Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - SECOND CHANCE

SECOND CHANCE

None of us ever do everything right all the time. In fact, if we are honest to admit it, few of us do the correct thing or make the correct choice anywhere near most of the time. Some feel that what they have done is beyond forgiveness so why even bother trying. Isn’t it fortunate that God has shown us His willingness to give us, with some correction, a second chance? This He has demonstrated many times throughout the Bible.

In the book of Exodus, we read about Moses who was raised as a royal but who killed an Egyptian noble. Even after being branded a murderer, God still sent him back to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of captivity and into the promised land. Moses would be written into history as one of Israels’ greatest heroes. He was given another chance to show God his loyalty but it came with a price - he had to spend 40 years as a shepherd (a far cry from his royal upbringing) - before he was given the opportunity to again serve God and his people.

In the book of Samuel, the story begins of David, the youngest son of Jesse and the one who was called upon to help defeat the Philistines. He went on to become one of the greatest kings in the history of Israel but in spite of this still developed an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and arranged for the death of her husband Uriah. In spite of all this, God still enabled him to write many of the Psalms and to be redeemed before God. David, however, still had to pay a price in that his first son with Bathsheba died and many of his other offspring rebelled. But David repented, as outlined in many of the Psalms, and was still honoured by God.

Even the prodigal son is an example of a second chance. He demanded his inheritance from his father, left home, and then spent it all in riotous living. Then, when all the money was gone, he finally decided to go back home where his father welcomed his return to the family and gave him another chance to start again. But he had to endure the pangs of poverty and humiliation before he repented and returned to his father; an allegory of how we can still be welcomed by our Heavenly Father after all we do here on earth.

Peter was told by Christ that he would deny Him three times on the night He was tried by the Sanhedrin. This came about just as predicted and Peter did deny Christ three times before the cock crowed. Peter…

 

…went out, and wept bitterly. 

(Luke 22:62)

Even in spite of this denial, however, Peter was not rejected by Christ but was greeted by Him both after His resurrection and later on the shore of Galilee.

There is also the story of John Mark who was in disagreement with Paul on one of his missionary journeys but later was commended by the same Paul in one of his later writings.

And of course, we all must consider ourselves, who have all been given more than one chance by Christ, for when He came:

He [was] despised and rejected by men… 

(Isaiah 53:3)

because…

[t]here is none righteous, no, not one… 

(Romans 3:10)

But even so… 

God demonstrates His own love toward us, 

in that while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us. 

(Romans 5:8)

As a result, we are also given a second chance if we are wise enough to accept it. It is often amazing what pain and penance many go through, as did those in the past, before such acceptance occurs. Our second chance is something we should all think about.