Counterfeit Repentance, Part 3

By Chris McKnight, Teaching Pastor at Kerrville Bible Church

He had eaten, prayed, laughed and walked with Christ. He had seen the miracles, maybe even performed a few. He heard nearly all the teaching from the lips of the Lord of Glory. He probably even taught and evangelized others. He was so trusted by the group that they made him the treasurer.

Judas was privy to massive light and love, constantly being referred to by the gospel writers as “one of the Twelve.” Essentially, he was in the Lord’s seminary for three years, doing evangelism, getting on-the-job training and witnessing healing campaigns and countless miracles. He watched Jesus demonstrate His power over weather, animals, demons, sickness, paralysis, bleeding, fever and even death. This man was part of the best discipleship group in the history of the world, led by someone whose life always matched His words.

And as Providence would have it, he was the key gear in the machine for authorities to arrest Jesus without causing a riot among the swollen Passover crowds. The quiet arrest had to be an inside job, tipped off by someone who knew the hang outs and habits of the group. Judas comes through for thirty pieces of silver.

It is still the most famous and startling betrayal in the history of mankind. The ultimate in insults is the Judas’ kiss.

Matthew 27 gives the account of what happened next.

Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself (vv.3-5).

Despite obvious regret, remorse, the returning of the money, and a confession of sin (like Adam and Pharaoh and Esau and King Saul before him) and despite such sadness as to take his own life, this was still not repentance.

Remembering prior articles and our three element description of repentance, we can see that Judas had elements one and two. He saw sin as sin and he felt bad about it, but he had no purpose of heart to turn from it to God in faith and hope of forgiveness.

As Peter says in Acts 1:25, “Judas turned aside to go to his own place” not to seek the Lord and His grace. Of course his evil was prophesied long ago in the Psalm 69:25 and 109:8, leading Jesus to pray in His High Priestly prayer just before the betrayal, “I guarded them (the other eleven) and not one of them perished but the son of perdition (a Hebrew idiom for one destined to perish), so that the Scripture would be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

Judas felt sorry but he did not repent. There’s a world of difference. Judas continues to perish in the torments of eternal hell.

Puritan Thomas Watson wrote about what he termed, ‘Half Turned People’: “And who are these? Such as turn (from sins) in their judgment but not in their practice … they will weep for sin, yet they are so befuddled with it that they have no power to leave it. Their corruptions are stronger than their convictions. These are half-turned, ‘almost Christians.’

“They are but half-turned who turn only from gross sin but have no internal work of grace. They do not prize Christ or love holiness … They are but half-turned who turn from many sins but are unturned from some special sin. There is a harlot in the bosom they will not let go … they kick out one devil and welcome another … Hypocrites will hate some sins which stain their reputation, but a true convert hates all sins … the very stirrings of corruption.”

Which is worse, to commit sin or to love sin?

Adam, at least at the first, confessed his sin but actually blamed God and “the woman.” Esau found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears. Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not bow to Yahweh. King Saul made nice speeches, but his heart was far from God. Judas, exposed to unprecedented privilege, felt overwhelming despair for his failure, but failed to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many have had the appearance of repentance without the reality. Let these be a lesson to us all that true repentance must be combined with faith, looking to the Lord Jesus alone for cleansing, forgiveness and new life.