Bible Questions Answered:
Was Judas close to the Lord?
Sandy/ Billings, Montana
Bible Answers:
Judas was ...
Chosen by the Lord.
Prophetically called by the Lord, “Mine own familiar friend.”
Yes, Jesus was close to Judas.
He Called and trained him as He did His other Disciples.
Christ knew Judas' destiny, but He cared and reached out for Judas as He did all others, because....
I Timothy 2:3,4 KJV
[3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
[4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
But something happened to Judas.
His greed for money, over came his love of the Saviour.
Proverbs 4:23 KJV “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 23:7 KJV “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: ...”
Luke 6:45 KJV “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Hebrews 3;12 KJV “ Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
Psalm 95:8 KJV “Harden not your heart,...”
Proverbs 29:1 KJV “ He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
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John 6:63-65; 70,71 KJV
[63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
[64] But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.
[65]And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. (The Foreknowledge of God
[70] Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil ?
[71] He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray Him, being one of the twelve.
John 13:18 KJV
[18] I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
Psalms 41:9 KJV “Yea, mine own familiar friend (”the man of my peace.”), in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
Now there are some today, who dare teach, that once “Saved,” one may never be lost.
These same, then say of Judas, that, “he was a devil from the beginning.” But there is no scripture to attest to that, I John 3:8 was spoken of John concerning Satan.
How on the contrary prophetic, Psalms 41:9 KJV.
I John 3:8 KJV “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
Psalms 41:9 KJV “Yea, mine own familiar friend (”the man of my peace.”), in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread,
hath lifted up his heel against me.”
There is a man today, in the regions of the lost, who has the distinction of having “been a trusted, friend of the Lord.” Nonetheless who betrayed Him.
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John 17:12 KJV
[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.
Acts 2:23 KJV “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:”
Was Judas “Chosen from the beginning by God, to be the betrayer?”
Absolutely not!
God does not roll dice (Albert Einstein) to determine the order of things.
Romans 8:29,30 KJV
[29] For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
[30] Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.
There are those who wrongly believe today, that God, arbitrarily calls some to be saved, while others are called to be the lost.
How foolish!
Romans 3:4 KJV “...let God be true, but every man a liar...”
I Timothy 2:4 KJV “Who will have All MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
John 3:16 KJV “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.”
Revelation 22:17 KJV “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
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Now although God did not, predetermine Judas as a betrayer....it goes without saying that He Foreknew that Judas would be.
Doesn't the Apostle Paul say (Romans 8:29,30) that God, predestines the lives of men?
Yes!
But He does it, based upon His “ForeKnowledge, of the choices that men will take!
[29] For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate t
God knew before the world was, who it would be that would love and follow Him, and who would not, and so He charted their courses, appropriately.
Psalms 37:23 KJV “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in his way.”
Psalms 37:22 KJV “...and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off.”
