DO NOT LOSE THE BATTLE OVER SIN – Matthew 26:15
Friday, March 2nd, 2007Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples agreed to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas was not entrapped into betraying Jesus by the deception of the chief priests but he willingly came to the chief priests and asked them what they would give him if he betrayed his Master. Judas had determined in his heart that money was more important to him than his relationship with Jesus.
Judas betrayed Jesus for a sack of silver yet Judas is not the only person who has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Since you have accepted Christ’s calling to follow HIM, how have betrayed your relationship with Christ? Have you allowed greed to get in the way of your relationship with Christ? Have you allowed bitterness to get in the way of your relationship with Christ? Have you allowed lust to get in the way of your relationship with Christ?
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Judas is a good example of how Satan loves to attack those who choose to follow Christ so as to cause them to stumble and cause great damage to the kingdom of God. Judas had a close relationship with God yet he allowed his eyes to be drawn away from God’s perfect will and as a result Satan was able to cause him to do something he later regretted.
Do not think that you are strong enough that you never have to worry about betraying Jesus? When the troops came to arrest Jesus the disciples fled. While Peter was brave enough to follow Jesus, he betrayed his relationship with Jesus three times. The disciples were actually able to see, touch and hear Jesus and they were not strong enough to overcome the temptations they faced, what makes you think that you will never yield to temptation when your relationship with Jesus is based completely upon faith?
Do not judge Judas for what he did; instead, use the example of Judas to remind yourself that you must be vigilant to ensure that you do not follow his example. You understand that the closer your relationship with God is the more Satan desires to see you stumble. What damage can Satan do to the kingdom of God if he causes you to stumble?
Judas was able to betray Jesus because he had filled his mind with thoughts of greed. The longer he allowed thoughts of greed to fill his life, the more he squeezed out of his mind the high calling of Jesus to follow HIM. As Judas allowed himself to dwell upon those things that were evil, his relationship with Jesus became such that he was willing to betray a friend for a sack of silver.
The battle over sin begins in your mind. If you allow sin to dwell in your mind, it will eventually wear down your defenses until your actions reveal what is in your heart and mind. You cannot afford to allow the enemy to dwell within your mind. Any time evil thoughts crop up within your mind, rather than cultivating those thoughts, you must add virtue to your life and flood your mind with the things of God. You will betray your relationship with Christ if you do not win the battle with your mind. By the grace of God, you can overcome temptation.