Day 94 (Year 2)

The Test of Drawing Back in Faith

“Jesus answered them, ‘Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?'” (John 6:70 NASB)

Judas the betrayer followed Jesus while he stole from the group’s money box (John 12:6). Moreover, he accepted Satan’s thoughts and ideas. In today’s scripture, Jesus had prophesied that Judas was a devil. In my understanding, Judas was also a secret slanderer. Yet Jesus’ foreknowledge did not deprive Judas of the opportunity to follow Him. Indeed, He chose him as one of the twelve disciples.

First, Judas might have been money-minded before following Jesus. After being chosen as one of the twelve, he might have become less attentive to his own problems—just as some people deteriorate in faith after experiences such as baptism. People often let their guard down after a difficult test, and this laxity can lead to decay. When Judas was appointed as an apostle, he might have concluded that he no longer needed to strive to do better. Meanwhile, he was dissatisfied that Jesus, despite His ability to perform miracles, was unwilling to use that power to earn money or lead an uprising. Jesus’ simplistic living might have left Judas disappointed, as he expected a wealthy living. In other words, those who are deceived by evil spirits often sin when they feel under pressure. Contrarily, believers must rely on God to remove wrong beliefs and learn proper stress management. Also remember: Those who put on a pretense to deceive others are themselves easily deceived and even exploited by the devil. Thus, do not pretend, lest you fall into ruin.

Second, within the faith community, believers must be cautious of those who betray Jesus or the faith. We must be vigilant, not allowing ourselves to walk the path of drawing back. In fact, taking faith seriously requires perseverance and diligence in obeying God’s words; so, we need to cultivate these virtues. In the Bible, there have always been those who abandoned the faith within God’s people due to the direct or indirect work of the devil. God permits some within the faith community to experience betrayal, and this truly tests believers. We need godly wisdom to discern and resist evil and learn to relate to different people in a godly way. We are to treat one another with love while remaining on guard against those whose faith has drawn back. Whether openly or covertly opposing the faith against Jesus, we must clearly reject them and point out their problems at the right time. But for those who have drifted in faith due to ignorance, we need to approach them with patience and wisdom to win them back.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you find that after going through a major test, you tend to become lax? If so, how will you rely on God to avoid decaying?

2) What methods can you use to help yourself prevent drawing back in faith?