GETTING TO THE ROOT
Getting To The Root
Matthew 7:17-18
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every fruit starts in the root.
If You walk into an orchard and see that the apples are all bad, you don’t blame the apples, You look at the tree.
The fruit simply reveals what is really going on beneath the surface.
Yet in our spiritual lives, we often spend years trying to deal with the fruit of our behavior, without ever examining the root system that is causing the behavior.
And you will never change the fruit until you first deal with the root.
We try to manage anger instead of asking what hurt produced that anger.
We try to suppress pride instead of identifying the insecurity that’s feeding it.
Perhaps we try to overcome addictions yet never address the triggers that lie beneath the surface that you don’t even know exist.
Fruit is visible, but the Roots are hidden.
Jesus made it clear in Matthew 7 that fruit is the evidence. A corrupt tree produces corrupt fruit. A good tree produces good fruit. The fruit does not create the roots, it is the roots that produces the fruit.
In the same way, outward behavior is simply the testimony of our inward beliefs.
Anger may be the fruit, but rejection and insecurity might be the root.
Pride may be the fruit, but fear of failure may be the root.
Control may be the fruit, but a lack of trust in others may be the root.
If we only clip the fruit, it will grow back.
Many people spend their entire lives trying to behave better without ever getting better.
They apologize for the outburst but never confront the bitterness. They feel guilty about anxiety but never bring their fears honestly before God.
They fight the symptom but never surrender the source.
The message this morning is simply this;
The Holy Spirit is not interested in cosmetic changes. He works at the root level.
When God gets to the root, the fruit will change naturally.
When trust replaces fear at the root, peace begins to grow.
When forgiveness replaces bitterness at the root, anger will lose its fuel.
It’s simple, the Roots determine the fruit.
Spiritual maturity is not learning how to hide bad fruit, it is allowing God to uproot what does not belong and plant something new.
It takes courage to let Him dig beneath the surface. Roots are tangled. Roots are buried. But the roots are where transformation begins.
If you want different fruit in your life, ask God to show you the root.
Because when the root is healed, the fruit will follow.
