Do we deserve a second chance with God?

 

We often hear people saying they have turned their life around – they deserve a second chance. I am a firm believer in what I call “natural redemption” - meaning if someone who has done wrong is contrite and turns their life around, they deserve a new lease on life. In other words, we as human beings need to forgive one another. It is important for the reader to understand that just because you forgive someone does not mean you begin to automatically trust that person again. Trust is very fragile. It takes years to develop, but it only takes one mistake for your trust in someone or someone’s trust in you to disappear. So, forgiveness and trust are not the same. Forgiveness means you no longer hold the offender responsible for the sins they have committed against you. You let the offender go free. They have been absolved of all guilt – a wonderful thing. Trust is in investment you have placed in someone. It is like money in the bank. If your bank helps you grow your investment with them, you will continue the business relationship. If the bank violates your trust, then you will withdraw your money, end the relationship, and place your money (I.e., Trust) somewhere else. Trust in human beings always involves risk. Why? Because you often do not know the character of the people you are dealing with. That takes time – and hopefully your trust in them will grow. 

 

Do we as sinful, rebellious human beings deserve second chances with God Almighty? No. As harsh and unfair as this may be to hear, the moment we commit our first morally known sin, we deserve hell. This awareness comes early in life. The reason man feels he deserves chances with God is because most men will declare his own goodness (Proverbs 20:6). Also, most people believe God is a God of love only. They choose to ignore the fact God is also a God of justice and wrath. The problem(s) with man is he terribly underestimates the depth of his own wickedness along with being abysmally ignorant of the sublime heights of God’s holiness. The two realities are mutually exclusive.  

Because God is a lover of sinful man, and abundant in compassion and mercy, He has provided the only way to that second chance with Him. It is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we can begin an everlasting relationship with the Almighty. We do not deserve this benefit. It is extended to man through grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God (italics added for emphasis) not of works lest any man should boast.”  

Grace is unmerited favor from God to man. The faith that we exercise to believe is also a gift from God. It is essential that we acknowledge our powerlessness as humankind, and the love and power of God. We contribute nothing to our salvation positively. Our sins are what necessitated God the Father to send Jesus in the first place. He did all the work. We are eternal beneficiaries when we believe. 

I need to make clear how this works. We come to God filthy – meaning there is nothing appealing about us that God would desire. The prophet Isaiah said this regarding Israel during their apostasy, “Come now, and let us reason together says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). 

 

Translation, God said to Israel, “come, let us sit down and talk. I want to clean you up. You’re defiled because of your sins-let me wash you clean.” This is exactly what God desires to do for everyone. That is real love. The Lord is offering forgiveness of sins. Something we could never earn, and something we definitely do not deserve.  

Sin is a debt, a debt owed to God. God has to be paid in full for that debt. God the Father is our cosmic creditor. Mankind is the universal debtor. When Jesus suffered and was dying in agony He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The Greek word for finished is teleo which means to bring to end, to accomplish, to fulfil. The verb is in the perfect tense. What this means is what Jesus accomplished in His atoning work on the cross then has continuing results in the present. A similar word is Tetelestai. Its an accounting term which means paid in full.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for mankind’s sins paid in full the sin debt we owed to God. This act satisfied God’s wrath and justice legally against our sins. But, in order for us to benefit from what Christ did, we must repent of our sins, trust in Christ’s atoning work in order to be forgiven. To reject the love of God through Christ’s death is a slap in the face of God the Father and the Son. What one is saying is that they despise the fact that Jesus’ atonement is sufficient for them. To reject Christ is eternal suicide! One has cut themselves off from everlasting life. Jesus likened someone as a thief and a robber who attempts to get to God through any other means except through Him (John 10:1). If you die in your sins, you will never be forgiven. You will have to pay the price for your own sins forever in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). 

Jesus dying for the sins of the world is not an instant get-out-of-hell-free-card. A person does not automatically go to heaven because they die. God commands that all men everywhere repent of sins today. Only then will you be granted this blessed second chance.