Riding on What?

In many situations, the phrase has negative connotations.  It describes opportunism or a lack of individual effort.  It infers that you are using someone else’s success as a means to achieve your own.  

But the phrase can have some positive elements to it.  It might be that the success you were able to achieve was based on help secured from another person.  

The phrase, in case you haven’t already guessed it, dates back to the 19th century when formal men's jackets had long flaps (tails) in the back.   “Riding on someone’s coattails” - the imagery points to a person literally grabbing onto those fabric flaps to be pulled forward without walking themselves.

In view of a positive element of the phrase, that of achieving something based on help secured from another, there are some significant achievements that we can only access by being dependent on Christ Jesus:

1. We can be redeemed: “And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 3:24)

2. We can be justified: “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”  (Romans 3:26)

3. We can be made righteous: “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.”  (Romans 5:19) 

4. We can be saved: “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” (2 Tim 1:9)

5. We can have peace with God: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Rom 5:1)

6. We can have eternal life: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Rom 6:23)

7. We can be set free: “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”  (Rom 8:2)

8. We walk in newness of life: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4)

Verse three of the classic hymn “Immanuel’s Land” communicates our dependency on Christ is this way:  

“Oh! I am my Beloved's, And my Beloved's mine! 

He brings a poor vile sinner Into His house of wine! 

I stand upon His merit, I know no other stand, 

Not even where glory dwelleth, In Immanuel's land.”

The hymn writer chose to use the phrase, “I stand upon His merit”.  We cannot secure any of the items listed above based on our own merit but we can “ride on the coattails” of Jesus Christ and gain them all!