Digging Out The Roots

Colossians 3:1-7

Our church foyer goes along the entire length of the south wall of our building, and is glazes to catch the winter sun. as a result people enjoy sitting in it before and after church. To make it more enjoyable, we have several potted plants in the area, one of which was a large vine. Last winter, the vine became increasingly sick looking, turning yellow and loosing leaves. Most of the other plants were doing well, except for some ferns. I tried placing the vine and ferns in an area that got less light. The vine appeared to die, while the ferns perked up.

Mom cut off the vine and placed the pot into a back room and we relocated the ferns to a slightly less lighted area where they have done really well, starting several new plants. I pulled out the pot from the vine and planted one of the new ferns in it. Apparently, although the vine had died, it still had some surviving roots, as it has come back up and is taking over the pot again. Now I have to decide if I’d rather have another fern, or a vine.

We are much like the old pot. Christ has destroyed our old life, and removed it from the pot, replacing it with a new and different one. Unfortunately, some of the old roots remain, and it will be necessary to choose which life we want to be in control, I we choose to ignore the old nature, the works of the flesh, it will take over, choking the new life, and making it unfruitful. Until we made the choice to allow God to destroy our old lives, we could not be saved, according to Luke 14:26-27. “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

For the new plant to survive and grow, it is necessary that water, sunlight, and nutrients be provided. Placing a pot where there is insufficient sunlight, failure to supply adequate nutrients, or erratic watering can all cause stress, hindering proper development. Unlike the pot, which is stuck where we put it, we have freedom to move to where we can receive the needed things.

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory..” (Colossians 3:1-4)

To develop the new life to it’s maximum potential will require pulling out the old vines every time they appear, until finally, every root is killed or removed. Failure to remove them immediately allows new roots to begin forming and prolongs the problem. If they are allowed to grow, the old will use water and nutrients that would otherwise be available to the new plant, the life God has given, interfering with it’s growth. We need to eliminate things which interfere with our Christian growth.

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. (Colossians 3:5-7)

It is so easy to ignore the old roots that remain, although they are the very basis of what Christ had to destroy. Their wickedness brought God’s judgment on mankind, and we used to practice them. A life in which they are in control does not have God in control, is not based on and depending on God’s work They are the natural works of sinful flesh, and they prevent spiritual growth.

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

As long as the roots are alive, they will continue to put out leaves of the original plant. If the leaves are pulled off immediately, eventually the roots will be so weakened they will die, if the leaves are allowed to remain, even for a short time, they will strengthen the old root and soon the old plant will begin to grow. The quicker they are removed, the sooner the struggle will end. When certain things appear in our lives, they need to be dealt with immediately, even though they seem insignificant at the moment.

“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all..” (Colossians 3:8-11)

These things are not part of that new life, and need to be eliminated, not just trimmed back, as soon as possible, to enable the Holy Spirit to develop the new life freely. Just bringing anger under control, for example, is not enough. Any anger which remains feeds and strengthens the old sinful nature. It has to be eliminated, as do each of the other behaviors.