The Value of A False Friendship

 

MATTHEW 26:14, 15

Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.

Note here, that the chief priests did not seek out Judas but that he came to them offering his services --- for a price. 

    Thirty pieces of silver or thirty shekels appears to be about equal to three months' wages, as there were three denarii in a shekel. For the mere love of the money he would have in hand, Judas betrayed the Teacher he had been following along with. 

Once the heart is fully committed to following Christ Jesus faithfully, there is no turning our backs on Him. But Judas' heart wa not right and therefore he sought out a buyer for his 'friend' and pondered the ways and means of how he would accomplish this betrayal. 

    The Word tells us that "the love of money is the root of all evil" ( 1 Timothy 6:10) and it was this that was already present in Judas' heart. He was not faithful from the get-go when called to follow after Jesus (John 12:6), but still Jesus loved Judas; He even called him a friend at the time of His arrest (Matthew 26:50). Though he had a purpose to fulfill, there was always room for hope of repentance after the fact; but Judas showed only remorse, not repentance ( Matthew 27:3-5). In his despair he hung himself. 

    He saw no value in what he had done. Though his feet followed after Jesus his heart did not. He could not comprehend the forgiveness that was available to him if only he had turned to God for it. For God waits for us to turn to Him for the forgiveness of our sins against Him. He waits for us to be committed and faithful in following after His heart and His Word. God is waiting for you. 

    Let us not be false friends but faithful friends. Let us adhere, stick like glue, to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As the psalmist wrote, in Psalm 63:8 "My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me." Let us know the value of True Friendship with Jesus. Let us persevere in following hard after Him, not allowing ourselves to be distracted from the course He has set before us to run and walk in.

WALK WITH ME - Jesus Culture  

Know Your Worth

 Your have value. You have worth. You are important. Your life has meaning. You are loved. 

VALUE

More Valuable Than Many Sparrows

Matthew 10:31

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

WORTH

Proverbs 31:10

A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.

Proverbs 20:7

The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him.

WORTH DYING FOR

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

WORTH COMING BACK FOR

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 

After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

IMPORTANT TO GOD

The Lord Crowns Us With Glory & Honor

Psalm 8:3-5

When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor.

YOUR LIFE HAS MEANING

2 Peter 1:3-8

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. 

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 

and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,

and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

YOU ARE LOVED

Everything We Have Comes From God Our Provider

Psalm 103:3-5

He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion, who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 107:9

For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Psalm 23:5

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Psalm 63:5-6

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.