"Into The World"

"He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night." (John 13:30 KJV)

  "Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than other? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles , are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous - not even one. No one is truly wise, no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one."" (Romans 3:9-12 NLT)

 I hope that I can get this right, as I have been a little distracted and out of sorts. This is not just a point in the message where Judas departs to do a deed against the Lord; but this is where Judas decides to depart from Jesus' side, as in, to walk away from something that he might have been able to place his hope. 

 There are some things in this world that can cause some to take a second look; and then there are things that can make some walk away, forsaking the Lord and the fellowship of their brothers and sisters. If you have ever thought about it, then you know that the fellowship part makes a pretty big difference. Not that walking away from Jesus isn't a big deal; because you know in your heart, Jesus will always welcome you back with open arms.

 The fellowship we share with our brothers and sisters, that might get pretty messy, as things usually go in families; as they say, "Blood is thicker than water." If you have been in ministry for any length of time, you should have had a chance to observe what happens to those who fall away and then come back into the fold. They sometimes feel as though they should have stayed out in the world. 

 That is rather unfortunate, as it is something that could happen to any one of us, so we should really be more forgiving. But that is not always the case! This much I know, if Judas would have asked for forgiveness, Jesus would have forgiven him! Some of the disciples, temporarily, would not have been so forgiving; but Jesus would, as He forgave every single person that was involved with His death! 

 That, my friend, is the big difference between the hope we might place in this world, and the hope that we have in Christ Jesus! No matter what we have done, He will always forgive us! He paid a very big price for our sins, every sin, of the entire world! Why would anyone walk away from that? 

 The sad thing is, people do! Either they cannot see the gift, or they do not feel as though they deserve it; but for whatever reason, they go out into the world, as if to get lost! Can I tell you a little secret? You cannot hide from the Lord! You might think you can get lost, but you will be found; He does not let us get away that easy! 

 Sometimes we just need to be thankful that we have been saved, not forgetting that it was Him that called us to Himself, then we can feel more secure that He will not throw us out, into the world...

"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he has called you out of the darkness into his wonderful life. "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy."" (1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT)