Over the last few weeks, you may have been doing some yard work: planting, mulching, or fertilizing. In so doing, you probably have had to fight against some pesky weeds. How do you get rid of weeds? Today, many folks get out the sprayer. But back in the old days, folks simply pulled them up from the roots. If you got the root, that particular weed was history. But if you only got the part above ground leaving the root in the ground, the weed always grew back.
Weeds can wreak havoc on a lawn or garden and even take over the area. Likewise, when sin takes root in a person's life, it will war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). It defiles it, weakens it, and can overcome it. For it, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning (2 Peter 2:20, NKJV). Sin has to be uprooted from one's life before healing can begin. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). True repentance results in turning away from your sins and turning to God in obedience, thus putting to death past evil behaviors. Paul put it like this: How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it (Romans 6:2)? When you die to sin, it has no more control over you. You could say that your past behavior has been uprooted and you now live a new life that is conformed to the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). That does not mean that you are sinless, but faithful, walking in the light instead of darkness ( I John 1:7).
Uprooting a weed is a violent action. Jesus said we must also treat sin that way because hell looms for those who live in sin. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell (Matthew 5:29-30). If we are not diligent in uprooting sin from our lives, there is the probability that we will come to a point that we have no desire to do so. The Hebrews writer admonished Christians saying, Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12,13). Stephen accused the Jewish leaders of being "stiff-necked" (Acts 7:51), which meant that they were hardened in that they stubbornly refused to acknowledge the word of truth and do it.
“Have thine affections been nailed to the cross? Is thy heart right with God?" Do you need to do any spiritual weed pulling? Make sure you get the roots today!
Brotherly, Jamie
