I saw a quote the other day that made me stop and think for a moment. It went like this: “Judas had the best pastor, the best leader, the best advisor, and the best counselor – yet he failed!” We can go through all the motions, say all the right things, and even do all the things that a Christian should do, but if our heart isn’t changed – it will do us no good.
Judas was one of the original twelve who followed Jesus. He was there when Jesus rebuked the Pharisees. He saw Jesus heal the sick, raise the dead, and do many amazing things. And he probably even did some of them himself as the twelve were known to do. He heard Jesus teachings and sat at His feet for three years – yet his heart was never changed! The Bible tells us “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
Medical professionals tell us there are many warning signs to heart failure, and we can watch out for them in order to hopefully keep our human hearts beating correctly. The same is true with our hearts spiritually. There are many warning signs that prove our hearts aren’t where they should be. Jesus said of unbelievers in Matthew 15:8, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” Hebrews 3:12 warns us, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”
What a terrible tragedy that will be when thousands of people end up just like Judas…doomed for all of eternity because their hearts weren’t right! Jesus taught again in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We must love our Lord with all of our hearts, and we must seek Him as well. Don’t die of spiritual heart failure – it happens all too often!