God of the Second Chance

04/04/21 – 04/07/21

God’s Forgiveness Is Impactful

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  04/07/21

Read Acts 2:1-24.

Peter’s life was marked by several key moments with Jesus. These moments forever changed Peter, pushing him into greater dependence on the Lord and making his life more impactful to those around him.

The first of these, of course, was the day Jesus called him to be one of His twelve disciples. That day, Peter obeyed Jesus, casting his nets even when he knew there were no fish, and then he hauled in the biggest catch of his life. It was so large that the nets began to break, and it took two boats to bring all the fish to shore.

Realizing that Jesus was no ordinary teacher, Peter fell down and confessed, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). But Jesus reassured him, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people” (v. 10).

But there was another time in Peter’s life that transformed him even more. It was the day he received a second chance from the Lord. After that terrible string of denials in the courtyard of the high priest’s home, Peter was a broken man. He was filled with anguish and sorrow for what he had done. But it wasn’t just regret; he repented. We know this because, when Jesus rose from the dead, He invited Peter back into the fold.

With his second chance from God, Peter was a new man. In the book of Acts, we are told that on the day of Pentecost, he stood up and gave a magnificent sermon, pointing to the Old Testament to show that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Three thousand people came to Christ (see Acts 2:41). This was not a private affair. This was out in the open, in the middle of Jerusalem. The same Peter who was once afraid to tell anyone he knew Jesus was now proclaiming the Gospel to thousands!

Later on, when he and the other apostles were beaten and imprisoned, he was “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (5:41). From there, Peter continued to serve the Lord for the remainder of his days. The brash fisherman who had lived in fear became a mighty man of God.

My friend, that’s the power of the second chance offered by the resurrected Jesus, and He can give it to you today. If you’re truly repentant, God will transform your life.

Prayer: Lord, I praise You that You are the God of second chances—You are the Redeemer. Thank You that You redeem my life from the pit and allow me to participate in Your redemptive work in the world. May I be a light to others, leading them to the hope of the Gospel. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say'” (Acts 2:14).