A poor hitchhiker in Brisbane hit the jackpot when Chris Hemsworth decided to pull over and offer him a lift to Byron Bay. Chris Hemsworth!
Imagine that.
But not only did ‘Thor’ pick up the hitchhiker in his van, he then took the guy in his helicopter all the way to Byron Bay. A helicopter!
Imagine that.
A poor hitchhiker getting picked up by Chris Hemsworth and flown to Byron Bay in his helicopter. From hitchhiker to helicopter with a ‘god’, well with Thor. But you can see where I am going with this, can’t you? This story reminded me of my story, and the story of every Christian. The Bible says that before God ‘picked us up’ we were in real need and poverty. Spiritual hitchhikers.
We were powerless (Romans 5:5), we were dead in sin and objects of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3), and we were without hope (Ephesians 2:12).
But it was just at this time when God, the real God, loved us and that he sent Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8). At this time God was gracious to us, when he could have just as easily ‘driven past us’ (Ephesians 2:4-8).
And a bit like the hitchhiker, we get more than we bargain for.
God doesn’t just give us a life. We get adoption and redemption and forgiveness and the Holy Spirit, and an inheritance. In fact, we get every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14). And God even picks us up, raises us up and seats us with Jesus, next to God, in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6; 1:21).
Imagine that!
We deserve none of this. It is all because of God’s grace.
At the end of the helicopter ride Chris Hemsworth said to the hitchhiker, “Alright Scotty, dream’s over, back to the normal hitchhiking, combis and stuff mate.” The great thing about being a Christian is that the ‘dream’ is never over. God’s grace will last longer than Chris Hemsworth’s ‘grace’. God’s grace will last for eternity.
Romans 8:39 “For nothing can separate us from the love of God that in is Christ Jesus our Lord”
Our inheritance is guaranteed and will last forever, never perishing, spoiling or fading (Ephesians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:4). No need to go back to ‘normal hitchhiking, combis and stuff’.
We are eternally adopted, redeemed and forgiven.
Imagine that!
So, although I would have loved to have been that hitchhiker picked up by ‘Thor’, I am eternally amazed at God’s infinitely greater grace. I am eternally thankful that God picked me up in my time of need and lifted me up, not just into a helicopter over Byron Bay, but to sit with Jesus in the heavenly realms.
How good is God’s grace!