And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
Okay readers, if any of you are well-advanced in years like me, get prepared to knock down a few cobwebs in your brain. I want you to flashback to your childhood years—all the way back to when you were a young child and would play games with your friends.
While you were playing games with your friends, how many of you would yell “Do-over” if you made a wrong move?
Yelling “Do-Over” meant that you wanted to restart the game from the very beginning, or else you wanted to redo your last play. In other words, you didn’t want the last action that you took to be held against you. You did something wrong, you made a mistake, and you wanted a fresh beginning.
Sometimes yelling “Do-over” worked—other times it didn’t.
“Do-over” works with God. God can wipe your life-slate clean from all of your prior mistakes. He can even free you from sin’s shame. You can have a fresh beginning!
In order to have a life “Do-over” there is a requirement. And no, you don’t have to stand up and flail your hands around, screaming at the top of your lungs “Do-over.”
All you have to do is humble yourself, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from your wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14). You must repent of your sins.
When you truly repent of your sins, it requires a change of heart and not just a change of words. This means that you completely recognize that you did wrong, you accept full responsibility for your actions, and you change in your attitude as you turn from your sins. Thus, you make a 180 degree turn. Prior to repentance, you were going in one direction—after repentance, you begin to go in the opposite direction.
When God forgives your sins, He helps you to turn around and head in the opposite direction. Not only that, but He helps erase your shame. You get a life “Do-over.” You can spiritually begin again—a spiritual rebirth.
On the other hand, you can refuse to repent… it is your choice. You can continue to blame your sins on other people, you can hang on to your same rotten attitude, and you can even keep going in the wrong direction. But heed the following warning!
If you continually choose sin over God and refuse to repent, great delusions may eventually attack your mind. If that happens, you will no longer be able to comprehend right from wrong or good from evil. To you, the truth will seem like a lie, and a lie will seem like the truth. You have chosen to follow Satan because you took pleasure in your sins; thus, your mind will become Satan’s evil playground.
Right now, God is giving you a spiritual opportunity to yell “Do-over.” Don’t refuse His invitation!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, KJV). Not only does God cleanse us from all unrighteousness, but He also removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12). My friend, that is pretty far!
Today, you have a choice between two different roads—one road leads to God and thus heaven. The other road leads to Satan and thus hell. Which road of life will you choose?
DO-OVER!
“Come now, let us argue this out,” says the Lord. “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18 (NLT)
Three Key Concepts:
1. God will permit you to have a spiritual “Do-over.”
2. God can forgive your sins and remove them as far as the east is from the west.
3. People who refuse to repent may be attacked with strong delusions.
