“Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.” Matthew 27:3
February 13, 2024
As human beings we all change our minds. That is not news, but when Judas “changed his mind,” that tells us something extremely important theologically. Judas was remorseful over his betrayal of Jesus Christ. The emotional winds shifted direction, but it was not repentance. It is possible to feel sorry for a wrong we have committed against someone without any acknowledgement of sin. Regret can be just that, regret. The emotion of grief without truth leaves God out of the picture. Emotion is not the problem. Emotion driven by truth, godly grief, “produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10). Oh to be emotionally carried by the Spirit of Truth to the sublime delights of the life God wants us to live.
H
“Heavenly Father, may I know what it is to hate sin and obey you. Work in me the repentance that draws me ever nearer to you.”