Hubby and I recently rode a gondola up a mountain. And it occurred to me that the gondola is a wonderful picture of what salvation is like.
The top of the mountain could represent Heaven. None of us can “climb the mountain” to reach Heaven. Heaven is too high! It is too far out of reach! It’s impossible.
We are all stuck down at the bottom of the mountain in the mess of sin we have made.
We don’t know God.
God is too high!
God is too far out of reach!
God is way up at the top of the mountain!
* “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” – Romans 3:11-12
* “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
But God, way up at the top of the mountain, wanted to have a relationship with us, all of us who were stuck in the mess of sin down at the bottom of the mountain. We didn’t have anything to offer God. But God loved us all. And God wanted to have a relationship with us.
So God sent Jesus down to us … to provide a way for us to come up the mountain, so that we could know him … and so that we could have a relationship with him!
Is that not mind blowing!
* “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
* “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” – Romans 5:6 (NLT)
Jesus came down from Heaven and made a way for us to go up the mountain to God. Jesus is the “gondola up the mountain”!
The only way to get up the mountain is to get into the “gondola car” … the “gondola car” is Jesus!
As you can see, there are individual gondola cars going up the mountain. Everyone can’t fit into just one gondola car.
In the same way, you can’t “go up the mountain” to Heaven in the “gondola car” of your parent’s faith & relationship with Jesus. You can’t “go up the mountain” to Heaven in the “gondola car” of your grandparents’ faith & relationship with Jesus.
Each person must personally step into their own “gondola car” of faith & relationship with Jesus.
Jesus has a “gondola car” for everyone! Everyone is welcome to step into a “gondola car” and ride the “gondola” Jesus has provided “up the mountain” to Heaven.
Only you can make the decision to leave behind your sin and to step into the “gondola car” of relationship with Jesus. It takes faith.
And when you do, you don’t stay there in your sin anymore!
The “gondola car” lifts off from the ground … and up, up, up … you start going up!
The ground falls away under you! You leave your sin behind!
Jesus has rescued you from your sin … and as you ride the “gondola car” up, you continue to be removed further and further from sin the farther up the mountain you go!
This is life with Jesus! Jesus continues to make you holy & righteous, day by day! Day by day you get further and further away from sin.
It’s not anything we do. We didn’t do anything at all for the privilege of being able to step into the “gondola car” Jesus has provided. It was free! It was provided for us without cost to us … Jesus paid the cost!
As we ride the “gondola car” up the mountain, it can be scary to gaze out the glass windows all around on all sides and see the ground far, far below! That’s a long way down! Is this “gondola” safe??
Jesus will hold us steady & stable! Jesus has got us! Jesus will carry us safely the whole way “up the mountain”!
* “Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” – Psalm 139:10
Storms move in! The sky gets dark! The wind blows! Our “gondola car” rocks and sways in the wind! It’s scary! Will the “gondola car” be safe through the storm?? Will lightning strike the “gondola car”? Will the “gondola car” fall??
Jesus will hold us steady & stable … no matter the storm! Jesus has got us! Jesus will carry us safely the whole way “up the mountain”!
* “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
* “I am the LORD, you God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’” – Isaiah 41:13
Jesus is the “gondola car” up the mountain to Heaven! Jesus is the only way!
