The Root of the Matter Job 19:28 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In order to find out the real nature of a man you need to look down at the root of the matter. You must see what’s beneath the surface. The root of the matter will tell you what kind of man you are dealing with and why he does what he does. The trouble with men comes forth from the root. Notice these roots:
Unestablished roots – Col 2:7-8 – often seen with people who are carried away with philosophy, vain deceit, traditions of men and rudiments of the world – to prevent this, we need to be well rooted in the words of God so that when we encounter these things, we are not carried away –parents need to teach their children and bring then to Bible club and Sunday school faithfully.
Weak roots – Eph 3:16-17 – often seen in people who have weak faith [wishy-washy] and who have trouble loving others and being loved – a double minded man is unstable in all his ways – love Christ and you will love others – your love abounds – with strong roots you can even love enemies – Ps 119:165.
Dried roots – Job 18:16 – your roots need to be well watered – Ps 1:1-3 and Jer 17:7-8 show you two excellent ways to keep your roots watered – avoid the worldly counsel of too much social media, television, news and so forth – these will dry your roots.
Bitter roots – Heb 12:15 – often seen with people who have a defiling influence on others – making new friends won’t help – the problem is much deeper than that – the problem is with you; not with them – you need to dig bitterness out from the roots.
Evil roots – 1 Tim 6:10 – often seen with people who have trouble with covetousness – a budget won’t help – the problem runs much deeper than that – you need to learn to be content [1 Tim 6:6-9].
No roots – Lk 8:13 – the root is Jesus Christ [Rev 5:5] and without him you can only act like a Christian – perhaps the real trouble with someone you think is terribly backslidden is that he isn’t saved.
Righteous roots – Prov 12:3 shall not be moved – when you get saved you must yield to righteousness and become well established in righteousness – then you won’t be moved by the trials and temptations that befall you – Prov 12:12 yieldeth good fruit – furthermore, to be a fruitful Christian, you must yield to the righteousness of Jesus Christ in you – his righteousness in you will yield fruit through you.
Conclusion: Ultimately, the root of the matter is where you will discover the truth of the matter – look beneath the surface if you want to find out what’s really going on in your life – strengthen your roots in the words of God – strengthen your roots in the love of God – strengthen your roots in righteousness – strengthen your roots by getting away from worldly, evil, bitter influences – and become rooted in Christ by receiving him if you are not already saved.