Rooted in Christ

Dear Brethren,

Are we rooted and founded in Jesus Christ?  What does it mean to be rooted in Him?  If we were not rooted in Christ, would it show?  Would we know it if we were not rooted and built up in Christ?  It should go without saying that a right understanding of how to live a Christian life is deeply rooted in the example of the life of Jesus Christ.  In the book of Colossians, Paul tells us that when we are rooted in Christ our ways will become like His ways.

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”  (Colossians 2:6-7)

Being rooted in Christ, means that we embrace His doctrine, His principles, His teachings, and His values.  A deep-rooted connection to Christ includes trusting in all of His words, and greatly appreciating the forgiveness He earned for us.  It also includes looking to God in faith, realizing our total dependence on our Creator while demonstrating the fruits of God's Holy Spirit, and expressing true Christianity through good works.  When we are rooted in Christ, it means that we know His ways, and love His ways more than the ways of the world.  When we are rooted in Christ, we put on Christcreated in righteousness and true holiness (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:24).

At the very time that the Church should be pulling together in unity of spirit, we find old grudges festering and factions continuing.  Why is that?  Why won’t the ministers of the various groups bury the hatchet and come together?  If they won’t do that, they owe it to the brethren to spell out in detail their doctrinal position for not working toward Christ’s desire for a unity of the body (John 17).  The reason for the disunity, even after so many years, attests to the fact that there are those who have not yet become rooted in Christ as they should be.   

It is simply unfathomable to have Church of God organizations existing side by side, while ignoring each other’s very existence as brethren of Christ.   Because of the reluctance of the various off-shoots of the scattered brethren to work toward harmony, you would think that we had all the time in the world.  It is high time that all the converted brethren who are rooted in Christ pull together and recognize one another – despite which corporate organization they find themselves in.  When we are all truly rooted in Christ as we should be, unity of the body will be the sure outcome.

Make no mistake about it - Jesus Christ is not going to return to a scattered bunch of churches.  Jesus Christ has only one Church, and it is made up of all the brethren who are being led by His Holy Spirit.  Christ is not divided – how can we remain so?  Fightings, quarrelings, strivings, and contentions clearly demonstrate the carnal nature of those who will not seek peace.  “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  For while one says, I am of [Fill in the name of a minister]; and another says, I am of [Fill in the name of an organization]; are ye not carnal?”   (1Co 3:3-4)

If we claim that we are not carnal, but spiritually rooted in Christ, then we must admit that all this church party spirit we see all around us is wrong.  What are we to do about the problem?  The answer is that we must be instrumental in healing the breach.  Take a stand!  Recognize your brothers and sisters in other groups who have a right relationship with God and strive to be rooted in Christ. 

Reestablish a fellowship that is pleasing to Jesus Christ.  Yes, the Bible reveals that there are many false ministers that the brethren are to be careful of – they are not rooted and founded in Jesus Christ.  Have the courage to do what God requires of us.  Our task is not to find the single corporate organization that Christ is fully pleased with – it does not exist on earth.  Every true Christian's mission is to be firmly rooted in Jesus Christ.

This world is about to unravel at the seams.  We live in an insolvent world of increasing debt – a world in financial chaos, without solutions.  Europe, China, and the USA are all overextended and at their rope’s end.  The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is an environmental and ecological quagmire of immense proportions.  How long will prophetically significant Israel be restrained from using nuclear force against Iran, and massive conventional armament against Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas?  Conditions are ripe for a world ruling dictator who will rise up overnight (Daniel 4:15).

When the famine of the word comes upon us, will we be firmly founded and rooted in Christ and be able to withstand the onslaught of secularism (Amos 8:11-12)?  Could it be that we’ve already begun to experience the famine of the word – in the lack of spiritual meat the brethren are receiving?   God describes the final spiritual famine as one in which the brethren do not even know what they are missing“You say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”  (Rev 3:17 )  

Brethren, it is time to be firmly rooted in Christ.

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Sermon:  "Rooted in Christ"      


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