I can conceive of no greater sin than that which was committed by Judas in betraying the LORD JESUS CHRIST. As heinous and callous an act as it was, it was no less predestinated to occur by the GOD who does all things according to HIS good pleasure than the orbits of the planets or the placement of the Sun in the heavens. "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said." (Mat 26:23-25)
It was necessary for Judas to commit this heinous act in order for the redemption which was ordained by the LORD to occur. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Mat 1:21) Such a momentous event was not left to chance but its occurrence is evidence of the fact that all things are ordained to occur in order to fulfill the purpose of HIM who predestines all events. "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it."(Isa 46:9-11)
That brings us to an interesting and strikingly solemn conclusion that even sin itself is ordained by GOD to fulfill HIS purpose and that there is nothing that can take place which does not exactly fit into the order of things which HE has determined to accomplish. I can hear the collective gasps of all the legalists and moralists who somehow think that it is necessary to defend the righteousness of GOD against the gainsaying of men. It is impossible that man should ever rightly accuse GOD of anything untoward or lay any charge of unrighteousness at HIS feet. Paul said, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." (Rom 9:20-23)
GOD is always right because HE is GOD. There are no parameters within which HE must work nor can men in any way dictate, determine, or sit in judgment of anything which HE is pleased to do in the earth or the heavens. HIS creation of this world was for HIS own purpose which HE has shown to be the setting of a stage whereon HE would demonstrate the glory of HIS grace in the redemption of a people which HE loved in CHRIST before the foundation of the world. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:4-9)
The LORD could have demonstrated HIS love for HIS chosen people in any fashion which pleased HIM. HE determined to do it by sending HIS only begotten SON into the world to die for their sins and make an atonement for them, forever purging them of all guilt and condemnation associated therein. HE did not do this out of any necessity except that which originated in HIS own purpose and desire. In order for CHRIST to die for sinners it was necessary that sin occur. The sin of Adam and Eve was not by chance nor did it in any wise run contrary to that which GOD had ordained to fulfill his own purpose. The scheme of redemption was not a move by GOD to remedy an unforeseen problem. Rather HE created the world to demonstrate the glory of HIS grace in the redemption of sinners, so sin was a necessity in order to fulfill that purpose.
At this point some are surely gasping for breath, bringing out the tar and feathers, and making the hangman's noose ready. Some are saying "he's making GOD to be the author of sin". It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss such an inane subject, but suffice it to say that GOD has ordained that sin fulfill HIS purpose as much as HE has any other occurrence which "must" take place according to HIS decree. Let the moralists rant, as if GOD is susceptible to the baseless accusations of men. GOD is GOD and we must fall at HIS feet in adoring wonder and say, "even so FATHER for so it seemed good in thy sight."
The scripture plainly says that GOD hates sin and is angry with the wicked every day, HE will not look upon it, nor clear the guilty. If anyone should doubt the awfulness of sin let him never forget that sin was the very reason that the FATHER judged HIS own SON as worthy of death. It was sin that brought about HIS betrayal, sin that drove him to agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, caused HIS pain at the hands of HIS captors, and ultimately put HIM upon the cross whereon HE died for HIS elect bride. HIS precious, pure, and holy blood was poured out upon the ground cursed for sin's sake. So never, never doubt the reprehensible nature of sin which caused our blessed REDEEMER's pain.
Yet we must never fall prey to the mindset that views HIS death for sin as some unplanned or planned inevitability which was a stop gap remedy designed at the last moment to solve an unforeseen problem, much like our present government's stupid attempts to try to stave off economic catastrophe. Nor can we embrace a view which makes what HE did prone to fail because some men will not believe in HIM.
GOD has ordained sin to occur to fulfill HIS own purpose and every last one of those sins must be committed for that purpose to stand. We have no doubt that it will. Nor do we doubt that every sin for which HE atoned is forever removed. If CHRIST died for the sins of HIS people before those sins were committed, and we are certain that HE did, then it is necessary for those sins to occur unless HE died in vain. Here is the glory of that which HE has accomplished. IT WAS NOT IN VAIN. Everyone for whom HE shed HIS precious blood is forever set free from the condemnation, guilt, and destruction which they rightly deserve.
Those who are reconciled to GOD through the death of the LORD JESUS CHRIST manifest that they have been born again by the SPIRIT of GOD who has written HIS law upon their hearts. They can no more delight and love the way of sin without reservation nor despise the law of GOD (i.e. transgression) than the wicked can embrace the truth of GOD. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." (1John 3:10) Sin must occur, and the greatest heartbreak and lament of the sons of GOD is that they commit such heinous acts which caused their beloved SAVIOR to bleed.
mam