The Myths And Truth About Judas Losing His Salvation

 For several generations, the subject of Judas losing his salvation has been one of the most debated or talked about topic in matters concerning salvation.

Every time the glorious gospel of God’s grace and eternal salvation is taught, a few set of people always have a way of coming up with “Ermm …. but Judas Iscariot the disciple of Jesus lost his salvation even after working signs and wonders and eating from the same plate with Jesus “.

As if that is not enough, you will hear them say “Becareful of these new generation preachers, these hyper grace preachers who are out to deceive the gullible by saying a Christian can’t lose his salvation. Judas was a Christian, the financial secretary and treasurer of the disciples, he worked miracles and cast out demons, yet he lost his salvation and went to hell.”

But Is it really true that Judas lost his salvation? If it is true, did he lose it by betraying Jesus?

As a Bible-believing Christian, I think it is paramount that we look into the Bible for answers to such questions in order for us not build our whole lives on mere human emotional or sentimental beliefs. That’s what God would have us do.

To find out if Judas lost his salvation by betraying Jesus, I think we need to start by asking if he had it in the first place. Was Judas ever saved? Was he ever born again and filled with the Holy Spirit? The reason is because you cannot possibly “lose” what you don’t “have” in the first place.

So let us begin by taking a look at what it means for one to “have received salvation” or “be born again” from the scriptures, the processes involved in salvation.

Rom 10:8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

Rom 10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

Rom 10:12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

From where we just read, we see that Faith which overflows into confession is all it takes for salvation to occur. Get this clear, that verse is not just talking about “confession” alone getting you saved, or “faith plus confession” as two separate things you need in order to be saved? No.

It is all pointing to Faith here. The kind of faith that causes your words to immediately align with what you have believed in your heart. The Faith prompts those Confessions. That’s the basic thing. You’ve got to BELIEVE in Him with all your heart to the point your mouth can’t keep calm about it. Your words immediately begin to showcase this faith you already have in your heart.

Let me be a little bit clearer here, believing in Him that those verses are talking about is not as a Miracle-worker, healer, prophet or even the creator. No! You can’t get born again by just accepting the fact that He has those supernatural abilities and can work such wonders. Its talking about believing in Him as the SAVIOUR of the world. The only one that can OFFER you SALVATION.

So was their ever a time in the Bible Judas believed in Jesus for salvation? Did he ever truly see Jesus as the real Saviour and Redeemer of the world? Did he ever believe his sins can be forgiven him by Jesus? There is no record of such in the Bible.

And if there’s no record of such, is it right then for us to say that Judas was once a “Christian” or better put, “a believer” in Jesus, seeing that he never at any time believed Jesus could forgive him his sins or is the saviour of the world?

If he never believed in Jesus for salvation, then he never had salvation in the first place. He was never saved at any time not to talk of losing his salvation.

His (Judas) going to hell is not as a result of him betraying Jesus. It has nothing to do with that. Besides, Peter denied Him too. And in God’s eyes both sins are equal and deserves equal punishment. All sins (murder, lying, adultery etc) are equal in His eyes regardless of WHO committed them.

According to the scriptures, both men discovered they did wrong and regretted their actions (Matt.27:3-5, Matt. 26:75). So the belief that Peter was forgiven because he repented does not hold water, Matthew 27:3-5 clearly said Judas repented (regretted his actions) too.

However, the difference between Peter and Judas is that Peter was there even till the resurrection of Christ. He saw everything to the end and BELIEVED in Him after the resurrection, received the forgiveness of his sins and the Holy Spirit. From there he became a mighty instrument in God’s hands.

Judas cut himself short of that opportunity. He was never born again nor had the Holy Spirit in him before hanging himself. None of the apostle actually did until the resurrection of Christ. (John 20:20-23, Luke 24:44-49)

The Holy Spirit only came in to LIVE within them after the resurrection of Jesus, permanently marking them as God’s own and sealing them forever from destruction (Hell).

Ephesians 1 & 4 shows us that’s the process by which the Spirit of God does this.

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

So did Judas lose his salvation simply by betraying Jesus? Not at all. He was never saved in the first place. He never believed in Him as the Saviour or the payment of His sins, else he wouldn’t have taken his own life thinking his sins can never be forgiven.

If he had believed in Jesus’ forgiveness, the scriptures are clear, his sins (including his betrayal of Jesus) would have been forgiven him.

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

I hope this blesses you!

Glory to God!