Hillsong UNITED - Second Chance Lyrics
Lyrics
You called my name
Reached out Your hand
Restored my life
And I was redeemed
The moment You entered my life
Amazing grace
Christ gave that day
My life was changed
When from my shoulders
Fell the weight of my sin
So it's with everything I am
I reach out for Your hand
The hope for change
The second chance I've gained
On You I throw my life
Casting all my fears aside
How could greater love than this
Ever possibly exist
Consume my thoughts
As I rest in You
I'm now in love
With a Saviour
Bearing the marks of His love
So I'll wait upon You now
With my hands released to You
Where a little faith's enough
To see mountains lift and move
And I'll wait upon You now
Dedicated to Your will
To this love that will remain
A love that never fails
Video
Hillsong United - Second Chance
Meaning & Inspiration
Hillsong UNITED's "Second Chance," released on 2007-10-23 as part of the album *In a Valley by the Sea*, stands as a powerful testament to the transformative grace found in faith. The song immediately dives into the heart of the Gospel, narrating a deeply personal experience of divine intervention and redemption. It articulates the profound shift from a life burdened by sin to one made new by a loving God. The very premise of the song — a "second chance" — speaks to the universal human longing for forgiveness and a fresh start, offering it not as a faint hope, but as a certain reality made possible through Christ's sacrifice.
The opening lines vividly describe a personal encounter: "You called my name / Reached out Your hand / Restored my life / And I was redeemed." This sequence mirrors the divine initiative evident throughout Scripture, where God actively pursues humanity. Isaiah 43:1 declares, "I have summoned you by name; you are mine," underscoring this intimate call. The act of God reaching out and restoring life evokes passages like Psalm 103:2-4, which praises God for forgiving sins, healing diseases, and redeeming life from the pit. The "amazing grace" that follows, wherein the weight of sin falls from one's shoulders, perfectly encapsulates the liberation found in salvation. This speaks directly to Romans 5:8, affirming that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us," removing the heavy burden of guilt and condemnation, making way for the new creation described in 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Having received this incredible gift, the song pivots to the natural response of a life transformed. The declaration, "So it's with everything I am / I reach out for Your hand / The hope for change / The second chance I've gained," is a wholehearted commitment. It's not merely gratitude, but an active embrace of the new identity and purpose. This commitment deepens with the lines, "On You I throw my life / Casting all my fears aside." This act of complete surrender and trust echoes the command in 1 Peter 5:7 to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you," and Psalm 55:22, which encourages us to cast our cares on the Lord, knowing He will sustain us. The rhetorical question, "How could greater love than this / Ever possibly exist," recognizes the unparalleled sacrifice of Christ, which John 15:13 describes as the greatest love—laying down one’s life for another. This love then becomes all-consuming: "Consume my thoughts / As I rest in You / I'm now in love / With a Saviour / Bearing the marks of His love." This imagery powerfully connects the worshiper's affection to the suffering endured by Jesus for our redemption, reminding us of Isaiah 53:5, where it states He was "pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities."
The song concludes with a commitment to an ongoing journey of faith and surrender. "So I'll wait upon You now / With my hands released to You / Where a little faith's enough / To see mountains lift and move" articulates a posture of patient reliance and profound trust. Waiting upon the Lord, as described in Isaiah 40:31, is not passive idleness but an active renewal of strength. The phrase "hands released to You" symbolizes surrender to divine will, while the reference to "mountains lift and move" is a direct invocation of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 17:20, where even a small amount of faith is enough to accomplish the impossible. The final commitment, "Dedicated to Your will / To this love that will remain / A love that never fails," solidifies the personal covenant with a steadfast God. It's a dedication akin to the living sacrifice called for in Romans 12:1 and a confident declaration of God's enduring nature, mirroring 1 Corinthians 13:8, which states that "love never fails." "Second Chance" thus serves not only as a remembrance of past redemption but also as an inspiring anthem for a life continually lived in surrendered faith, sustained by an unfailing divine love.