Chapter 5: Leaning on the First Bookend.

What is keeping you from allowing your books to lean on the righteousness of Christ?

What is the object your dependence?

Is it that one constant and ever present nagging sin that you are afraid to or don’t want to deal with?

Do you remember your day of salvation?

Throughout all of the previous 4 chapters we were challenged and constantly reminded to lean on the first and foremost gift of the gospel “the righteousness of Christ”. Has it sunk in deep enough to never forget that we cannot stand on our own? I doubt it, it least from my perspective it hasn’t. Like you, I know myself well enough to admit that before the hour, day, week ( I couldn’t possibly go that long) or month goes by I will be telling myself how good I am and still trying to earn God’s favor. The question is, we will ever get it? And the answer still is no, which is exactly why we need Him and why he how to go to the cross for you and I.

The focal points were such stark reminders as to why we should always be leaning on that first bookend. I loved the illustration of Zacchaeus and how quickly he realized his own inability to save himself. Have you had the realization yet? If not let me remind you that there is nothing left to do. When Christ said “it is finished”, that is exactly what He meant. You can’t “pull yourself up by the boot straps”, “be anything you can be”. No sir! C. J. Mahaney once said, “you can practice basketball all day, every day but if God has not given you the ability, you will never be a Michael Jordan”.

This brings me to the next point: The object of our dependence. If you are anything like me and other men that I have known in a personal relationship, you have something you depend on more the righteousness of Christ. As a man it is hard not to think of ourselves as the strong moral provider who can “handle it”. When you observe me doing this, I would ask you to take me by the hand and point me to the cross.

Now about that ever nagging sin, yes we do all have them. Page 71 gives us a method to help us realize and confess them, but one key to this point is having a brother to confess them to and help us to be reminded of God’s grace. For me here is where I can allow those “functional saviors” to take over. For me it was a job, huh, maybe that’s why I don’t have one now! God has me in a strange position right now, and I know He is calling me to that total dependence to help rid me of anything which I would/could use to replace Him. Alright there I said what most of you were already thinking. You probably have a job, family, friends and all your stuff but you still need Him.

The day of your salvation, what was that like? Do you still remember the rush you had in your heart, the excitement as well as that sinking feeling? Just a reminder, keep that fresh in your heart to remind you of how blessed you were when He tapped you on the shoulder and said “you now belong to me”. That alone makes this life we are living together all worthwhile.

In closing, the title of this chapter reminded me of an old song:
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Don’t you feel better just knowing He is there for you to lean on? I don’t know about you but I plan to take full advantage of that first bookend.