Jesus said people stop believing because of persecution, affliction, and temptation-Luke 8:13, Matthew 13:21.
Exactly what kind of "belief" was this in the first place in Luke 8:13 and Matthew 13:21? If it was saving belief, then where is the fruit? Faith without works is dead. The shallow ground hearer is contrasted with that of the "good ground" hearer, who's heart was "good" and "honest." Thus, his heart was "not good," being like the soil to which it corresponds, being
"shallow" or "rocky," lacking sufficient depth. People who hear and receive the word with joy (emotional response) and believe (in a shallow way) without a good and honest heart, and
without having "root" do not experience real salvation.
But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have
no root.." Problem from the start. Temporary shallow belief that was not firmly rooted or established from the start "has no root" represents rocky soil. Then we see the results of this.
Temporary shallow belief that has no root, lacks moisture, produces no fruit and withers away is not saving belief.
In CONTRAST, we read in Matthew 13:23 - "And the one on whom seed was sown on the
good soil, this is the man who hears the word and
understands it; who
INDEED BEARS FRUIT and brings forth,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."
No more foolish than God choosing Judas to minister the gospel to the people during Jesus' earthly ministry even though God knew all along that Judas was a fake. Yet God gave him that position anyway. And He did it for a reason. Likewise, you should not try to apply your limited earthly logic to why God saves people who he knows will fall away. He has his reasons.
In John 6:70, we read - Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve,
and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he
who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
In John 6:64, we read - But there are someof you who
do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.
In John 13:10, we read - Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean,
but not all of you." For
He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said,
"You are not all clean." Judas did not lose salvation. He never had it.
So why did Jesus choose Judas? In John 13:18, we read -
I know whom I have chosen; BUT that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’
In Matthew 10:1, we see that Jesus gave His 12 disciples power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. This would include Judas Iscariot, yet Jesus referred to Judas Iscariot as an
unbelieving, unclean devil who would betray Him! (John 6:64, 71; 13:10-11).
Apparently, Judas believed that Jesus' name has the power to cast out demons but
did not truly believe in His name (John 1:12) and become a child of God, but instead was the son of perdition (John 17:12).