“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

1 John 5:12

There are many species of plant that will regrow from the base even if all growth above ground is removed. Unless the root is put to death the plant will simply regrow. For many plants that is an advantage utilised by gardeners but it is a problem when we want the plant dead. The growth above ground is the expression of the life below. We may remove the above ground expression of that life but that will not kill the root.

It is the same with sin. Acts of sin are an expression of the root nature of sin. They are the symptoms of the root of sin. Unfortunately the world is often occupied with trying to remove the symptoms of sin without destroying the root. Various ideological and religious groups are trying to impose their view of utopia on others by education, intimidation or by force. However, none deal with the root cause and they wonder why they are not succeeding.

The media has its ideology which for the most part is of the spirit of antichrist. Part of the problem is that most people only consider the symptoms. Many Christians, both nominal and true, continue to express the symptoms of sin in grievous ways. The way that some deal with the symptoms of sin is to suppress acts of sin by force, or deny sin’s existence. Others believe that we can change people’s hearts through education.

The fact is that only Jesus can deal with the root of sin. John the Baptist said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). On the cross, Jesus didn’t just take away the symptoms of sin; He took away the root as well. John expresses this in his first letter. “If we say we have no sin [the root], we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins [the symptoms] He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [the symptoms] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [the root]” (1 John 8-9).

The uproar in the media over a particular tweet on social media is in regard to people who express certain symptoms of sin not being worthy of heaven. The debate misses the point entirely. None of us are fit for heaven until sin is destroyed at its root. Jesus alone can put the root to death. If the root is not dead the symptoms will reappear. John writes that only those who have Christ have put to death the root (1 John 5:12).