Big Idea: There are many similarities and difference between these men, but chief among them is their final destiny. What makes these men so different and why is this so? We find there are many dynamics at work, each important in establishing our own fates.
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Luke 6:14, 16 (ESV) — 14 Simon, whom he named Peter… 16 and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Luke 22:1-6, 31-34 (pg 828)
There a few similarities between the actions of these men, but the difference is striking, maybe the most striking difference among the Apostles. Satan successfully enters into Judas but he is prevented from having Peter.
Matt. 27:3-4, 26:75 (pg 783)
2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV) — 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
John 21:15–17 (ESV) — 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
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We ought to say that the fate of these two men is determined by their own personal choices, providential intervention, and the purposes of God.
John 12:4–6 (ESV) —4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
Judas choose to betray Jesus because that is what he wanted to do.
Colossians 1:21 (ESV) — 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
Judas betrayed Jesus because that was God’s purpose for him.
Acts 1:16 (ESV) — 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
Matt. 16:13-18 (pg 771)
“There is a long-standing controversy in the Church as to whether God is really Lord in relation to human conduct and saving faith or not. What has been said shows us how we should regard this controversy. The situation is not what it seems to be. For it is not true that some Christians believe in divine sovereignty while others hold an opposite view. What is true is that all Christians believe in divine sovereignty, but some are not aware that they do, and mistakenly imagine and insist that they reject it. What causes this odd state of affairs? The root cause is the same as in most cases of error in the Church⎯the intruding of rationalistic speculations, the passion for systematic consistency, a reluctance to recognize the existence of mystery and to let God be wiser than men, and a consequent subjecting of Scripture to the supposed demands of human logic. People see that the Bible teaches man’s responsibility for his actions; they do not see (man, indeed, cannot see) how this is consistent with the sovereign Lordship of God over those actions. They are not content to let the two truths live side by side, as they do in the Scriptures, but jump to the conclusion that, in order to uphold the biblical truth of human responsibility, they are bound to reject the equally biblical and equally true doctrine of divine sovereignty, and to explain away the great number of texts that teach it.” J.I. Packer
