In Christ Alone
(Keith Getty and Stuart Townend)
A True and Fulfilled Second Chance
LYRICS (Click to minimize)
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Keith Getty / Stuart Townend
© 2001 Thankyou Music
CCLI Song #3350395 | CCLI License #632898
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:8-11 (ESV)
What does it mean to be saved? What does it mean to be forgiven? What does it mean to be one with Christ? What does it mean to truly have a second chance?
We often speak of God as the God of second chances. This is true indeed! And yet, is it possible to run out of chances? What if we receive our second chance and fail? What if we fail yet again on our third, fourth, or fifteen-hundredth time?
Rest assured that God really is the God of second chances. Even if we fail and sin again and again, God does not withhold forgiveness. But why do we feel like we are living in a vicious cycle of sin, trying harder each time not to fall into sin, yet still continually failing?
Praise the Lord, because He does not merely give us a second chance. He does not just give us a blank slate to try again. Not only does He give us a second chance, He Himself lived it out and is our second chance!
After all, if we are given a blank slate, it is only a matter of time before we ruin everything again. If we are honest with ourselves, how long does each chance truly last before we mess it up with a sinful thought or action? Jesus chose to be our second chance when He took on all of human sin and yet lived perfectly with no fault or sin. Not only are we given second chances, Jesus used it for us and used it perfectly. We are counted righteous not because we finally “got it right” after countless tries, but because we are united with Him!
Like Paul said, our salvation is found not by fulfilling the law, but by being found in Christ and sharing in His sufferings! We are counted righteous not because we finally “get it” after a hundred tries, but because we are united with the One who got it right the first time! We are redeemed from the sin of Adam by the perfection of Christ! Praise the Lord!
Of course, this does not mean that there are no consequences to our sins. God is a God of infinite mercy, but He allows us to suffer the consequences of our actions, oftentimes because He knows we need it. So let us not sin freely, expecting grace to wash away everything. The path to holiness definitely requires us to work and work hard. Thank God that our hard work is not the root of our salvation, because He knows as well as we do, that by works alone we would fail!
For those who boast of your own salvation and good works, may you find it all washed away by the blood of Jesus. There is no room for boasting except to boast in the cross. We are saved not by our works but by Christ’s perfect work.
For those who fear for your salvation because you are never good enough, may your fears be washed away by the blood of Jesus as well. Even though we should pursue holiness, know that our salvation does not rely on our being good enough. Jesus has already lived out our second chances and done so perfectly!
May we be united with Christ in His life, death, and resurrection, that we may be raised together with Him at the end of days!