Sometimes when playing a game with my son, he will make a mistake during his turn at whatever the game might be and he will ask me for a “do over”. This means that he would like me to forgive his error and allow him the opportunity to make the move again. In other words, he wants a second chance.
Throughout the Old Testament, we find instances of the Israelites as a nation and as individuals, making mistakes. They turned from God, created their own idols to worship, got into deep, deep trouble with the Lord, and then begged God in prayer for a “do over”, a second chance.
Jonah did it. Remember his story? God calls Jonah and gives him a very special message to take to the people of Ninevah. Jonah is to tell the Ninevites that they are in desperate need of repentance of their sin, of turning away from their evil, wicked ways. They must turn back to God, asking forgiveness. They needed to ask for a “do over”, a second chance, or they and their culture would be utterly destroyed by God.
But instead of going out and delivering this message from God, we find that Jonah himself is in need of a second chance.
Samson did it. In the Old Testament Book of Judges, the entire nation of Israel goes through a repeated cycle of obeying God for a time, becoming corrupted by the influence of pagan people, turning from God, falling into sin against God, and being disciplined by God for their sinful activities (usually by being overrun and enslaved by a foreign enemy). Finally they repent and ask for a second chance, receiving the answer to their prayer in the form of a redeemer/judge who sets them free from their oppression. Then after a time, the cycle begins all over again.
However, it is in the Book of Judges that we also find one of the better-known Israelite judges who came to be in need of his own personal “do over”. His name was Samson. Most of you know his story as well. Samson was born blessed by God with great strength. He was to be the one who redeemed the Israelites from their oppression by the Philistines. However, Samson had an eye for the Philistine women. Instead of marrying one of the Hebrew women, Samson ends up marrying not one, but two Philistine women, both of whom get him into great trouble.
Delilah, his second wife, cons Samson into revealing to her the God-given secret of his great strength. She in turn betrays Samson by telling his secret to the Philistines. She then cuts his hair while he sleeps (he must have been a deep sleeper indeed), and he is captured, blinded and enslaved by the Philistines. The story does not end there. He finally repents of his disobedience to God, prays for a “do over” by asking God to renew his great strength one last time, and literally “brings down the house”, killing all of his captors.
Does this characteristic of God Almighty, this forgiveness and giving of second chances, end with the Old Testament writings? Praise the Lord, it does not end there! Two of the most poignant examples of this attribute of God are found in the pages of the New Testament.
First let’s look at the Apostle Peter’s very own personal “do over”. During Jesus’ mockery of a trial and His suffering before the cross, Peter is standing by the fire in the courtyard. Not once, not twice, but three times, people come to Peter and ask if it is true that he is a follower of Jesus Christ. Not once, not twice, but all three times, Peter vehemently denies even knowing Jesus, much less being His follower. This is exactly what Jesus had earlier told Peter he would do, but Peter had not believed Him. We are told that after the third time Jesus “looked upon him”! Peter then realized what he had done, ran away and wept bitterly. Peter repented in his heart and probably thought that he would never get the chance to have a “do over”, at least in the presence of Jesus Himself.
Oh, but the Lord is faithful and good. We are told in John 21:15-19 that Peter does indeed encounter the risen Christ. Jesus asks Peter not once, not twice, but three times, “Peter, do you love Me?” Peter answers not once, not twice, but all three times, “Lord, you know I love you.” Three denials before. Three affirmations now. Peter received his second chance, made the most of it, and was used by Christ as a major contributor to the growth of the Church and the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Finally, I wish to look quickly at the two thieves on the crosses on either side of Jesus Christ. Both of these men had chosen to live most of their lives outside of, and in opposition to, God’s will. They are called “thieves” in English. But the original Greek word, “kakourgos”, means much worse. These guys were not your mild-mannered “cat burglar” type of thief. These guys did not care if you were home when they entered or not. And if you were at home when they struck, you would suffer dire consequences, even death. So here they are, dying on crosses on either side of Jesus. They both have one last opportunity to get right with God, through His Son Jesus, before they enter their personal eternity. One man chooses to reject the “second chance” God has given him, and he will pay for that choice for all eternity. The other man, however, chooses to accept this gift of a spiritual “do over” and asks Jesus to remember him when He enters His Kingdom. Jesus replies, “I tell you the truth, this day you will be with me in paradise.”
That brings this message around to us. Jesus’ words to that man hanging on the cross next to His are the same words that Jesus has for each and every person ever born, living now, or to live in the future, no matter how long this world exists. Jesus tells us that no matter what has been our past, no matter who we are, no matter where we come from, no matter what our personal circumstances were or are, we can still take advantage of our “second chance”. We can still have our very own personal and spiritual “do over” if we choose to accept the opportunity.
Do you feel secure in your eternal destiny? If Christ is your Savior and Lord, you can rest assured that you will spend eternity with Him. But we Christians are not to become lazy and selfish by keeping the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ to ourselves. That is what has been happening for far too long now. Satan has filled our heads and hearts with so much fear of rejection and fear of offending someone, that we Christians hover together, keep our mouths shut and watch as the world literally “goes to Hell in a hand basket”!
Christians in this country are sitting back watching as God is being kicked out of every vestige of public life, where even mentioning the name of Jesus Christ in public is well on the way to being banned. In schools across this country, our children are taught about Darwin’s theory of evolution, as though it were fact. Yet people scream and yell “unconstitutional” if the Creation story as recorded in God’s word, is even mentioned. Our teens are taught all about so-called “birth control” and even, in some cases, given condoms to use at their “discretion”. Yet people yell and scream “foul” at the mere mention of God’s plan, called “abstinence”, as even a possible answer to the rampaging problems of sexually transmitted diseases and teens giving birth, or worse, having abortions.
I have said that God is a God of second chances. In reality, God is a God of second, third, fourth chances, and more at times. But hear these words and heed them well. God is a long-suffering, patient God, and praise the Lord that is true. But even God has a limit to what He will allow to go on, and how long He will allow it to take place! This country is following the path that ancient Israel took time and time again. It is a path we desperately need to avoid. It is a path that leads to destruction. Christian friends, follow the command given to us by Jesus Christ as He left for His Heavenly throne at the right hand of the Father: “Go out and spread the word of God.”