Article ' THE SPIRIT OF JUDAS'

The Holy Bible holds a rather stern, uncharitable view of Judas Iscariot. He’s not a “radical revolutionary ”, a “disgruntled fan ”, an enlightened apostle, or any of those romanticised images of him that modern revisionists would have us believe. To inspired writers of scripture, Judas was a thieving, greedy, carnal apostate, and of course a betraying disciple.

Nevertheless, the most grievous of his evils was his self righteousness: His presumption to correct his own punishment and effect his own judgment. Matthew 27:1-5 states that when Judas realised the sinfulness of his act, he returned the silver back to the Jewish leaders and went on to hang himself!

All sin is firstly a transgression against God (Psalm 51:4); He’s the prosecutor and judge of the universe. All have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Roman 3:23). Yet Judas took it upon himself to determine his own sentencing. In the physical world a man cannot just walk straight to the gates of a maximum security prison and ask to be let in because he has supposedly committed a crime. It is the Judge that determines the occupants of the prison and the duration of their stay; flouting that rule is a crime on its own (punishable by instant death on the spot depending on the nature of the prison).

Judas ’  self judgement is precisely the spirit behind all of our religions today. Whether it comes in the form of pilgrimages, sacrifices, rituals, “reincarnations ”, even martyrdom, all punishments and suffering for sins in our works based religions are all variants of Judas ’ sin of self righteousness and self judgment.

The punishment for Man’s sin is the Cross (2Corinthians 5:21); it was sufficient enough to atone for Peter’s denial and blasphemy; but it wasn’t enough for Judas. He decided to handle sin his way and ended up in damnation.

Beloved, though sin brings guilt and contrition in the heart of a true child of God; we must never make the mistake like Judas of appropriating to ourselves in whatever form what we consider “just” punishment for our wrong doing. God in His wisdom and mercy has placed the punishment of our sins upon Jesus on the Cross. Thus when you sin, He expects you to run to the Cross; not to a field in Aceldama (Act 1:18,19).

AMEN.
More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus name.

GREG ELKAN.
http://www.gelkan.blogspot.com