The God of Second Chances

Scriptures: Genesis 3:1-13, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22

What Have You Done? 

I am constantly amazed by the enormous mess my young children can make in a short amount of time. A few moments of looking the other way can result in complete chaos. I am left asking, “What have you done?” I can’t help but wonder if God felt something similar in the Garden of Eden.

We start our study on second chances there, in Eden, where it all began. The Garden was a place where God’s relationship with His creation flourished, and their bond was seemingly unbreakable. However, Adam and Eve underestimated the power of the enemy and the enticement of sin (v. 1-6). I am sure Eve did not wake up one morning and say, “Adam, let’s make a huge mess of our lives!” But the lure and temptation of sin was in the air, and it was intense. They not only broke God’s commandment but also their relationship with Him (v. 7).

Even though God is all-knowing, He came to Adam and Eve with a series of questions. In each of the first three questions, God asked Adam and Even to clarify and confess what happened. But His fourth and final question reveals His heart: “What is this you have done?” (v. 13).

When we make a mess of our lives, it is easy to push the blame onto someone else like Adam and Eve did. Facing the consequences of our decisions can be painful, but not taking responsibility can lead to something far worse.

Thankfully, we have a God who provided a way to restore our relationship with Him. While the consequences of our actions may sting, because of His love for us, He gave humanity a second chance. Just as death came into the world through the sin of Adam and Eve, a second chance came into the world through Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:21–22).

Do you need a second chance? We all have areas in our lives that get messy. Be honest with God and open your heart to recognizing your need for forgiveness. Ask the Lord to help you clean up your mess and watch the God of Second Chances do His work.

Scriptures: Joshua 2:1-24, Romans 3:23

A Second Chance at Life 

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne conceives a child during an affair and is reluctant to name the father. In Puritan Massachusetts in the mid-1600s, Hester’s punishment was exposure to public humiliation, shame, and the wearing of a scarlet “A” throughout her life. However, during the novel, her scarlet letter of adultery takes on new meanings to symbolize her actions and events.

In Joshua 2 we meet Rahab who was essentially branded with a scarlet letter of adultery. She was one of Jericho’s well-known prostitutes, living inside its massive walls (v. 1). Joshua’s spies assumed that Rahab’s place would be the perfect hiding spot to remain anonymous. But rumors traveled quickly, and the king sent men to scope out her house (v. 3). After hiding the spies and turning the king’s men away, Rahab gives a confession of faith.

Rahab expressed that she and all the Jerichoans heard of what Yahweh had done to the other cities and were terrified. However, she turned her fear into reverence, proclaiming her belief in Yahweh’s supremacy. Her expression of trust would have been shocking to the spies, Joshua, the Israelite army, as well as the readers of the book of Joshua.

This woman, at whom others looked with judgment and scorn, put her transformed faith into action, kept her commitment to the spies, and tied a scarlet cord on her window to signify which home not to destroy. As early as the first century, commentators such as Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, and others indicated the scarlet cord as a symbol of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. Only God can take our scarlet letter of sin and turn it into a scarlet cord of faith.

We all deserve to wear a scarlet letter that marks our sinfulness. But the good news is that Jesus’ death and resurrection give us a second chance. If you have not accepted Jesus, turn to Him today. If you know Him, don’t hesitate to share how God has transformed your life. Your past may change someone’s future.

Scriptures: Jonah 2:1-10, Colossians 3:5

God Saves a Wayward Prophet 

Jonah had one job: tell the Ninevites to repent because the Lord wanted them to know Him. But the problem was, Jonah hated the Ninevites! It’s hard to blame him. They were idolatrous warriors with a reputation for cruelty. In other words, they had a lot to repent about. But Jonah’s pride, fear, ego, and entitlement got in the way of his humility and the Ninevites’ path toward God. So before God could work in the lives of the Ninevites, he had to work on Jonah first. And if Jonah wouldn’t humble himself, God would do the humbling for him in the form of a hurricane, a near-death drowning experience, and being swallowed by a giant beast of the sea.

While most people are familiar with the story of Jonah, we might overlook his prayer while he sank into the sea. The beginning of his prayer details the horrific experience of nearly drowning. The current swirled around him, the waves crashed overhead, and he started to drown (v. 3). As he continued to sink and seaweed wrapped around his head, he began to pray (vv. 5–7). Even from the depths of the sea, God still listened to his plea, and the Lord saved him from certain death (v. 7).

For Jonah, many things got in the way of his humility. He was supposed to be the one to rescue the pagan Ninevites from their idolatrous lifestyle, but it turns out there was a bit of Nineveh in Jonah. His pride and idolatry had taken over his life. But once Jonah humbled himself and prayed to God, a giant fish rescued him. Jonah later learned that a daily commitment to God meant being humble by putting aside vain idols. Jonah writes, “Those who cling to worthless idols, forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (v. 8). When we refuse to humble ourselves and cling to useless idols, we abandon any hope of mercy and grace.

Do you ever feel like you are drowning in a situation? No matter where you may be, God sees and hears you. Unfortunately, like Jonah, we often wait for times of desperation to cry to Him. What would you identify as reasons why you struggle with humility? What worthless idols are you clinging to? Don’t lose out on what God wants to do in your life and the lives of those around you.

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Sentenced to a Life of Freedom

Have you noticed how social media has opened the floodgates on judging others? It seems that we are constantly judging or being judged. How many likes did I get? What do others think about me? What do I have to say about others? This is nothing new. In Jesus’ time, people judged and were judged, but not online. Their method was to bring the accused before the teachers of the Law to be judged.

One day, at dawn, people gathered around Jesus in the Temple courts to listen to His teaching. Suddenly He was interrupted. The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and pushed her in front of Jesus. They wanted to stone her to death, but they had an ulterior motive too (v. 5). They wanted to trap Jesus with their questions. The Romans did not allow the Jews to carry out death sentences, so if Jesus approved her stoning, He would conflict with the Romans. If he said not to stone her, He could have been accused of not supporting the Law.

After a few brief moments during which He bent down and wrote “on the ground with his finger” (v. 6), Jesus responded to the crowd with a simple yet convicting statement, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7). After a fleeting moment of silence, thud. Then another, thud. Stones dropped to the ground one by one, and the accusers dispersed. When it was just Jesus and the woman, He told her, since they did not condemn her, He wouldn’t either (v. 11). Jesus did not judge or excuse the woman, He offered something better: a second chance. He offers that to you and me today.

Could you imagine having to air your secret acts before a crowd, let alone Jesus? It is often difficult to sift through our world’s competing messages about us. Too often, society tells us we are not good enough, pretty enough, or intelligent enough to matter and receive a second chance. But here’s the truth: no matter how far you may have strayed, you hold immense value in the eyes of God. He yearns for you to come to Him, bringing your messy and flawed life. Rest assured, He will embrace you with open arms so you can move forward.

Scripture: John 21:1-17

Forgiveness Over a Fish Fry

Fishermen are some of the hardest-working people I know. They were up before the sun, getting ready for the day and setting out to sea regardless of the weather. The funny thing is, they couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Fishermen love to fish.

Several of Jesus’ followers were fishermen, including Peter. What is unthinkable is that when he put down his nets to follow Jesus, he also put aside his profession and his lifestyle (Matthew 4:18–22). That is why it is interesting that in John 21 we encounter him back out on the water, fishing. Some scholars believe that after Peter’s three denials of Christ (Mark 14:66–72), he felt he had placed himself out of Jesus’ inner circle and therefore retreated to his former occupation. What Peter certainly didn’t expect was that Jesus would pursue him to talk about those courtyard denials. That’s right, even Jesus’ best bud had to learn how to move forward after messing up.

“Cast your net on the other side of the boat,” shouted a familiar voice from the beach. The miraculous catch that ensued immediately got Peter’s attention, but it was the charcoal fire burning that would have reminded Peter of his rejection of Christ (v. 9). The only other time where the word for charcoal fire is used in the Scriptures was at the scene of Peter’s denials (John 18:18). Now on the beach, several days after Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter and Jesus have some unfinished business to attend to.

After their morning fish fry, Jesus takes Peter for a stroll down the beach and memory lane. Peter’s declaration of loving the Lord three times did not erase his three denials just days before. However, it did create an avenue for a deeper relationship with Jesus. With each question, Jesus was giving Peter another chance. He was giving Peter a path to move forward after messing up. Peter, the fisherman, would finally retire, and permanently drop his nets, and Peter, the follower of Jesus, would never turn back again.

No matter how many times you have turned from the Lord, He is always standing on the shore of your life calling you back to Himself. Are you ready to truly follow Him?

Scriptures: Luke 15:11-32, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

This Calls for a Celebration! 

Stories can captivate our attention and our hearts. They help us see ourselves and others more clearly. The story of the Prodigal Son is perhaps one of the most well-known stories told by Jesus. It is the third and final story in a string of parables that Jesus used to critique the religious leaders. They were critical of Jesus’ association with sinners and tax collectors. Each parable highlights the rejoicing after something lost is eventually found. 

We relate to each story because there is a person who is devastated by what has been lost. For example, the shepherd leaves his flock of 99 to look for the one lost sheep. A woman lights a lamp, using precious oil, to look for her lost coin. Have you noticed that in the third parable, no one goes to look for the lost son? In the 1st-century culture, it was often the responsibility of the oldest son, to go look for his younger brother. In Jesus’ parable, the elder son stays home and leaves his father to anxiously wait for the younger son to return (v. 20). 

When the younger son eventually returned, the father was elated, and he celebrated with the entire community (vv. 22–24). However, the older son was aghast and angered. How could the father forgive his brother who humiliated the family name, squandered the wealth, and lived a sinful lifestyle (vv. 25–30)? 

The older brother in this parable is meant to represent the Pharisees. Like the parable, they too, must have been astonished that Jesus would welcome sinners into the kingdom. As the religious experts, it was their duty to go after those who were lost, but they were too self-righteous to give others a second chance. God, on the other hand, is constantly seeking the lost. When one person puts their trust in Jesus, all of heaven rejoices! 

The God of Second Chances is waiting for his children to come home. If you have experienced God’s forgiveness, make it your mission to seek others who need another chance, too. Then join the celebration!