How to Deal with Sin

The axe is laid to the root of the trees. (Matt. 3:10)

Matt. 3:8-10; Matt. 7:16-20; John 15:1-8

What Is God Saying?

The Pharisees were models of respectability. They were fully dedicated to a respectable religion and would practice their respectability no matter who was hurt. Who could call them sinners in need of repentance? They were in the top 10 percentile of perfection. When they fell short, it didn't matter much.

They even had the right religious genes. They were descendants of Abraham. Their family tree had strong branches and was nicely shaped, a showpiece in the First Century Eastern Mediterranean neighborhood.

Admiration was what they deserved and what they desired. One trouble: the flawless trees were fruitless. No, it would have been better if they had been fruitless, for the fruit they did produce was bitter, without nourishment, and even harmful if swallowed. There was only one way to deal with that. ‘Lay the axe to the root; every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

How Does This Apply To Us?

Life does not consist of looking nice and being admired. It consists of bearing fruit for humanity's good and God's glory. Moreover, we cannot hold our faith in the name of ancestors, even great ones. We cannot coast along on the stream of life under the inertia of rowing, which our parents and grandparents did. We must look more to the roots of our lives than to the roots of our lineage. We must examine what kind of roots produce what kind of fruits in our lives. Sometimes, the only treatment to cure the problem of tasteless, bitter, and even poisonous fruits is to ‘lay the axe to the roots.’ Time for prayer?

Pray With Me

Dear Lord, in Your wisdom and love, come upon my heart to sever any disobedient impulse or rival passion at its roots. In the depths beneath my conscious will, in the places that only Your Spirit can reach, in that part of me that cannot be shown or known to others, do the radical and merciful surgery. All the ways of the Lord are a combination of mercy and truth. That is why I want to stop running away from the truth, which, in the end, is mercy.

Lay the axe to the root. Life cannot expand to its fullest; joy cannot fill my being otherwise. Strike the blow that sets me free. I want to be free from wasting physical or mental energy on unwanted roots, free to focus the best of my time and strength on roots that will bear fruit to Your glory and the blessing of others, free to have all selfish thoughts cleanly severed and utterly dead. Then, You will show great mercy in an abundantly blessed life.

• Show no mercy at the root of every evil thought.

• Show no mercy at the root of every wayward desire.

• Show no mercy at the root of every subtle discouragement.

Let this become a reality, O God, for the sake of Him who does not need one person’s testimony about another, for He knows what is in a person and me. Amen.

Moving On in the Life of Prayer

If we feel that there are some things in the inner space of our lives, unseen by others but only too well known to ourselves, and if we know that for our own physical and spiritual well-being, they should be up-rooted, try letting the Spirit of God up-root them. It's the best way. ‘Lay the axe to the root.’ If that seems too much to ask or hard to do, it is already a matter of prayer.