A Lesson From the Life of Judas
Agreeing to any serious commitment requires thoughtful consideration. This is no less true when responding to the call of Jesus Christ. The Lord declares, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
. . . Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-28, 33).
The servant of the Lord concurs: “We are not to rush into the acceptance of the gospel without any fixed stability of purpose. If we receive Jesus Christ, we must receive all the conditions, all the requirements.”1
There is indeed a cost involved, and there are conditions to be met when accepting the gospel call. We have been given complete freedom of choice; we can choose whether or not to accept the conditions necessary to follow the Master. Christ would be, most certainly willing and eager to accept all, but He cannot jeopardize all of heaven by risking the chance of a second rebellion. He loves us tremendously with an undying love - and that is why He clearly lays out the necessary conditions upon which our service will be acceptable in the sight of the heavenly government.
Many professed Christians today dwell on the concept of unconditional love and total acceptance on the part of God. It is certainly true that our God is abundant in loving-kindness and tender mercy, but to dwell on only those aspects of His character is to paint a picture that is artistically unbalanced.
“We need Jesus more than doctrine,” many say. How sad that they should make such a statement as if the two were in no way connected! In reality, “Christ, His character and work, is the center and circumference of all truth. He is the chain upon which the jewels of doctrine are linked. In Him is found the complete system of truth.”2
Christ plainly warns: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Yes, these words in Matthew 7 are the words of the loving Jesus. Just as He addresses the lukewarm persons whom He spews out of His mouth in Revelation 3:16, the Lord speaks to all who have professed His name and even have done wonderful works in His name but have never actually known Him; they just have known about Him. Woe to all who would fall into such a trap! Wouldn’t we be wise to find out how to avoid such self-deception? Obviously, there are some serious conditions that need to be met on our part in order to escape being among that rejected class!
Let us not deceive ourselves: “The unconditional pardon of sin never has been, and never will be. Such pardon would show the abandonment of the principles of righteousness, which are the very foundation of the government of God.”3
So often we want to give an easy message. We want to be nice to people, so we are tempted to give a soft, comfortable message to souls. We want to offer them peace. But if we are not careful, whose version of peace may it end up being - Christ’s or Satan’s? Deep down, all really need truth more than comfort. According to Inspiration, the good news is that we don’t have to choose between the two: “There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood.”4
“Our own merit will never commend us to the favor of God; it is the worthiness of Jesus that will save us, His blood that will cleanse us; yet we have a work to do in complying with the conditions of acceptance.”5
So, obviously, if there is something for us to do, wouldn’t these “conditions of acceptance” be important to know? Would our merciful, loving God withhold them from us? Of course not! “The conditions are plainly stated, and those who read the Word need make no mistake. If we will prove ourselves true and faithful, the Lord will comply with the conditions He has made.”6
Most of us are familiar with the history recorded in Luke 18:10-14, where the publican who realized that he was a great sinner was forgiven, rather than the self-righteous Pharisee. “The sense of need, the recognition of our poverty and sin, is the very first condition of acceptance with God. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:3).”7
Surprisingly enough, this is somewhat of an unpopular idea. We all tend to hope for a “free ride.” Yet even the invitation to “come” unto Christ involves from our part the action of coming. Although it is certainly the goodness of God that draws us to repent (Romans 2:4), we must nonetheless actively respond to that wooing of the Holy Spirit by indeed coming to Him. We do a disservice to those whom we seek to teach if we fail to give them the complete picture of how this works. “There are souls perishing. They must know the terms of salvation. They must be taught that the conditions of acceptance are the same now as they were in Adam’s day - obedience to all God’s commandments.”8
“Those who walk in obedience will know what truth is. . . . In order to know the truth, we must be willing to obey. Those whose affections are placed on the world are not willing to give up their plans for the plans of Christ.”9
Let us consider for a moment the case of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda. (See John 5:1-9.) Which came first - the healing or the man’s obedience to Christ’s command? The Spirit of Prophecy explains how this miracle occurred: “Jesus does not ask this sufferer to exercise faith in Him. He simply says, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ But the man’s faith takes hold upon that word. Every nerve and muscle thrills with new life, and healthful action comes to his crippled limbs. Without question he sets his will to obey the command of Christ, and all his muscles respond to his will. Springing to his feet, he finds himself an active man.
“Jesus had given him no assurance of divine help. The man might have stopped to doubt, and lost his one chance of healing. But he believed Christ’s word, and in acting upon it he received strength.”10
Thus, as the man took action, he received a surge of divine power - he was healed! This is how humanity cooperates with divinity - successful teamwork between God and the person. There is a common misconception that people cannot obey until they are converted. But that is not what Inspiration says! Here is how the process is explained: “Until Christianity is planted in the heart, it cannot control the life, for it is the evil in the heart that must be corrected. It is not enough to have a form of godliness without holiness to the Lord, for it is like cleansing the outside of the cup while impurities remain within. A belief of doctrines, however pure they may be, will not save a soul from death, unless they are brought into contact with the life. The heart must be purified through obedience to the truth.”11
So, the purest obedience comes from the heart, but none are to be discouraged from obeying, even if at first they find that their motives are flawed. They must at least mechanically take the first step forward. In the very act of obedience, the new habit of obeying begins to be established in place of the old. As the soul that recognizes the need for deeper heart work pleads to the Lord for it, he or she is helped as the heart is purified through obedience. This is a scriptural principle, that “ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit” until by God’s grace you finally come to the point of “unfeigned love” - in other words, finally developing motives that are absolutely 100% pure - like Christ’s! (1 Peter 1:22). This is what it means to have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16.)
“[2 Corinthians 6:17 quoted.] Here is a promise to us on condition of obedience. If we will come out from the world, and be separate, and touch not the unclean He will receive us. Here are the conditions of our acceptance with God. We have something to do ourselves. Here is a work for us. We are to show our separation from the world. The friendship of the world is enmity with God. It is impossible for us to be friends of the world and yet be in union with Christ. But what does this mean: to be friends of the world? It is to unite hands with them, to enjoy what they enjoy, to love that which they love, to seek for pleasure, to seek for gratification, to follow our own inclinations. We do not in following inclination have our affections upon God; we are loving and serving ourselves. But here is a grand promise: ‘Come out from among them and be ye separate.’ Separate from what? The inclinations of the world, their tastes, their habits; the fashions, the pride, and the customs of the world. ‘Come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean, and I will receive you.’ In making this move, in showing that we are not in harmony with the world, the promise of God is ours. He does not say perhaps I will receive you; but, ‘I will receive you.’ It is a positive promise. You have a surety that you will be accepted of God. Then in separating from the world you connect yourself with God; you become a member of the royal family; you become sons and daughters of the Lord.”12
Jesus says, “If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23, 24).
We need to make wrongs right. This is another idea that may not be popular because it is not always easy. But it is necessary nonetheless.
“If we regard iniquity in our hearts, if we cling to any known sin, the Lord will not hear us; but the prayer of the penitent, contrite soul is always accepted. When all known wrongs are righted, we may believe that God will answer our petitions.”13
“’He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13). If any man has been dishonest and has wronged his neighbor and his God, there is but one course for him to pursue. He must confess his wrong; he must restore again that he has robbed; he must forsake his evil ways, and have repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. . . .
“Do you manifest impatience and utter hasty words? Are you full of self-esteem? Have you lustful thoughts and practices? Are you doing things directly contrary to the purposes of God? Are you robbing your heavenly Father by withholding your talents and your heart from Him? Why not cease doing this way? Why not make a full surrender to God? He will impart to you His light and peace, and you will taste of His salvation. Do not any longer bring to God a lame, diseased offering. Your powers, mental and physical, are enfeebled by your own course of transgression; but such an offering is not acceptable to heaven. Why not come and be healed of your infirmities and offer a living sacrifice, holy, and without blemish? Have you been robbing God in tithes and offerings? . . . [Malachi 3:10 quoted.] Why not take the Lord at His word?”14 (The above passage comes from an article entitled, “Conditions of Acceptance With God.”)
Luke 18 gives a parable of contrast to reveal the importance of persistent prayer. “Perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving.”15
“We must agonize in order to subdue self; for self-ease and self-indulgence are the most deceptive of sins, stupefying the conscience and blinding the understanding. Oh, that those who have heard the testing message would awake from their sleep and no longer remain in careless indifference! We need the earnest desire of the importunate widow and the Syrophenician woman - a determination that will not be repulsed. . . .
“Resolution, self-denial, and consecrated effort are required for the work of preparation. The understanding and the conscience may be united; but if the will is not set to work, we shall make a failure. Every faculty and feeling must be engaged. Ardor and earnest prayer must take the place of listlessness and indifference. Only by earnest, determined effort and faith in the merits of Christ can we overcome, and gain the kingdom of heaven.”16
“Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
“The pure and holy garments are not prepared to be put on by anyone after he has entered the gate of the city. All who enter will have on the robe of Christ’s righteousness and the name of God will be seen in their foreheads. This name is the symbol which the apostle saw in vision, and signifies the yielding of the mind to intelligent and loyal obedience to all of God’s commandments. There will be no covering up of sins and faults to hide the deformity of character; no robes will be half washed; but all will be pure and spotless.”17
“Comply with the conditions and believe [God] will accept you as His child. Be not faithless, but believing.”18