Here, let me answer that question the simplest way I know how. First, I believe that it has already been established that people can do miracles in the name of Christ, and Christ still not know them. Hence "depart from me you evil worker of iniquity, for I never knew you."
But here's another answer that is just as obvious.
First, we have to realize that the Bible is based on covenants, I often discuss this on the issue of baptism. Let's look at a couple of examples involving branches-
John 15:5,6- "I am the vine, you are the branches: he that abides in me and I in him, hte same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."
Rom. 11:16-18- "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were graften in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you."
Anyway, the point I'd like to make is this, briefly. Before the resurrection, the Jews were considered God's chosen people. Jews of the Abrahamic covenant, the covenant of circumcision, were all partakers in the gifts of the covenant, even if they were not truly of the sheep. Judas was obviously a partaker of the covenant, and a special partaker at that, for he was chosen as one of the 12 that would be closest to Christ. He had all the privelages of the other disciples...but the question is, how did this make him one of the sheep?
The simple answer to this is that it didn't. He was one of the branches that came from the vine of Christ. And since Christ abode not in him, Judas was cast off from the vine.
How could Judas have been a branch and not been saved? The same way that physical Israel was part of the covenant of God, the olive tree, but were not all of the elect. And since the non-believers of Israel were not of God's chosen, they were cast forth from off the olive tree, and the Gentiles (and Jewish Christians) were grafted in. Those whom Christ abided in were not cast forth, but they went on to bear much fruit, just as Christ said they would. Judas, being that Christ did not abide in him, was cut off...and in stead of going on to bear fruit, went crazy and killed himself, which I would hardly call bearing fruit.
Soli Deo gloria!
But here's another answer that is just as obvious.
First, we have to realize that the Bible is based on covenants, I often discuss this on the issue of baptism. Let's look at a couple of examples involving branches-
John 15:5,6- "I am the vine, you are the branches: he that abides in me and I in him, hte same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."
Rom. 11:16-18- "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were graften in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you."
Anyway, the point I'd like to make is this, briefly. Before the resurrection, the Jews were considered God's chosen people. Jews of the Abrahamic covenant, the covenant of circumcision, were all partakers in the gifts of the covenant, even if they were not truly of the sheep. Judas was obviously a partaker of the covenant, and a special partaker at that, for he was chosen as one of the 12 that would be closest to Christ. He had all the privelages of the other disciples...but the question is, how did this make him one of the sheep?
The simple answer to this is that it didn't. He was one of the branches that came from the vine of Christ. And since Christ abode not in him, Judas was cast off from the vine.
How could Judas have been a branch and not been saved? The same way that physical Israel was part of the covenant of God, the olive tree, but were not all of the elect. And since the non-believers of Israel were not of God's chosen, they were cast forth from off the olive tree, and the Gentiles (and Jewish Christians) were grafted in. Those whom Christ abided in were not cast forth, but they went on to bear much fruit, just as Christ said they would. Judas, being that Christ did not abide in him, was cut off...and in stead of going on to bear fruit, went crazy and killed himself, which I would hardly call bearing fruit.
Soli Deo gloria!
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@ Michelle!
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