His epitaph would read "He found no place of repentance. That's about all the Scripture tells us of this church leader's act of suicide.

Prophecies told of the one who would betray the Lord. They even specified how many pieces of silver would be used as the price of betrayal. Some would argue that it was Judas' lot in life to be the betrayer; that he was probably dishonest because he was the one who held the purse. We've all heard messages preached about the stinginess of Judas and the greed that was in his nature.

Have you ever wondered why Judas killed himself? Have you ever considered that possibly he didn't have to die? Judas' kiss of betrayal was a terrible deed, but was it as bad as Peter's confession that he did not know the Lord? And this after promising Jesus that he would never leave His side even though everyone else would?

Why does Peter get to live and Judas have to die? Why does Judas hang from a rope and Peter preach the message of Pentecost? Well, we know that one thing is for sure; while Peter is hanging out with the boys on the boat, Judas is desperately seeking repentance, but he finds none. Peter, the proud braggart, as cocky as he was, was able to find that place in his heart where he could say within himself, "I’m sorry Lord!"

No place of repentance is a terrible place to be. You can be sitting in church with people worshipping God all around you and be in a place of no repentance. You can be on a platform on a Sunday night and be in a place of no repentance.

Leaders within the church especially find it hard to move into that place of repentance for several reasons. Sometimes, they feel that they are above everyone else. This thinking brings the leader to a place where he thinks it is not necessary for him to be humble and ask for help or forgiveness. Leaders also feel that there is no one they can confide in. How horrible it is to be the counsellor to many, but have no one to help them find a place of repentance.

No place of repentance can kill you. It can rob you of your true potential. It can steal from you your peace of mind. It will dominate your thinking until you find yourself outside of the Kingdom wondering, "How did I end up on the outside looking in?"

Several years ago a man of God was found to be living in sin. While some preachers were condemning and judging him for his sin, one old saintly lady said about the situation, "Well at least now he can be saved". How profound! How amazing!

His sin is no longer hidden. He has been exposed. His friends and family are in shock and will forever feel betrayed by him, but at least now he can be saved. While he is hiding his sin he can find no place of forgiveness but now he can pray at the altar with everyone else. He may not be in the pulpit on Sunday night, but you may get to see him in Heaven someday.

Why no place of repentance for Judas? Was there no saint there to pray for him? Was there no friend to say, "God will forgive you"? Where was the message of forgiveness?

Judas attends many of our churches. His sin may not be as great as the Judas of the Bible, but there are people who feel that they have betrayed the Lord to the point that there is no way home for them. They believe that they knew too much to sin the way they did and as a result, there is no place of repentance for them.

Where is the church for Judas? Where is the message of grace for him? Someone has to say to Judas, "You too can be saved".

I am convinced that Jesus loved Judas. I am convinced that He trusted him. I am certain that our Lord wanted Judas to someday stand inside Heaven's gates. Why then do we find this man whom Jesus loved and trusted at the end of a rope? He found no place of forgiveness.

Someone must convince Judas that Jesus loves him. Somebody has to tell him that he does not have to die to prove his love for the Lord. Judas didn't kill himself because he was crazy. He killed himself in an attempt to purchase forgiveness. He thought that if he paid the ultimate price for his own sin that the Lord would forgive him. His despair was caused by his knowledge that he had betrayed the One who loved him more than anyone had ever loved him before.

There are perhaps few people in this world you would die for and fewer still the people you would commit suicide over should you offend them. Judas did not tie that knot in that rope because he was driven by the spirit of suicide. He tied that knot because he was so overcome by guilt that he no longer wanted to live.

Judas loved the Lord. Jesus was his closest friend. Jesus called him out above his fellows. Jesus saw something in Judas that Judas did not see in himself. When other people said Judas was a thief and a liar, Jesus trusted him with his money. When no one else would give Judas a job, Jesus made him the treasurer. Judas looked up to Jesus. He knew that no one in this world had ever given him the kind of trust and opportunities that Jesus did. You may never truly understand Judas' state of mind the day he took his own life until your come to a place in your own life where you have greatly offended the one person who really loved and believed in you.

Are you hearing me, dear child of God? Are you finding yourself in this picture yet? Do you realise that there is room at the cross even for you? Do you know that your sin is not uncommon to the Lord and that the Cross of Calvary was for you too? A place of repentance is of absolute necessity if you are going to be saved. You cannot make it in your ministry, marriage or in this life if you have no place of repentance.

There is an altar for you too. Kneeling before the Lord is not just for the sinner. If you are in the pulpit it is not just for the people you preach to on Sundays. We must all find that place of repentance.

Incredible potential for the Kingdom of God was destroyed the day Judas died. Jesus did not choose Judas because he was looking for someone to betray him someday. He chose him because he saw eternal potential in him. Who knows the cities that could have been won by his preaching? What books of the Bible could have testified of his power with God and the anointing of his ministry? Eternity will never tell the whole story of Judas' life, all because he found no place of repentance.

Your position among men does not matter. Your state of affluence does not matter. There is a place of forgiveness for you. You may never need it, but if you do, you can find it if you will seek it.