Never Beyond Hope

Psalm 51:17

I had a conversation with a friend at work today. We discussed whether or not we thought Judas went to heaven.

One train of thought led to the question of predestination. Was Judas an example of someone who had been created for destruction (Romans 9:21)?

He betrayed Jesus. His name will always be synonymous with treason and betrayal. But he later understood that he was wrong. His heart was broken over what he had done. It was something he could not live with (Matthew 27:3-5 and Acts 1:16-20).

I was struck with a thought. Could Judas have been an example that no one is beyond redemption? That no matter what you have done, you can still be saved? Is Judas someone we can point to and say, "See? Not even that is stronger than God's grace."

I suppose we will have to wait until we get to Heaven for a conclusive answer to this question.

The Apostle Paul said it best, "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Thank You, Father, for Your grace and Your love that is beyond our understanding. Thank You for the hope that You hold out in Christ Jesus."

God is AWESOME!

The Real World

Acts 17

In the course of a conversation I was having with my wife, I jokingly quoted a line from one of the Shakespear plays we all had to read in school. And that, of course got the gears creaking around in my little head.

I started thinking of the Apostle Paul. By all accounts, he was a very smart and well educated man. I've even heard that he was one of those 'beautiful mind' types and that he had the equivalent of several doctoral degrees. Suffice it to say that he was a very smart man.

I think that's why God chose Paul to go to Athens. That was, at the time, the hub of intellectualism. Who else could have gone toe to toe with some of the greatest minds of the time.

I think in Acts chapter 17, we can see the value of a well rounded education. Paul was able to speak intelligently to the men in Athens, even quoting their own poets (Acts 17:28).

God put a mind and a thirst for knowledge in us for a reason. The more we learn and read, the more we can see the depths of God's absolute genius. He gave such beautiful gifts to different people who discover ways to inspire us and ways to look into deep space and who can find the words to describe or the skill and imagination to draw and paint God's glorious creation.

God is AWESOME!