that God already knew their outcome before it happened(s). Others say that a man who was filled by the Spirit of God and walked with Jesus during His earthly ministry could never be damned to hell for eternity with Satan at his right hand (Ps.109:6-7). It rattles the ground from beneath their feet and boggles the minds of the eternal security believing saint’s foundation of thinking. But their pride is too great and grip too strong to let go (Mat.5:5).
Judas never repented to God. He only had self regret as meant by the Greek word ‘metamellomai.’ This word is never used of legitimate repentance. If Judas had a moral change in direction to act or think differently, then the Greek word ‘metanoeo’ would have been used. An example of the Greek word ‘metanoeo’ being used is when John the Baptist was yelling in the wilderness for people to repent (Mat.3:2), and the same ‘repent’ Jesus commanded people to do from the very beginning of His earthly ministry (Mat.4:17). Sometimes, you have to look at the original word, whether in Greek or Hebrew, to be aware of the real meaning. Pastors aren’t always trying to look smart by their word search studies. They’re just looking for the authentic comprehension of the message God wishes to convey.
Not only is this proof of a genuine falling away, but also a warning to the reader that self regret isn’t valid repentance. Judas knew what he did was messed up. He knew and it’s in writing (Mat.27:4). But confessing sin and accepting your responsibility for it doesn’t mean you’ve been atoned for it by God. Judas had self-regret and confessed his sin before man. Unless you go before God, who alone pardons sin, you are not justified and held blameless. (For more on Judas, flip over to Psalms 109:13 in this book).
John 17:12
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Many look at this verse and only see that Jesus keeps all that are His. They are blinded from the exception of the one, who was Judas. Jesus is specifically referring to the twelve hand picked disciples. If salvation can’t be lost and God squeezes everyone in His hand so that none can jump ship, then why couldn’t Judas be kept? Judas was certainly chosen of Jesus and anointed to the ministry and performing miracles just as the other eleven were. If Judas wasn’t included among the saved, then language means nothing here. None was lost except for Judas who fell by transgression (Ps.41:9; 69:25-29; Acts 1:20-25). (Refer to Psalms 109:13 and Matthew 27:3 for the example of Judas).
The ‘son of perdition’ reference of Judas is not the Antichrist in this verse as it is in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. The Greeks and Hebrews called anyone who had a particular characteristic, destiny, or quality, the child of that thing. This can be seen twice in Ephesians 2:2-3 when believers who won’t submit to God’s authority are called ‘children of disobedience’ and ‘the children of wrath.’ Judas willfully sinned and became lost, it was not conducted by God that Scripture would be fulfilled. Prophecy was written because God knew what would happen. He wishes for none to be lost (2 Pt.3:9).
Lets examine the word ‘lost’ in case anyone doubts how this word is used. The Greek word used for ‘lost,’ which is said of Judas’ eternal state, is ‘apollumi,’ which means to destroy fully, to perish, or lose. This Greek word ‘apollumi’ was translated ‘lose’ in John 12:25: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal,†and ‘perish’ in John 3:15-16: “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.†Based on this one verse alone, salvation is clearly up to each individual to keep or lose for himself.
Acts 1:25
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.
This verse carries on where John 17:12 left off. Judas was saved, but was not kept by Jesus, though that was not the desire of Jesus. Men are free moral agents, and when we rebel to the point of judgment, God is under obligation to enforce His promise of destruction for the wicked (Ex.34:7; Nah.1:2-3). “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (1 Jn.3:4).†Judas transgressed the law of God and went to the place made for the transgressors when they die. He chose this place after he had been saved. He felt unworthy of eternal life by betraying Christ, though God would’ve eagerly received Him for he has received the most heinous of people (1 Cor.6:11). Judas would’ve had his named immortalized in the foundations of the New Jerusalem, instead of being replaced by Matthias (Acts 1:26). “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev.21:14).†Transgressions of God’s laws are always the way a saved individual becomes unsaved.
