A Second Chance

Ephesians 1:4-5 - For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…

Words to a song by Todd Agnew from the song Reached Down: You knew you`d save me long before I called your name. I listened to this song on my way to meet a friend for the day. And the words flowed through my mind...one thought, then another, then another.

Long before time began God knew who will receive Him as Lord and Savior which means He knows which will reject Him. He has given us free will to make this choice. He has placed within each of us a part that is empty and needs to be filled. He would prefer we fill it with Him. What we fill it with is up to us. Fill it with the things of God and you can't go wrong. What causes us to maintain our distance from Him is pride, arrogance, inability to handle authority, selfishness...self being the big one!

He already knows. He already knows. Are you going to turn Him down or are you going to let Him do what He does best? Are you going let Him strip you of all the things you should not be and allow Him to make you into the truly great person you can be? We struggle, even those of us who have received Christ, with clinging to those things that bind us, make us captive. We are free in Christ but we haven't totally relinquished everything and that's the sad part and the thing He works on. He whittles away all our lives. 

We think we know who we are but we don't. Not until we are in Christ. Then we know because we ARE in Christ  and that's all that matters. He has new plans for us and, you know, if you aren't satisfied with your life the way it is now, you can change it. Jesus gives us that second chance. And even more chances if you need it...although it's best to take that second change now. Even if you do like the way your life is now, if you receive Him and allow Him to do what He knows is best, not that this is a bad thing as some might think, it's the better thing. He created us so He knows what He created us to be.

He wants everything we do to glorify Him. Some might not like this idea either, not being able to take credit for the things they do. That's where pride and self come in. If we aren't glorifying Him in all we do we are not in His will and we are not His. He will strip away all the yucky stuff in our lives, and this may take a lifetime. But it's not a bad thing. It's a better thing.

He just wants the best for us. Without Him there is no best. There's mediocrity, failure, death and what do we want? In our earthly minds it's hard to imagine that what we have, even if good stuff, and a good life, is nothing in comparison to what He can give to us.

Our second chance is Jesus Christ. If we've messed up or we have a life of frustration or unhappiness or whatever the circumstance is that bogs us down, Jesus is the answer. There was a situation I couldn't change years ago. I went to church for the first time in years and the pastor that morning said that he knew there were people in church that morning who were in the middle of something that they couldn't change…but here was the truth…we would not be able to make that change, but he knew who could and His name is Jesus Christ. And all I needed to do was face that fact and give my life to Christ and allow Him to do the work necessary. I'll tell you, that was the answer I needed. Little did I realize that the work would start with me!! Hah! Not quite what I had in mind...but definitely for the better.

This is what He does. He gives you the strength and wisdom to be able to handle these things. We are called to carry our crosses daily and part of that is going through the hard times…and calling on His help...and praising Him through it all. The situation isn't always going to just change because you receive Christ, although a lot of people are miraculously delivered from addictions. But you make that commitment to Christ first and then things begin to happen. Scripture tells us to seek the Lord first and all the things we truly are in need of are given to us as well (Matthew 6:33). 

Receiving Christ really makes a difference. Not all is a bed of roses but what we face we face with a newfound outlook, strength and peace knowing we are not alone but that Christ is with us in the midst of battle. Even in the world today, which is not looking too good, because we know what God tells us the last days will be like, we know what's in store and yet there's a peace beneath it all that if we hold to the truth of God's word and continue in our walk and trust in the Lord, He will see us through it. It may be through death but when we get through to the other side of the terrible times, we will find we have entered a far greater place. We will be living with God.

Adam and Eve were created to commune with the Father. When they sinned He removed that relationship. So in time He sent Christ to bridge that gap…He made a way, He made the Way…He brought us Jesus on the cross as that bridge. I saw this in my mind's eye as I wrote that: There's the painting by Michaelangelo where God's arm is outstretched and His finger appears to be reaching another…that is Adam's creation. Think of Christ's arms outstretched, one hand reaching for the Father and the other to us in one selfless act of devotion to reconcile us once again with God, being the bridge. Like Adam upon his creation, his birth as it were, he saw God; upon our death, if in Christ, we too will see God face to face.

What's unfortunate, to draw this back to the beginning of this blog, is that there will be many who will reject any notion of this and they will be in their own torment for the rest of their lives and anybody who rejects this chance to receive the Lord…it doesn't matter what your religion says, it doesn't matter. If your church doesn't talk about being born again or promote it or promote the idea of receiving Christ and these words are not in your church language, you can do it outside of that. It's not wrong, not heresy, it's biblical. It's not about being born into one religion or another. It's about you and your personal relationship with God. Do you have that? It's between you and God. 

I do have to apologize…I have said in the past that Christ died for all...but even that comes with restrictions. Christ died for all who come to Him. Not for this denomination or that, not religion. He came for us to be in relationship with Him. With HIM. One on one. Not religion but relationship. His desire is that NONE should perish, but He also knows that not all will receive Him. He's known that since before time began.

The lyrics to that song again: You knew you`d save me long before I called your name. Can you say that for a fact? You can make that happen...and along with it come promises.

Isaiah 43:1-2,7 …thus says the LORD, who created you…and He who formed you…: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.  Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him."