Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today I’d like to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to ask you a little question.
Have you ever been betrayed? Maybe at one time you had a close attachment to somebody that you went to school with. You sat together in the same seat when you rode the school bus, and even ate together at the same table in the lunchroom. The two of you were inseparable, spending every day together and sharing the intimate things that two friends talk about. You had a camaraderie and a fellowship, a perfect union of friendship between you, loyally standing up for each other, whenever others stood against you.
But then one day, that all began to change. Your friend completely and willingly betrays you, by joining up with the people who oppose you. They treacherously share all of your intimate discussions with the people who hate you. The person who you once shared a loving relationship with, now reflects the qualities of your rivals. Where there was once love and loyalty, they now possess the attributes of hatred, bitterness and treachery. Instead of continuing to stand by your side, they willfully choose to stand with those who hate you.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Betrayal is to deliberately turn away from a close friend, and join up with their known enemy. They turn on them, abandon the previous relationship, and befriend those who speak evil about them. Judas did the exact same thing. This is because the devil had filled his heart. Jesus told him that it would have been better if he had never been born. Look at what happened in that single act of rebellion.
He turned away from Jesus.
He turned away from the disciples.
He turned away from his duty and loyalty to God.
He turned away from the faith.
He turned away from Charity.
He turned away from obedience to Christ.
He turned away from the church.
He turned away from the truth.
In the case of Judas, we learn that betrayal can come from some of the closest friendships that you could know, people from inside the church, who once shared your faith. At one time, you were companions, united together through your religious beliefs, but then they wholeheartedly rejected them by their actions. In that process, they turn on you. They betray not only you, but the blessed Lord Jesus by joining up with others who are the enemies of the truth. Just as Lot’s wife betrayed him for the world, don’t be shocked when you find out that your enemies are much closer than you think.
Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
In a spiritual sense of the word, when somebody betrays the Lord Jesus, they profess to follow Him, but then flip sides and join up with those who reject Him. They willfully abandon their faith. Instead of maintaining a loyal and obedient relationship with the Lord, they will develop strong friendships with people who live in direct disobedience to His purpose. At one time, they began to walk the life of a Christian, but then turned away from the Lord’s teachings and commands. It happens because they love the world more than God. A betrayer is a traitor, which means they willfully betray the beliefs that they once used to hold.
The Apostle Peter denied the Lord Jesus but it wasn’t a betrayal. It was caused by the weakness of his flesh. Occasionally people make mistakes and sin against each other in the church, but what keeps the church together is confession, forgiveness and reconciliation. Love covers a multitude of sins. Although Peter sinned, he was eventually reinstated by Christ. Betrayal is a completely different matter. It is a sin that is borne out of hatred, rebellion, and wilful rejection to biblical teachings. In the church, betrayal happens when someone turns against their conscience and religious beliefs, and then joins up with enemies of their own previously held beliefs. At one time they stood strongly against fornication and lasciviousness, but now they turn against those beliefs, and joyfully yoke up with others who willingly participate in those sinful activities. At one time, out of loyalty to Christ, they kept separate from the world. Now they betray their obedient friendship with Jesus by rejoining the world from which they were called out of. Just like Judas, they betray Christ when they do this.
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
These people are not ignorant of biblical truth. They know God’s will, they just choose to rebelliously disobey it.
2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Judas turned away from Christ and separated from Him. Those who are betrayed in a like manner will receive blessings from God.
Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Everything that had been instilled in Judas, was a complete waste.
Matthew 26:21-24 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Remember at one time Judas was an Apostle, but he dealt treacherously with the Lord. He departed Him, reported Him to the authorities, and united with those who hated him. Be prepared, when those who are within your inner circle, do the exact same thing.
Jeremiah 3:20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Don’t be shocked when the ones who turn against you are the ones who are the closest to you. They stealthily work behind the scenes, waiting for the opportunity to spring their trap of surprise to abandon you. Just like Judas, it’s possible that they might smile at you, or even give you a hug. Who knows, maybe they will gently roll over in bed, and betray you with…..
……A Kiss.
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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