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mines and th is was th e fated hour when they were to be sprung. As every child of God is indwelt by the Spirit, of God, b u t not all are fully yielded to and filled w ith th e Spirit, so doubtless Satan indwells every un regenerate h eart, yet only of some could it be said as Paul, filled w ith the Spirit, said of Elymas, (Acts 13:8-10). How awful to be plied w ith th e power of S atan; bu t how surpassingly fearful to be wholly yielded to th a t malign and all bu t omnipotent personality! Yet every sinner is the first, and on th e way to th e second. The question “Lord, is it I? ” discloses th e potential moral and spiritual treachery which is in every man. Ap parently th e only one who did no t ask th e question at th e first was th e traito r. The others, though shocked beyond measure at th e very though t of ever becoming guilty of such hellish treason, unconsciously adm itted the possibility of it by th e ir question. No man has plumbed th e depths of his own heart. “Let him who th ink eth he standeth tak e heed lest he fall.” The enemies of Christ would not have found Him th a t dark night but for the tra ito r w ithin the twelve. Are not th e compromises and adaptations of many churches to th e world, a kind of asking th e world to “ bid” for Him today? “How much will you give and I will deliver Him unto you?” As I w rite th ere is a hush in my soul and a still small voice seems to searchingly ask: “A rt sure thou a rt free from th is charge?” And rever ently the benediction of Jud e 24, 25 is repeated, and, com forted, looking up I say: “ Yea, Lord, Thou a rt able.” Oh to beware of bargaining w ith the world even in its apparently harm less beginnings! Judas did not bargain to th ru st Christ through w ith a sword: he only agreed to give th e sign of a kiss. Beware! “He went out and it was
R ightly apprehended, th e question: “Why did Christ choose Ju d a s?” shrinks into comparative insignificance beside th is one, “Why did He choose m e?” Our Lord’s choice of Jud as had no reference to election unto life eternal as in Eph. 1:4-6, bu t merely for the office of apostle. This helps us to un d erstand th a t Judas was no moral mon ster, bu t essentially as the average man. A youth of clean morals, he preferred th e company of religious people and was attracted to Christ a t th e beginning of His m inistry. He identified him self w ith th e followers of th e untitled Rabbi, and possessing gifts which, if consecrated, qualified him for th e pub lic functions of apostleship, he was chosen as an apostle and, subsequently, trea su rer of th e band. The case of Jud as was not p reju diced, surely, by putting th e most ex alted sp iritual privileges w ithin his reach. Yet, though given th e best pos sible and most inspiring leadership, teaching, example, exhortation, and en vironment, he resisted all the Saviour’s gracious and yearning wooings, and spurned th e most awful and urgent warnings lips ever uttered. From high est heights of ligh t and privilege he fell to deepest depths of blackness and infamy. “And, afte r th e sop, - Satan entered into him .” He was partak ing of the Paschal Supper— not th e eucharist— w ith an unbelieving and gold-hardened heart. The “ sop,” a m ark of distinction, bestowed upon him, in stan tly his soul was fired w ith mingled h atred and shame, and Satan was given full charge and possession. In th e second verse we read th a t the devil had pu t (lite r ally to throw or cast as a bomb) it into th e h ea rt of Judas. The gangrene of covetousness had been steadily grow ing and consuming a t the vitals of th e traito r. Satan had planted his hidden
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