A Light in the Darkness

  Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Matthew 26:14-16 ESV             In the most profound undervaluation of history the God-man is sold for thirty pieces of silver. Infinite worth proclaimed by those who should have best appreciated it as worthless. Even by one who had followed the Lord the deal is acceptable. There is no sense in it.             Another wonder, if we read up to this point in the gospels, we learn that Jesus saw the moment coming, and if we read on from here, we find that even after the deal is struck Judas is still allowed access. The Lord gave to the betrayer of betrayers the same as the faithful, He washed those feet, but Judas did not receive it. Though he was among the twelve closest to the Lord he remains just as blind as the priests who paid

  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1:13-18 ESV                 Each one of us is born into sin, we have innate desires that draw us away from God by promising us good and delivering only evil. We are unnaturally naturally bent to be enticed and lured by desires into sin which leads not to the life we sought but into death.   We are born being deceived, blind to the reality, and doomed to die in vain pu

  Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.   I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. 2 Peter 1:12-15 ESV             Peter greets the saints who obtained from Christ a faith of equal in standing, Peter is no more saved than they are, and they have no more salvation than Peter has. Nevertheless, Peter begins his letter by urging these saints, and by extension all of us, to increase in the faith and add to it such qualities as are consistent with the character of Christ. This is right, it is part of the promise, and it leads to an effective and fruitful faith. Failure to grow thus shows one has not understood the knowledge of Christ.