The Pattern of Perdition

https://newheartinchrist.org/perdition/

(Please note the following is my opinion and interpretation and not “church doctrine”)
“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.” (Matthew 26:24)
When does one cross this horrific line when God himself says it would have been better that we had not been born? First let’s ask the question, what is the point of “a life”?
I believe the answer is to progress closer to God, even line upon line, precept upon precept. To progress.
If we digress, then it would be better that we had not been born.
What is the only way to permanently digress in a life? To void Christ’s “grace” completely? Or receive the 2nd death? To deny God.
How do we deny God? By denying the Holy Ghost.
How is this done? Only by pride. By placing oneself deliberately above God.
This is done by knowing God’s will perfectly through revelation from the Holy Ghost then thinking we know a better way (than God) still and deliberately going against God’s plan with our own.
I believe Judas knew Christ was God, he had witnessed countless miracles. He had been by His side, felt His perfect love and been filled with His Holy Spirit. However he still thought he knew best, even when Christ had taught and it had been confirmed to Judas’s heart, Christ’s way was not to physically deliver us, but spiritually.
So Judas tried to force God’s hand. He didn’t think Christ would allow Himself to be killed as God (because his pride told him if he was God he himself wouldn’t allow it). He didn’t know of Christ’s perfect humility and meekness, that Christ was only “all powerful”, because He was perfectly in control. He was perfect enough to be as “meek as a lamb to the slaughter”. By so doing He would prove beyond a doubt His love and perfection to us all. That His way of meekness was the higher, better way.
I believe Judas thought he knew better than God Himself, he thought if he betrayed Christ to the Romans then Christ would have to show His power in force and deliver Himself and so all the Jews. Just as the Jews had prophesied their savior would deliver them and be their king as David of old.
Judas put his own plan above God’s. Like the devil had done in the beginning. Knowing by the Spirit of God that it was not God’s way but then… he tried to force his way anyway because he thought he knew best. Better than God Himself.
Like Satan had tempted the Lord in the wilderness, Judas tried to push Christ off the edge thinking He, Christ, wouldn’t be able to stop Himself from saving Himself and all of them from their Roman captors. The blindness of pride.
This is how a life is wasted I believe, how we commit the unpardonable sin. Pride.
To knowingly go against the perfect plan of God, by knowingly putting our will above God’s. Thinking we know better, even than God. Just as the original Son of Perdition did from the beginning.
All sin I believe has an element of this pride, we can progress in this pride if we don’t apply repentance and “check it” with humility until we eventually commit the sin of Judas.
In order to avoid this downward spiral we must continually acknowledge God is God and we are not and seek and submit to His will and not our own (Mosiah 3:19).

“Temptation of Christ” painted” by J Kirk Richards