Read Matthew 26:14-16
I Never Dreamed I Would Let Sin Get This Far.
“Then one of the disciples, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, ‘What are you willing to give me to deliver Jesus up to you?’ And they weighed out to him 30 pieces of silver. And from then on Judas began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.”
Judas was one of Jesus’s 12 disciples. When he first came on board he wasn’t thinking on how he could betray Jesus. It’s something that grew over time. It was a slow slow slow process. What was happening that Judas went from being a “follower of Jesus” to one who would desire to ” betray Jesus”?
Satan finds a weakness in our flesh and tempts us with that which will fill that flesh desire. John 14:6B says, “Judas was a thief and was in charge of the money bag and he used to help himself to what was put into it.”
That was Judas’s weakness. His flesh desired money. Overtime, being in charge of the money bag, the temptation to steal was too great for him to resist and it became a normal practice. But still, to go from STEALING to BETRAYING had to be a process of time. What happened? Perhaps Judas became offended by Jesus’s teaching. Perhaps when Jesus confronted the 12 disciples, Judas became bitter towards Jesus. Perhaps he was jealous of some of the other disciples and felt Jesus loved them more. I’m sure it was a number of different issues that stirred up inside of Judas’s heart that caused him to become Bitter and then full of Hate. From there grew a desire to betray Jesus, which gave the opportunity to making a deal with the religious leaders to turn Jesus over to them while making a profit. Emphasis on “making a profit.”
We’re no different than Judas. Our flesh sees something and wants it. For King David it was Bathsheba who he saw bathing. For Ananias and Sapphire it was the desire to be seen as very generous people, while keeping a portion for themselves. The good news is we can always turn back to God in repentance and be restored in a right relationship with him. God will do for us as he did King David, He will forgive us, restore us, and use us again in great ministry opportunities.
What is your area of weakness? What flesh desires does Satan attack or tempt you in. Age 6, I stole $2.75 that was meant for a missionary. As an adult someone gave me $30 for something that didn’t belong to me. Later I felt bad and gave him back the money. I remember stealing golf balls off a golf range and got caught. What is your area of weakness? What flesh desires has Satan pounced upon? If unchecked, it will grow to a point you never dreamed of. Take the opportunity to repent and do it now before the consequences get out of control. The Lord will forgive you, restore you, and use you again for great ministry opportunities.
He loves you!
