A Second Chance for the Unsaved

Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it as we read in ‭John 3:17. He will judge mankind, but not before His Kingdom is established on earth. This judgment doesn't happen within this lifetime. Our loving Father is giving mankind, his children, this time on earth as human beings to learn, grow and develop a relationship with Him.

During this lifetime, some will not know Jesus or ever understand that he exists. Some will know He exists, but choose to walk this life without Him and the Father. Others will deny and reject Him. But no matter what a person believes or does not believe at the time of their death, does not yet determine their eternity. That judgment comes after their resurrection.

We read in John 5:28-29,
“Do not be amazed at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out! Those who have done good will come to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil will come to a resurrection of judgment."

What is meant by "a resurrection of judgment"? The Greek word used here is "krino", meaning "to separate, select, choose, to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong". It is not declaring a sentence of punishment. These people who have done evil are separated out and not granted immediate eternal life upon their resurrection like those who have received Jesus as their Savior. The “unsaved” people who are resurrected into judgment, still do not yet have their fate sealed. They are given another chance to finally know the love of Jesus, repent and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

Apostle Paul teaches that both the righteous and the wicked will be resurrected in ‭Acts 24:15. Would a loving Father who has children that behaved badly, or were distant from him, like the prodigal son, resurrect them just to condemn them to destruction? Rather, His plan is to offer the opportunity of salvation to all of the resurrected as we read in 2 Peter 3:9,
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"Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

So what about those who never came to know Jesus during this lifetime? Satan has blinded many in this world as Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:4, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. "

Are the blind condemned? Jesus tells the Pharisees in John‬ ‭9:41‬ , “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." Here, Jesus tells us that the blind are not guilty of sin. Therefore they are not condemned to eternal death. They will have their opportunity to know Jesus and follow the ways of God when Jesus returns and eyes are opened. We read in ‭‭Isaiah 32:3,

"Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen."

And in ‭Revelation 1:7 we read,
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”

There are also the billions who lived prior to the birth of Jesus. We read that they are not lost and forgotten. ‭Romans 3:25-26

"God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just..."

We have a loving Father who is just, who desires that none perish, but that all would come to repentance. In order for this to be so, there is a second chance for all those who are not believers, for all those who have been blinded by satan, and for all of those who have not heard the good news of the gospel. He offered multiple “second chances” to the Israelites and this was before the birth of Jesus and before the gift of the Holy Spirit. We read one such example in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

If our merciful Father offered the fallible Israelites opportunities like this, wouldn’t he also offer it to everyone else who has made mistakes? He has for each one of us. We all have made countless mistakes. Every time we come to him in repentance, he forgives us over and over again. So why should those, who do not have the help of the Holy Spirit, not have a second chance? And the same for those who have been given over to a depraved mind and blinded by satan? There are billions who do not and did not have the help of the Holy Spirit, understand the truth nor know the salvation of Jesus.

Let us finish with these encouraging words of promise in Isaiah 32:1-4,
"Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land. Then everyone who has eyes will be able to see the truth, and everyone who has ears will be able to hear it. Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly."

Praise our merciful, loving, forgiving Father who is the God of “second chances”!