We have all heard it said that we serve a God of second chances. While this statement holds truth it also limits the true grace and mercy of God. Because God is not simply a God of second chances He is a God of endless chances. No matter how many times you fall back into sin God is willing to give you another opportunity to repent.
Almost every prophet in the Old Testament was doing the same thing. They brought a message of impending doom. Telling the people what would fall on them because of their sinful lifestyles. God being God though would always find a way to offer His people another chance. Instructing them through the prophet to repent.
At times the people would head to the warning and repent. Other times they wouldn’t, but either way, the message was always the same. Mourn for what you have done. Turn from your sin and return to God with all your heart and our God of endless mercy will forgive you!
Joel 2:12-13 (ESV)
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
Ezekiel 18:30-32 (ESV)
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
Isaiah 55:7 (ESV)
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
As we read through the Bible we witness people turn from God and fall into the sins of the world. Then realize the error of their ways which causes them to mourn and repent of their sins. God forgives the but just a few pages later the cycle repeats itself. They fall right back into sin. Yet God is always right their willing to offer them another chance to be saved. The same is true for those of us still walking the planet today.
I know it seems strange to think that God is willing to give us endless chances at forgiveness. Because so often that is not what we want to do for those who wrong us, but God is not like us. He gives us all these chances because He believes we can overcome sin. In fact, God does not just believe that we can overcome sin He knows it.
So do not live with the mindset that you have used all your chances. Don’t believe the devil when he says that you can’t be forgiven again. Because you can! God wants to forgive everyone and allow them to receive salvation. The chances are endless because He does not want anyone to die in sin.
1 Timothy 2:4 (ESV)
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Know that you can be forgiven again in this life no matter what you have done. That being said do not look at this as an opportunity to wait to repent. Death is on the horizon for us all and we do not know when it will come. But we do know that when it strikes you will no longer have the chance to repent. You will have passed up every opportunity. Don’t take the chance, repent now at this very moment. Cry out to the Lord in repentance and turn away from sin once and for all!
Matthew 3:2 (ESV)
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
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