5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Leviticus 7-8
Matthew 27:1-26

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Matthew 27:3-5 (CSB): “Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,’ he said. ‘What’s that to us?’ they said. ‘See to it yourself!’ So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

This article talks about suicide. If you need help, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline by dialing 988.

There have been a few times in my ministry when a church member has asked me, “Do you think that Judas was saved? Do you think that he went to Heaven?” When I inquire as to why they are asking the question, they say something like, “Because he admitted that what he did was wrong and was convicted over it.”

Looking back at the verses I have chosen for today, you can observe that Judas was clearly filled with sorrow over what he had done (he “was full of remorse”). Further, he publicly admitted what he did (“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood”).

So, what are we to make of that? Does this verse tell us that Judas got saved? Or can we be filled with remorse over our sins and misdeeds, acknowledge what we have done wrong, and still be unsaved? Look at the following verse.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (CSB): “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.”

Did you catch that? The Bible says there is a difference between “godly grief” and “worldly grief.”

If you look at the original language this verse was written in (Greek), you’ll see that the exact same word is used for “grief” in both instances. The only difference is the adjectives before the word “grief” (“godly” and “worldly”).

But how do we know if our grief is godly or worldly? The answer: Look at what it produces!

We can tell if our grief is a good kind of grief that gains Heaven’s approval by what it produces. And we can, likewise, tell if our grief is a bad kind of grief that is not approved by Heaven by what it produces. Look at the verse again.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (CSB): “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.”

When the Apostle Peter grieved after denying his Lord three times, what did his grief produce? Initially, it pushed him away from Jesus. But, after an undesignated period of time, he was restored to good standing with Jesus and used by Him to powerfully move the early church forward in a dark culture. Peter didn’t end up a defeated old man (“worldly grief produces death”). Instead, he died as a martyr who was restored and used incredibly in the Kingdom (“godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret”).

So, Peter’s grief was godly grief. How do we know? Because of what it produced. He was restored to a relationship with Jesus again.

What kind of grief did Judas demonstrate? All we need to do is look at what it produced. It led him to despair instead of being drawn to Jesus. As a result, he committed self-murder.

Is it possible for a Christian to sometimes experience worldly grief and move toward despair and maybe even take their own life? Yes. It’s possible. Suicide is a complex thing that can be the result of a brain that has been rewired by unbearable difficulties and trauma. When I was in my 20s, I was suicidal because of a lot of junk that I needed to address in my thinking. I was eventually restored back to an enjoyable relationship with the Lord. But the point remains that I, a believer, was seriously contemplating suicide. I’m so glad that I didn’t act on those thoughts!

My point in this article is that Judas clearly felt bad for what he did and admitted his sin. But that does not mean he was saved. His actions demonstrated that he experienced worldly grief, not godly grief. So, people cannot look at Matthew 27:3-5 and say that Judas was saved because he felt bad and publicly confessed his sins.

So, what about you? Do you feel bad when you do something wrong? What does your grief move you to do? Do you wallow in guilt and remain there, or do you eventually receive Jesus’ forgiveness and get restored to a relationship with Him? Your response to your grief will let you know if it is godly or worldly.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you genuinely grieve when you violate one of His commands in Scripture.
  • Ask God to help you have a pure, godly grief that leads to repentance and restoration, not a grief that leaves you feeling condemned and defeated.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into godly grief, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What is godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10)?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)