John 15: Its All About the Roots, Part 2

Christians are very concerned with sin.  We see its damaging effects and it seems only natural to assume that sin is the problem. But like the rust fungus I described in Part 1, sin is only the symptom–the expression of our root nature.

This is important so I will further the metaphor of the rust fungus. When the fungus is present, the vine can’t help but expose its presence when the leaves burst forth come spring. It might try, if it could,  to repress it but it’s irrepressible. It’s there–always there.

In both the case of the infected vine and our sin nature, the remedy is the same: start new. Seems like a lot of work and it would be an impossible task had not Christ done the work for us by taking our root nature to the cross.

When we choose life through Christ, our old nature is not only dethroned, we become partakers of His nature–a pure root stock without disease. What comes from this new root stock of Christ’s? The fruits of the Spirit: love, joy peace, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, patience and self control.

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7 NLT

I recently returned to the berry farm I visited last year and the rows of berries were gone.  Every last olallieberry vine had been uprooted and destroyed–the only remedy.