Free Will & Grace: Why Judas Failed and Peter Succeeded

I'm Michael Link and welcome to The Depositum, where we explore the depths of Christian theology
 through AI. Please note the voices ahead are AI generated. We vet each episode but ask that
 you listen with both faith and reason. Let's dive in. You know, as we prepare for this deep dive
 into the prologue of the 12 Men Who Changed the World, there's a common myth we really need
 to shatter for you, the listener. Right, the idea that the apostles were just, you know,
 made of fundamentally different material than us. Exactly. Like, their actions were predetermined.
 But Judas and Peter, they had the exact same capacity to choose. Sanctity is not a script
 written for robots. It requires the terrifying, beautiful gift of human free will. I mean,
 it's like true love, right? It means absolutely nothing if it is forced. Absolutely. And to
 really grasp this, we have to look at the Old Testament foundation. The core truth here
 is that God left man in the hand of his own counsel. Yeah, let's go straight to the text
 for that. From the book of Serak, chapter 15, verses 14 through 18. God made man from the
 beginning and left him in the hand of his own counsel. He added his commandments and precepts.
 If thou wilt keep the commandments and perform acceptable fidelity forever,
 they shall preserve thee. He hath set water and fire before thee. Stretch forth thy hand
 to which thou wilt. Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall
 choose shall be given him. And looking at the Hadak commentary on that passage,
 it makes a profound point. God's commandments would never be imposed if man were not free.
 Man is inexcusable, specifically because he has the free will to avoid sin.
 Okay, so to unpack that, it is like a master teacher giving you the ultimate study
 guide. But you still must make the choice to actually take the test.
 Precisely. And that choice is laid out clearly in the ancient law.
 Which brings us to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 30. We're looking at verses 15 and 19.
 Verse 15. Consider that I have set before thee this day life and good,
 and on the other hand, death and evil. And in verse note, team, I call heaven and earth
 to witness this day that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing.
 Choose therefore life that both thou and thy seed may live.
 No teacher could more plainly inculcate the liberty of the human will. God sets life and
 death before us. He invites our active choice, but he absolutely does not force the heart.
 It's such a stark invitation. And if we pivot to the New Testament, we see this concept of
 synergism. This explains how our free will must cooperate with God's grace. We see this in the
 epistle to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 12 through 13. Wherefore, my dearly beloved,
 as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,
 with fear and trembling, work out your salvation. For it is God who worketh in you,
 both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.
 The commentary here is really crucial. We have to work with fear and trembling so we aren't proud,
 recognizing we can do nothing without God. Yet our free will is not taken away. Otherwise,
 we wouldn't be commanded to work in the first place.
 So grace isn't a free ride. It is a partnership where God provides the wind,
 but we still have to hoist the sails. Exactly. And hoisting those sails is a
 strict requirement. Let's look at how demanding that is in the epistle of James,
 verse 14. What shall it profit my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works?
 Shall faith be able to save him? Verse 17. So faith also, if it have not works,
 is dead in itself. Verse 24. Do you see that by works a man is justified,
 and not by faith only? The interpretation here is undeniable.
 Faith alone will not save anyone. Good works must concur with faith to a man's salvation.
 Okay, so how does this dogma of cooperation actually finalize?
 Well, the Catechism of the Council of Trent synthesizes this beautifully into four points.
 First, God gifted man free will at creation. Okay, that's the foundation.
 Right. Second, after the fall, we lost original justice and desperately need divine
 grace. We cannot do acceptable actions without it. Because of that fracture.
 Yes. But third, we have a strict duty to actively cooperate with this grace.
 We must use our best exertions. Which sounds incredibly demanding.
 It does, but that leads to the fourth point. Obedience is not impossible,
 because God pours the fervor of his love into our hearts through the Holy Ghost.
 Here's where it gets really interesting. We are not passive clay. We are required to
 actively work alongside the artist. Which brings us right back to the
 emotional core of the Apostle's story. Yes. As we launch into the series,
 remember this. The Apostles weren't super humans. They simply used their free will
 to cooperate with God's grace. And Judas received the exact same grace,
 but used his free will to bury his talent. God has set before you water
 and fire, life and death. What will you choose today?