Rooted in Christ: Addressing the True Source of Sin
Insights from Abide Above
"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!'"
— Luke 5:8
Recognizing our sinfulness can be unsettling. Like Peter, we may become overwhelmed when confronted with the depths of our sinful nature. Our instinct is often to fix the visible flaws—those surface-level sins we can see and name. We attempt to patch up behaviors, control impulses, and manage our lives to appear righteous. But this struggle often leaves us frustrated and exhausted because the issue runs much deeper.
The problem isn’t just what we do; it’s who we are apart from Christ. Sin isn’t a collection of bad actions—it’s rooted in the self-life, the old nature inherited from Adam. Addressing the fruit of sin without dealing with its root is like trimming the branches of a weed but leaving its roots untouched. It will inevitably grow back, perhaps even stronger.
The Cross: God’s Remedy for the Root
W. Nee said it well: “Our sins are dealt with by the Blood, but we ourselves are dealt with by the Cross.” The blood of Jesus covers our sins—those wrongful acts—but the cross addresses the core problem: the sinner himself.
The cross doesn’t improve our old self; it puts it to death. When we attempt to live for God out of our own strength, relying on our self-effort, we live in constant defeat. But when we embrace the truth that our old self was crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), we discover that it’s no longer about striving but about surrendering. The Holy Spirit applies the work of the cross to our inner being, cutting off the root and allowing the life of Christ to grow and bear fruit in us.
The Withered Tree: A Picture of the Old Life
Imagine a fruit tree in the middle of a garden, but its roots are diseased. You could polish its bark, hang ornaments on its branches, or even glue fruit to it, but it would still remain lifeless. The only true solution is to uproot it and plant a new, healthy tree.
In the same way, God doesn’t decorate our old self; He replaces it. Our sinful nature was nailed to the cross, and in its place, God plants the life of Christ within us. This is the exchanged life—not improving the old but living from the new.
Resting in the Finished Work
Many believers pray earnestly for revival or a deeper spiritual life, hoping to feel closer to God. But as T. Austin-Sparks insightfully shared, the answer isn’t more effort but a new knowing of the Cross. The deeper spiritual life we seek comes not through striving but through resting in the reality that our sinful self has been crucified, and Christ now lives in us.
Galatians 5:24 reminds us, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” This isn’t something we accomplish by willpower but something we believe and walk in by faith.
A Prayer of Surrender
Father,
Thank You for the complete work of the cross. I acknowledge that my problem is not just my actions but my old self that was bound to sin. Thank You for crucifying my old nature with Christ and for giving me new life in Him. I choose to rest in the truth that it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Let His life bear fruit in me today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Final Thought
We cannot prune our way to holiness. The only path to true freedom is through the cross, where our old self was put to death and Christ's life began in us. Let’s stop striving to manage our sin and start resting in the One who has already dealt with it completely.