Second Chances???
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient
with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV)
Does God give us a second chance after death, to choose Him? No. God gives people every
chance possible before they die to choose Him. After they die, no one will be able to say, “If only
you had given me another year, I would have made a decision to follow you.” The Bible teaches
that God is delaying the return of Jesus precisely to give everybody all the time He possibly can so
they will come to Him. God is fair; He isn’t trying to make it difficult. He’s patiently giving as much
opportunity as possible for people to choose Him. Now is the time for the second chance, the
third chance, the fourth chance, etc. There won’t be another chance after you die. The doctrine
of purgatory simply doesn’t exist in Scripture. Having a second chance after you die actually is
coercive. It’s like holding a paddle over a young boy and saying, “are you sorry for hurting your
sister?” You would get the answer “yes” no matter if he was sorry or not because he just wants to
avoid punishment. A person with a second chance after death would not be choosing God or His
Kingdom; he would only be choosing to avoid judgment. Heaven, however, will be populated with
people who chose God and His Kingdom because they love and desire Him. Perhaps you scoff at
the whole notion of Hell. Let this illustration help focus your sight. “Two men owned farms side by
side. One was a bitter atheist, the other a devout Christian. Constantly annoyed by the Christian for
his trust in God, the atheist said to him one winter, “Let’s plant our crops as usual this spring, each
the same number of acres. You pray to your God, and I’ll curse Him. Then come October, let’s see
who has the bigger crop.” When October came the atheist was delighted because his crop was
larger. “See you fool,” he taunted, “what do you have to say for your God now?” “My God,” replied
the Christian farmer; “doesn’t settle all His accounts in October.”
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. God is fair and because of that there are no second chances after you die. Are you ready to
meet Him if you were to die today? If not, what do you need to do in order to be ready?
2. Heaven will be populated with people who choose God, not people who merely are choosing
to avoid judgment. How are you choosing God today? What fruit is in your life as evidence
that you have chosen God?
3. Pray that the lost will realize that there are no second chances after they die and see the
importance of choosing God now.
