Did Judas have free will to reject Satan's temptation? [closed]

Question

I have this thought and I would like to hear yours. Was Judas destined to betray Jesus or does Judas have the free will to reject Satan’s temptation? Satan has entered Judas’ body at John 13:27 which did Judas willingly let this happen or is it destined to turn out like this?

Answer 1

No Judas didn't have free will in the sense that you expect - That he was free to choose a response to good and evil input.

All men except Jesus are impacted to varying degrees by the corruption since Adam. None see clearly, therefore their 'free will' is tainted and unable to make a clear, just or righteous choice. Judas did not 'know' God or His son correctly because of the corruption that was in him. His sense of good and evil is confused and he is self-centred by default. This state is fixed unless God intervenes and grants access to His way of thinking and His truth.

God allows the state of man to be a tool for His good works to be accomplished. Just as He used the Serpent in the garden and ever since to provide a bitter contrast to His ways of holy righteous loving action. Just as Jesus experienced suffering and was matured by it. Just as Jesus was tempted - bitterly at the very end, by the tool of evil for a good cause.

Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Heb 5:8

We can easily read over that verse and not consider the suffering he encountered and endured his whole mortal life.

Until God intervenes to call or draw someone to Himself, they will remain corrupted and deceived. That's why God is the one who grants repentance - it was not in Judas because God had not yet granted him that option. Once granted, it is still an option to choose or reject God, but without true free will, we cannot and will not.

If one does choose God and believe on Jesus in faith - God has granted that path.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him John 6:44

Answer 2

Judas was chosen by Jesus.

John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

6:71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

God is God over both the good and the evil.

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

When we seek to our idols and worship false gods, it is God who choses in what manner to answer. e.g.

Ezekiel 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

But your question was is Judas Satan's "chosen one"? Well, as we see from John, Judas was Peter's son. And Peter if you remember seems to write from the church in Babylon as Peter signs off in his first letter:

1 Peter 5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

And spiritually in Revelation we find ourselves in Babylon.

Satan's seat is also mentioned:

Revelation 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

Those are the references that come to mind. How to exactly understand your question and the answer to it, I don't yet see precisely.

Answer 3

For me man free will exists but God is out of time and then can foreknow many things. As Jesus was God in the flesh he chose Judas because he foreknew that he would betray him. In addition Jesus was able to see in the heart of men beyond appearance.

Even if God chose not to have full foreknowledge as we can see in some occasions (eg: king Saul, Jer 19:5 and 32:35)

We have complete free will and no one is predestined to hell. We always have the choice to change direction (even Judas). Our soul (different from our spirit while links with it through our heart) is made of the mind (thought) the feelings and the consciousness which is the compass (our consciousness can be weak or contaminated (1 Co 8:7) by changing light in darkness (Es 5:20)). Judas had a consciousness that was not polluted as he gave back the money and was so condamned that he hanged himself. So our free will does exist and also hope (1co 13:13) but it had to based on a Word from God (heb 3:15, prov 20:35, jer 10:23...) and to get a Word from God we need to have a regular relationship with Him. For many small things in the material life we have to exert our free will, provided that we have not (or we are not mature enough) a Word from God. There are different ways to get a Word from God but I will not enter this field. Be tolerant with me as It is my first answer to a question and English is not my native language

Answer 4

One answer already stated with apt references,that all those who believe in Him, have eternal life and shall not be judged. Only the spiritually dead--those "unbelievers" whose names are not written in the Lambs Book of Life are defendants at the great white throne judgment. Another properly noted that Judas was chosen by Jesus, all the while knowing that he was a devil.

Both answers are correct as to those points. Yet, the thing that determines whether Judas would be a devil, and why he was chosen with Jesus knowing he was a devil, is found in John 6:64:

But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

This does not show God to be the determiner of Judas's "belief". If Judas did believe, his actions would probably have been different.

But there is something much more sinister about Judas than just doing wrong things. Peter also is well known for acting disgustingly against Jesus. Yet, Jesus knew that Peter believed as shown in Mat 16:15-18:

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Here we see BOTH the Father "drawing" and Peter "believing". That the Father had drawn Peter was not the condition that kept Peter from judgment, but rather the believing. The flesh of Peter was weak, and failed, but His faith in the WORD of God was decisive, notwithstanding Peter was "chosen" right alongside Judas. Judas believed not, but Peter believed, and Jesus, that very WORD required to be believed--KNEW IT, well beforehand and made His choices upon that basis.

Psalm 109 puts the tail right on the donkey, revealing Judas--that wicked--as being someone who will actually rule under another "wicked man" over him, and with Satan at his right hand. WHEN HAS JUDAS EVER RULED--YET? So if you believe the WORD of God, he will rule as a wicked resurrected man, right under that other wicked resurrected man.

The "mouth" of the wicked (Judas--the false prophet) and the "mouth" of the deceitful (Satan) together with the mouth of that other "wicked man" (the beast) are the same "mouths" pointed out in Rev 16:13:

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

When you get time, check out the word "mouth" to see what constitutes "antichrist". Unbelief brings judgment.