Luke 22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

I was watching the Master’s golf tournament and was excited about the possibility of Jordan Spieth winning his second green jacket in two years, having the lead wire to wire, two years in a row, Then he hit two shots into Ray’s Creek and took a seven on the 13^th par 3. Disgusted I turned the television off.

In many ways we do this very same thing when we look to the behavior of other people when they do not live up to our hope for them. We ignore what it does in us. What right did I have to be disgusted? I had placed my hopes in a man. Men fail.

Many of us look to Judas as the one who betrayed Jesus and we blame him and when he committed suicide, some of us feel like he got off easy. We overlooked Luke 22:3 and failed to blame the real enemy Satan. I have heard some say that Satan wouldn’t have been allow into Judas if Judas was loyal to Jesus. Really? Is that true?

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

At the time of Luke 22:3 the Holy Spirit had not been given. If He had not yet been given, then Judas could not have been sealed, protected from Satan. Our protection from Satan, from being possessed, is in that when we believe the Holy Spirit enters in and seals us and protects us. It is not our hearts and minds that protect us, but rather God Himself.

We give ourselves too much credit to believe we are capable of fending off Satan on our own. We tell ourselves we can fight Satan off by quoting scripture appropriately. Who is the Word? Jesus! Who brings those scriptures into remembrance for use in battle? The Holy Spirit.

My outlook is bleak without He who saves.

Psalm 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Jeremiah 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Very similar verses are they not? Jeremiah’s words are just a little more expansive than Psalm 1 but is a good point which I am surprised has not been pointed out more than twice. Both use the same lead in phrase, “Blessed be the man”. At that point they differ.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

The difference here is 1:1 is all about obedience, action, the avoidance of error. 17:7 is faith based, in trusting and believing God will enact His will and keep His promises. Both are blessed but the first, Psalm 1:1 is a conditional blessing and Jeremiah 17:7 is an unconditional blessing.

If you give me a choice between conditional blessings and unconditional blessings, I’ll pick the unconditional, thank you very much.

John 1:12,13-16 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Having received His fullness, there is nothing to be done, nor left undone, for God has accomplished in that moment all that is required. God did it, unconditional blessings. Praise the Lord.