Leaning on Jesus
By Jim Murriner
A few months ago a prominent politician stated that Christians were weak people, and that they needed religion as a crutch.
The man who spoke this did not realize how right he really was in making such a statement.
People, who feel that they are good and do not need to depend upon anyone else, will never see themselves as those who sin against the Most High God.
When the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:11- 14,went up to the temple to pray, one of the striking differences between the two, was that the Pharisee did not see himself as needing help from anyone. We see him telling God just how good he was, and never mentioning that there was a need for him to trust God for any help. He presented all of his religious works as something which make him worthy to enter into heaven.
On the other hand we see the poor Publican, thinking of himself as worthless and smiting himself upon the breast, declaring his unworthiness. Then we see Him depending upon the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation rather than to trust in what he had done.
This leaning upon Christ as a crutch is precisely what we are commanded to do in Hebrews 3:18 where we read of "His rest". "His rest" is rest, which He gives, rest that comes from God. We lean on Him, we rest on Him.
We are told to lean on the Lord rather than to lean on our own understanding in Proverbs 3:5, where the word "trust" rather than "lean" is used.
We are told in John 8:33 of those who would not lean on the Lord for salvation, because they like many today, did not understand that they were weak, and unable to do anything which would please God. These did not lean on the Lord, because they trusted or leaned on their natural heritage.
Over and over again, in the Scriptures, we are told that there is nothing good in us whereby we might lean on ourselves. We are encouraged rather to "lean upon " Christ. This we do by trusting that He came and lived a perfect life, and died upon the cross for us.
We are never to lean upon Him, and at the same time trust in our own works, but we are to lean on Him alone. When we do try to lean on Christ and our own works at the same time, we are told in Galatians 2:21that we then frustrating the grace of God. We are furthermore told in Romans 11:6 that for us to try to lean on Christ and ourselves at the same time is to create a confusion of terms.
When we must trust in Christ to the point that we do not trust in ourselves at all, Romans 3:27 tells us we then loose all right to boast in ourselves. First Corinthians 1:31 tells us that we then have the responsibility to boast and bring glory unto the one on whom we do lean.
