There are the wicked and there are the righteous
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To what extent some people belong to God before they receive Jesus, and others are wicked and not of God, we cannot say. It is obvious that Judas was condemned from the beginning. However, the Scripture holds true that if any person comes to Jesus he will not be turned aside.
Judas betrayed Christ with the kiss of friendship. How truly treacherous and perverse is the spirit of covetousness! Indeed, covetousness is idolatry. It is the worship of the God of riches, the God of the world. Of all the heathen gods worshiped in His day, Christ spoke only of one—Mammon (money).
Antichrist starts out among the people of God, as we can see concerning Gehazi, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira. But those who are of Antichrist never were of God, although though they may have a true spiritual gift. Jesus never knew them even though they worked miracles in His name.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (I John 2:19)
It is not true, as some teach, that Balaam was a false prophet. Balaam was a true seer. God came to him when he prayed.
And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? (Numbers 22:9)
If Balaam had been a false prophet he would have been able to curse Israel with no trouble. The problem arose because he was a true seer.
Gehazi, and Ananias and Sapphira, chose death when they were fellowshiping with eternal life.
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? (II Kings 5:26)
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 5:1,2)
Their conscious remorse will make Hades all the more unbearable for them. In like manner, Judas was one of the twelve who were closest to Christ.
We have no doubt that Antichrist will come from the Christian churches. Remember, Antichrist is not the opposite of Christ, he is the counterfeit of Christ.
Skillfully made counterfeit money can be detected only by an expert. It virtually is identical to genuine currency. It differs only in its source.
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