Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
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Every one of God's children has a price for which we would betray Jesus. Until we have matured in spirit and are established in God's grace, each of us has a price for which we would sell out our Lord. Every one of us. It is only the mercy of our heavenly Father that protects us from being offered our price before we become established in the faith. In His love for us, our Father is saving every one of us who is not yet established from betraying His Son and becoming apostate.
Judas was not wise. He did not take advantage of the time God gave him to follow Jesus, to learn to love him, and to become established in grace so that he would not sell the Lord out for any price. In the end, God sent Satan to Judas with the right price, and Judas betrayed the Lord of life for thirty pieces of silver. At that time, thirty pieces of silver was an enormous amount of money, but compared to the real value of Jesus, all that silver was no more than dung.
Your selling-out price may be to have a wife or a husband; it may be earthly riches, or an exalted position or title among men. Multitudes have sold out the Lord when they were offered "the praise of men" (Jn.12:43). Be wise, my friend, and seek "the honor that comes only from God" (Jn. 5:44).
Moses' first cousin, Korah, was offered his selling-out price, and he led the Great Rebellion in the Wilderness against the meekest man on earth. Ahithophel, King David's wisest counselor, was offered his selling-out price and joined Absalom's conspiracy against both King David and his own father. Satan offered Ananias and Sapphira their selling-out price, and they lied to the holy Ghost and died. All the many congregations of Asia were offered their selling-out price, and they rejected Paul and his gospel in favor of a more democratic form of religion that included ceremonies and lies that they wanted to hear.
Your time is coming. Prepare for it. You will at some point be offered your price, too. The only issue is whether or not you will have taken advantage of these days to grow, to learn, and to become established in grace. You don't know what your price is because only God knows the heart, but you can come to know the value of Christ. And when you truly come to know that, your heart will be established, and nothing will take you away from Him.
Sometimes, the price is a husband, or a wife. Over the years, I have seen saints trade their hope of eternal life for a spouse. Sometimes, the price is a better job, or popularity with friends or co-workers. I have been happy with saints who were promoted on their job, only to watch later as "status" and style puffed them up against Christ, who gave them that promotion. You have a price, my brother. It is in your flesh. Learn to subdue the flesh and bring it under obedience to the Spirit of God.
It is very humbling to confess that we have a price for which we would betray our Master, who loved us and gave his life for us, but it is true. And I believe that only pride will blind our hearts to that sad fact. Now is your time to learn to live in the Spirit rather than in the flesh. Your heavenly Father is not now allowing the devil to approach you with the offer that would cost you your soul. But He will. The time is surely coming. Will you be in the Spirit or in the flesh when it comes?
Until our hearts are rooted in the love of God, we would sell out the Savior-for the right price. Admit it to yourself, and seek the help of God! We must attain to the mind of Christ or a lie can still find a place in our hearts! Let us humble ourselves to confess that we need God to save us from ourselves; that we need Him to rescue us from our own lusts and opinions. He will save us if we seek Him for His power and grace.