🎶On the road to Salvation I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride...🎶Lyrics by the late great Rich Mullins; however, yesterday I couldn't shake off that there was so much more to the lyrics than poetic license.
Scripture teaches we were saved, we are being saved, and one day we will be saved. (Some of you just spit out your coffee.)
Ephesians 2:8 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God..." Or theological term we've been justified.
1 Corinthians 1:18 tells us, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (sanctified)
Romans 13:11 states that one day we will be glorified, "And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."
Salvation, then, has three aspects:
• Present: We are being saved from the power of sin. We are being sanctified.
• Future: We will be saved from the presence of sin. We will be glorified.
However, I still need an answer for the reason I'm so moved by the words of the song. Perhaps a look at the word hitchhiker may help.
A hitchhiker sticking out his thumb symbolizes his willingness to except help and a readiness for the next stage of the journey. The very act of hitchhiking implies trust in the unknown.
Mullins's use of the phrase gives us pause to reflect on the journey, the journey to glorification when we will no longer battle the effects of sin. In other words, to embrace the ride.
Friend, I'm so thankful that on this road of salvation God is willing to walk with me.
