Was Judas chosen to be lost?

Did Judas have a choice whether or not to betray Jesus or was he 'chosen' or 'predestined' to be lost?

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Transcript
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Pastor Ross: We have Sebastian, listening from Palm Beach Florida. Sebastian, welcome to the program.

Sebastian: Good evening pastor Ross, good evening pastor Doug Batchelor. Thank you for taking my call.

Pastor Doug: Sure, we’re glad to talk with you.

Sebastian: Okay. Well, I know that in the books of Zachariah and in the book of Psalms, there are prophecies that reference Christ betrayal. My question is, was Judas predestined to betray Christ?

Pastor Doug: No, I don't think so and this is a great question. It's had a boy, lots of debate from theologians through the ages. Some would argue, "Yes, Judas was predestined to betray Jesus." I see a difference biblically between God being all-knowing and be able to predict what happens and a person still having the choice. While God knew what Judas would do-- God knows everything. He knows everything in the future, he knows everything in the past, he is all-knowing, he knows who is listening is going to be be saved and who is not. That doesn’t mean he is making it happen.

We still have choices and we need to live as if we have those choices. Jesus gave Judas every opportunity to change his mind. He went to wash his feet, he appealed to him them but he hardened his heart. It's not like God was creating creatures and he said, “We’ve got to make one be the fall guy, that will betray Jesus. Sorry Judas, but you're going to have to be the traitor, I’m going to make you to be a traitor and then after you betray Jesus doing just what I'd created you to do and then I'm going to throw you in hell." Can you see there would be a problem with that, it almost makes God an accessory to the crime?

Sebastian: Yes. I see.

Pastor Doug: God knows what was going to happen and he predicted in the prophecies. You're right about that, but I don't think the Judas was born with the mission that he should betray Christ. Everyone is born with a free will and opportunity.

Sebastian: It’s okay. That was just something that has been taking my interest in the whole lot, the Judas situation and whether or not he was predestined. I've always known that he had the freedom of choice, because God gave everybody the freedom of choice. I just want to get the clarification on this particular situation. Thank you.

Pastor Doug: Absolutely Sebastian, I appreciate your call.

Pastor Ross: Sally, welcome to the program.

Sally: Hi there.

Pastor Ross: Hi. How are you doing?

Sally: Okay.

Pastor Ross: And your question.

Sally: You've just answered a gentleman's question about predestination and Judas, and I was good with that answer except that in the Bible it tells that the devil entered Judas to have him to go do what he did. Was that still Judas' free will?

Pastor Doug: Well, at one point, a person can grieve away the Holy Spirit and be possessed and before Satan entered Judas, that means he wasn't controlling Judas right? When Judas finally at the last supper, when Jesus said, "One of you is going to betray me." Judas had a chance to repent and confess Christ was washing his feet, but when Judas said, "Lord is it I?" Like he didn't know, he knew it was.

And finally, Jesus said, "Go do what you do quickly." Then Judas knew what he was talking about. That point Satan entered Judas. He probably reached the point of no return then and committed the unpardonable sin, and it doesn't mean that he was predestined all of a sudden. It just means that his doom was fixed at that point. Satan was controlling him then.

[LAV]

This made me want to go to church this morning.. I thought I struggled with being committed to the Lord but Hes been showing me that it's all the other lil sins that keep me from moving forward to serve Jesus.. keep me in prayer for a new heart and mindset and the knowledge and wisdom to manage my life in a way that pleases Christ! God bless you brothers and sisters all over🙏🏽

[feberomauliharyantivivienj]

I LOVE JESUS CHRIST THE KING OF KINGS.I LOVE YOU ALL.GOD BLESS YOU.SHALOM FROM TIBERIAS INDONESIA

[shingitome]

That's a great question indeed! Thank you Pastor Ross and Pastor Doug for helping us understand what happened!!! ❤

[charlie]

Up until the point where Judas went to betray Jesus, he still could have changed his mind and decided not to.
It was with that final choice that Judas accepted the spirit of sin, betrayal and Lucifer into his heart.
We are safe as long as we hold the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It is when we deny the Holy Spirit that our hearts are open to Lucifer and the angels who fell with him.
Even then, when we keep the spirit of sin in our hearts, we are not totally lost. At any time, we can call on the Lord, repent for our sins and accept Jesus as our savior. When we do so, holding nothing back, baring our hearts to the Lord, inviting the Holy Spirit into our hearts and acknowledging that Jesus Christ is our savior, the evil spirit that was in you will flee from the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of Christ.
Judas could have, at any time, denied Satan. Just as Jesus had and he could have been forgiven but instead he chose betrayal.

[kayrush]

God gives everyone the right to choose just not everyone chooses right!!

[roylikesitlikethat]

Remember there is always a reason how Satan can have access.
Judas was not predestined. He had a weakness.
Scripture says "and Satan ENtered into Judas"
Judas was the " money man" bag man. Money tempts.
Satan probably saw how he was when Judas complained about the oil perfume to wash Jesus.

[ashmarie]

Awesome, easy to understand and quick to the point. I always wondered about that too and that makes sense now. Thank you!

[sukruoosten]

THE LORD KNOW EVERYTHING so HE knew judas would do this
BUT STILL we all have free will

[ha-ilrp]

So let me get this straight. So does this mean that there are many alternatives to our fate and God knows all these alternatives? So for example if we choose not to be saved God knows what is going to happen and if we choose to be saved God knows what our future is going to be like, but God doesnt know what we will choose because of freewill? But He knows what's going to happen depending on our choice?

[jonathanbola]

We all have free will and Judas could have repented but he CHOSE to commit suicide.

[vuyaki]

If Judas has repented as Peter did, Judas would've been saved. Peter ' s sin was as Judas' and some of us are guilt of this same sin.

[northernpike]

If Jesus 'gave' his life? how could he have been betrayed?

[austinciminillo]

“Committed the unpardonable sin” I was unaware there was any sin Christ couldn’t forgive? Are you saying what Judas did was unforgivable even if he would have asked for it?

[Mcfirefly]

Modern Gnostics accuse God of setting Lucifer up for the fall, as if the moral freedom Lucifer was created with, was no more than a temptation to sin. So it becomes "poor Lucifer, scapegoat, victim of God".

Part 2 is doing the same thing with Judas. The gnostic accusation then has God setting up Judas the same way.
"Poor Lucifer" -> "poor Judas"

If you remember the horrible Roma Downey movie that purported to be about Jesus (only it was a self-indulgent, partying, egotistical, narcissistic, sleazy, deluded one), that's what they do: they have _that_ Jesus _begging_ a reluctant Judas to go betray him. You can see in _poor_ Judas's eyes that his faith in Jesus is dissolving, yet out of pure faithfulness, in his last gasp of faith in this corrupt, evil god, he does the will of this (false!) Jesus and goes to sacrifice his earthly life, and his soul, making him both the true _victim_ and the _true hero_ of the cross: the _true_ sacrifice, _sacrificed by Jesus._ After what this false Jesus finagled _poor, unwilling Judas_ to do, betray him, Jesus's stint on the cross looks like nothing but mere showboating, almost a publicity stunt for a deluded narcissist. This is as satanic as anything could be.

[merrillbartle]

He wasn’t chosen to be lost, he was chosen because he was lost ✝️

[Димчик-ът]

Reformed says we don’t have free will, our will is in bandage

[thenamarie]

Could one consider as a similar example on this vein of predestination, Genesis 22:12?
"...for now I know that thou fearest God, ..."
God knows, yet He provides opportunity to evince otherwise.

[ihmcfly]

in that case, god didn't "know" judas will betray jesus, he took an educated guess? therefore he isn't all "knowing".
it was jesus plan to sacrifice himself all along. if judas had free will to not betray jesus, then jesus plan would have failed. circling back to he isn't all knowing.
so the way i see it, jesus had a plan, and his plan needed judas to do what he did. if he is all knowing and perfect, he already planned for judas to betray him, and judas did not have a choice.

[stiigern]

What troubles me is Jesus knew Judas would betray him even before they met. Jesus could change the timeline. He could choose not to accept Judas as his deciple. He could absolutely choose to save Judas, but he didn’t.

If not Judas someone else or something else must have happend to get Jesus on that cross to die for our sins.

It needed to happen, that’s the problem with all of this.

[markherron]

Judas Iscariot became PHANTOM STRANGER Blessings and Hugs