There is a book, “Engaging God’s World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning and Living” by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. The author dedicates the book to Chuck Colson, a follower of Christ, who is lauded as one who “kneels with those who stumble.”
Jesus knelt with those who stumbled on a regular basis. He hung around the outcast and fringes of society to such a level that He was accused of partaking in the activities of those with whom He kept company. He was, according to His contemporaries, a “friend of sinners.” Apparently, He didn’t care much what the religious types of His day thought about who He chose to hang with. He cared only that those who were set aside by religion knew they were loved and not set aside by God. He knew that if there was any hope for them to respond to God’s offer of redemption, someone needed to engage with them where they were, as they were. He knew that people needed to know that no one was beyond hope.
Do you really believe that yourself? Grace is a scandalous thing and is only as effective as our willingness to acknowledge that it is available to everyone, including and especially those who most would see as the most undeserving of it.
What are you doing to keep that message going? Do your interactions with the people around you speak loudly that hope, grace and forgiveness are available to everyone? That everyone, no matter how much they have stumbled, deserves a second chance?
Will you kneel with those who stumble?
reylo: 
The only thing I think Casey stumbled on was lieing to the police on three issues which she served her tome for. She will live out her life surrounded by millions of dollars and hopefully she starts cranking out some more little-Caylees soon. -Jane
Actually, as the doctrine goes, there is no second chance. We are a depraved race and all our chances will result in failure.
That is why we need Christ and His righteousness to stand in for us as our representative and to impute to us that righteousness.
It is the Law that has condemned us and will continue to condemn us no matter how many chances we give ourselves to “get it right”. The Law testifies against us and is the barrier between us and God.
But Christ obeyed the demands of the Law perfectly and He gave His divine obedience into our accounts (for those who accept Him). He also paid off our debt, our sin, through His death which resulted in our reconciliation and peace with God. Our accounts are debt-free yet over-flowing with His riches.
Therefore, Christ is our only answer. Our only chance. Those who reject Christ are condemned by God and the severity of that reality should accompany the understanding and need for the gospel and ANY grace.
Any “Second Chances” or forgiveness outside of Christ may sound special for a Hallmark Greeting Card or Posters of Outcasts, but they are virtually meaningless.
That’s a beautiful way to phrase it. “Kneel with those who stumble.” Love that.
Love this post! God keeps putting this subject in my face a lot these days. 🙂