Holy Root, Holy Fruit

Holy Root, Holy Fruit.

The reason biblical writers give for abstaining from sin is that it isn’t who you are to sin. Paul in Romans 6 response to a question about continuing in sin was that, “you are dead.”

That’s Awesome!! The reason for not living in sin isn’t because it’s bad or because you reap what you sow or whatever other reason people claim. It is because, it’s not you. Sin is actually no longer a part of who you are.

Think about it, we are told to bear fruits of holiness in Romans 6:22. Hebrews 12:11 talks about bearing fruits of righteousness. This is because the Root is holy and righteous and we have been engrafted into this tree (Rom 11:17) . Only a holy tree produces holy fruit. We are holy and righteous because we have been reconciled and united to Him.

“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” – Heb 2:11

Wait a second....did you forget you were dead?

Paul starts Romans 6 with a question and answer of why we should not keep on sinning.

“Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?”

Let us pause right here…..

What would your answer be to someone about why we should not keep sinning?

One person might say, “ Because sin is evil and wrong”

Another, “It is destructive and will bring death in your life.”

Possibly someone else might chime in, “God is holy!”

Or maybe the response would be a combination of these answers.

Yet Paul’s answer is drastically different and profoundly empowering. He speaks to the truth that we are in union with Christ. This is the state that Colossians 3:3 calls “Your new life, which is your real life.”

Paul’s response:

“Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?”

Its almost as if its an absurd question to even think such a thought. He is adamant about  this as the following verses use language like, “Are you ignorant of the fact”

Wow! Talk about a man who lives with the reality of being crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20).

I personally love the way the Message puts this verse. No translation better hits on the truth we touched on in the last blog (Read Here) of sin being a location, a place that we were in, but are no longer.

“If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good?”

The old sin dead self, that prison of sin is no more. Its been destroyed eternally. You got a whole new house in a whole new country.

“That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!”

You see if you believed you were dead to sin and made alive to God (Eph 2:1). The question or possibility of remaining in sin wouldn’t be on the table.

I believe, Paul understood that who you are always sets you free from whom you aren’t. When we speak to who someone is in Christ we empower him or her to be holy, because they have been made holy. Identity precedes action.

This empowering through identity is not just in one part of the bible, but through out. Lets take a look.

Its who you are, so act like it!

Holy People

Ephesians 5:3 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,…….”

Here we see an appeal to not sin, but why?

Is it because you are God’s sinful people, prone to fail, and even the hint might cause you to fall away?

Nope! It shouldn’t be among you because you are God’s and you are holy people.

“because these are improper for God's holy people.” – Eph 5:3

Holy Priests, Living Stones

We see a similar type of empowerment of who you are in 1 Peter. Chapter 2 which starts off telling those reading and to us as well

“Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

But why Peter?

Peter answers this in the following section by focusing on mixing both the worth of Jesus and Identity. 

He speaks to who we are:

“Living stones” v5

“A spiritual house” v5

“A holy priesthood” v5

“You are a chosen people”v9

“A royal priesthood” v9

“A holy nation” v9

“A people belonging to God” v9

People in His wonderful light V9

Gods Home

Again to the Corinthians Paul is faced with an issue of sexual immorality. He addresses them with a question focused on identity.

“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?” – 1 Cor 3:16

He sets out to bring to remembrance who they are, because if they remember who they are they will act accordingly. Right believing produces right acting.

I have simply scratched the surface on this topic and these passages. I hope that you go and investigate some more on your own. Invite the Holy Spirit into your study time with the bible. The Holy Ghost does a wonderful job at guiding into all truth (John 16:13) and reveal hidden and deep things( 1 Cor 2:10).