A Free Ride into An Amazing Future

Posted On December 12, 2021

“The payment for sin is death.
But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23 NCV

This week I wanted to write something about the meaning of Christmas, but I wasn’t sure exactly which way to go with it. I had a few ideas rolling around, but a couple of days ago I woke up with the song “Free Ride” on my mind and realized that was it! If it seems like an odd choice for a Christmas post, we can blame the Holy Spirit. I’m pretty sure it was His idea. But the lyrics sum up the message of the Nativity pretty well:

“The mountain is high, the valley is low
And you’re confused ’bout which to go
So I flew in to give you a hand
And lead you into the promised land

Come on and take a free ride
Free ride
Come on and take it by my side
Come on and take a free ride!”

“Free Ride”, The Edgar Winter Group

If you’re not familiar with this song, I have included a video of it at the end of this post. The video I chose is actually a cover of the song performed by a church praise team. Although this isn’t really a Christian song, I can’t help but find a Christian message in the lyrics. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one!

Actually, the fact that the “ride” is free is exactly what makes it work as a Christian song. As Lee Strobel points out in his book The Case for Christ, Christianity is unique in that it does not require us to do anything to earn our way back into a right relationship with God. There was a price that had to be paid, but Jesus paid it for us:

“Jesus has done for us on the cross what we cannot do for ourselves: he has paid the death penalty that we deserve for our rebellion and wrongdoing, so we can become reconciled with God. . . . Over and over the Bible says that Jesus offers forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift that cannot be earned . . . . It’s called grace — amazing grace, unmerited favor. It’s available to anyone who receives it in a sincere prayer of repentance. Even someone like me.”

Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not from yourselves — it is the gift of God.” 

Ephesians 2:8 TLV

“I came so they can have real and eternal life,
more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

John 10:10 MSG

Christ bridged the gap between us and God. That’s the miracle of Christmas! The Son of God came down to help us and to lead us into eternal life with Him in heaven. The following clip is from the movie Tomorrowland. It reminds me of what Christ offers us. When we acknowledge who He is and trust Him to guide us, He will lead us into an amazing future full of unimaginable possibilities. All we have to do is let go of whatever is bogging us down and holding us back from accepting His invitation.

“With God’s power working in us,
God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.”

Ephesians 3:20 NCV

As exciting as it is to think about our future in heaven, we don’t have to wait until then to experience amazing things. Abundant, eternal life begins the moment we accept Christ. We gain access to His Spirit and His unlimited supply of power. With Jesus at our side, there is nothing out of the realm of possibility for us! Whatever dreams we have for ourselves are no match for the dreams God has for us.

“What prevents you from dreaming of doing things that are literally impossible? If we accept the verse from Ephesians, we see that God’s power isn’t a force beyond us that we can’t reach. It’s a force that works within us, and the more we open up to it, the more possibility it brings to our lives. God can out-imagine you any day of the week. He can orchestrate changes and opportunities in your life that your mind would never conceive, much less believe to be possible. Talk to God about shaping your imagination. When you do, God will give you opportunities from His abundant treasures.”

Karen Moore, It’s Still Possible

“Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me . . . ‘”

Matthew 4:19 NLT

What Jesus called out to His disciples, He says to all of us: “Come, follow me.” Unlike the Tomorrowland movie, we don’t have to be “worthy” to be invited. We don’t have to be smart enough or nice enough or holy enough. We just have to respond to His call. Jesus wants us right now, just as we are. He knows the plans He has for us. He will transform us into the people we are meant to become. Right now, all we have to do is accept Jesus’ invitation. He will take it from there.

“This is where Jesus comes in. Into my brokenness. Our brokenness. With the brightness of his love. The One who was born in a stable is used to bringing peace, joy and hope into our messy lives. He does it with angel choirs and brilliant stars. Loving us right were we are.”

Susanna Foth Aughtmon in Guideposts

“I speak to you from the depths of eternity. Before the world was formed, I AM! You hear Me in the depths of your being, where I have taken up residence. I am Christ in you, the hope of Glory.”

Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

When we accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation, not only does He promise to be by our side, He actually sends His Spirit to live inside of us. The Holy Spirit guides us, intercedes for us, and begins transforming us into the image of Christ Himself. He leads us into new life and prepares us for our journey into eternity.

“I, your Lord and Savior, am alive within you. Learn to tune in to My living Presence by seeking Me in silence. As you celebrate the wonder of My birth in Bethlehem, celebrate also your rebirth into eternal life. This everlasting gift was the sole purpose of My entering your sin-stained world. Receive my gift with awe and humility. Take time to explore the dimensions of My Love. . . . Let My Peace rule in your heart, and be thankful.”

Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

As we celebrate Christmas, let’s take some time to thank God for the wonder of it all! The Creator of the universe became a tiny baby so that He could save us all and lead us into abundant life, both in this world and the next. And we don’t have to earn this privilege or be worthy to be included. It’s a free gift. Let’s respond in gratitude and awe. And let’s live a life worthy of the calling we have received — a life beyond our imagination!

“The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life
but a new way of living it.”

Frederick Buechner in Guideposts

This week’s Scripture passages tell of our all-powerful, eternal God coming down to Earth to become one of us so that He could save us and lead us into the Promised Land. He has already paid the price for this amazing journey into a place beyond our imagination. All we have to do is accept His invitation. So come on and take a free ride!

“Give yourself fully to the adventure of today. Walk boldly along the path of Life, relying on your ever-present Companion. You have every reason to be confident because My Presence accompanies you all the days of your life — and onward into eternity.”

Sarah Young, Life in His Presence

References:

• “Free Ride by The Edgar Winter Group – Flatirons Community Church.” YouTube, uploaded by Flatirons Community Church, 4 September 2020, https://youtu.be/YJ5T4J9k_iE.
• Moore, Karen. It’s Still Possible: 100 Reminders That God Can Do All Things. Thomas Nelson, 2020.
• “Spirit Lifting.” Guideposts, December/January 2022, pp. 10-11.
• Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Zondervan, 1998.
• “Tomorrowland (film) (2015) – Pin-Ultimate Experience scene – Casey touches the pin.” YouTube, uploaded by Artem, 7 April 2018, https://youtu.be/wDGFgiFckgo.
• Tomorrowland. Dir. Brad Bird. Walt Disney Pictures, 2015.
• “The Up Side: Quotes from Today’s Positive Thinkers.” Guideposts, December/January 2022, pp. 8-9.
• Young, Sarah. Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions with Real-Life Stories. Thomas Nelson, 2019.
• Young, Sarah. Life in His Presence: A Jesus Calling Guided Journal. Thomas Nelson, 2020.

Images:

• Rocket featured image by Ivan Diaz on Unsplash
• Looking at Tomorrowland image from “Tomorrowland Official Trailer #2 (2015) – George Clooney, Britt Robertson Movie HD.” YouTube, uploaded by Movieclips Trailers, 21 April 2015, https://youtu.be/wjEgmx2kQP4.
• Bridge image by PIRO4D from Pixabay (edited by me)
• Come On image from “Tomorrowland (film) (2015) – Pin-Ultimate Experience scene – Casey touches the pin.” YouTube, uploaded by Artem, 7 April 2018, https://youtu.be/wDGFgiFckgo.
• Stars image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
• Virginia Lake Rocket Blastoff image by David Mark from Pixabay