Sep 4, 2018
Whatever happens,
conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Phil 1:27
Let our lifestyle
reflect our gratitude and respect for the incredible, undeserved salvation we
have been given by Jesus.
A man was caught in an affair by his wife. She found out after it had been happening for
years, and confronted him with the evidence.
After trying to come up with lies to get out of the interrogation, he
realized it was useless to hide any longer, and confessed to the affair. They fought, separated, then sought
counseling, and eventually tried to get back together. Over
time, she forgave him, and gave the man a second chance. All seemed to go well until a few years
later, something very minor unearthed his continued adultery, and the wife
discovered her husband had never
ended the affair. It still was going on,
in spite of her forgiveness and reconciliation.
She divorced the man after that.
Second chances are a great blessing in life, but don’t
always create great results. In some
cases, being given a second chance can be the difference in a person changing
their life and finding success. In
others, it just permitted the problems to continue on, hidden from the eyes of
the kind giver.
Jesus is the bearer of second chances. His whole life and death were mankind’s
second chance to have an eternity with God.
He provides us the opportunity, but doesn’t force us to accept it. It’s up to us what we do with our second
chance. That chance is called ‘Grace’.
Some use Grace to sin on earth even more. They see life as their only chance, and
prefer to make their own rules instead of using the second chance to turn back
to God’s plans.
Some see Grace as handcuffs.
They believe God provided the second chance for them to go back to the original
rules, and expect everyone else to match their set of rules or else. While their lives may improve in behavior, it
doesn’t change them in nature. In the
end, they become like modern day Pharisees.
Some use Grace like a ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card … thinking
that they can still hold onto their favorite sin habits and be saved. While there is nobody who lives perfectly
after receiving grace, it is not a speeding license. Eventually, God will discipline Grace-abusers,
just like a loving parent disciplines their child.
Some eventually figure out that Grace is not handcuffs or a
license for sinning – it is a calling.
God gave us a second chance in order to discover what living for His
Purposes can look like. He offers us the
second chance so that all of us prodigals can come home. He provided the second chance through Jesus
so that we would recognize just how GREAT His love is for us.
If you have accepted God’s second chance, don’t waste it on
selfish living, rules management, or abuse.
Choose to look daily at the incredible gift of life Jesus offers us, and
live every day worthy of your second chance.
The Gospel is calling you home!
Answer that call.
No comments:
Post a Comment