Reading 7
by T. Petkov
“ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE” – Ephesians 3:17, 18
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, several times He used the phrase “rooted and grounded” as an illustration. Roots are the underground part of plants that provide the stability, nutrition, and water needed by the plant to survive and grow. ” … That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;… ” Ephesians 3:17, 18.
In this Bible verse, being rooted is presented as the condition for comprehending the truth in its three dimensions. The implication is that otherwise one’s comprehension will be limited, incomplete, or partial.
“Faith and prayer are necessary in order that we may behold the deep things of God. Our minds are so bound about with narrow ideas, that we catch but limited views of the experience it is our privilege to have.” -Re view and Herald, November 17, 1891.
THE DECEPTION
According to the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), religion is merely a figment of the human mind and imagination. Is religion really just a theory or imagination? Where is the end of imagination and the beginning of the real experience? The apostle Paul writes: “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:13, 14.
The prophet Isaiah also observed this religious phenomenon. He wrote God’s command: “Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Acts 28:26, 27.
How does one move from the abstract to reality, from knowledge to understanding, from theory to action?
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do ap pear.” Hebrews 11:3. Faith is a wonderful, mysterious gift that God gives through the presence of His Holy Spirit. However, in our perception of faith, we find a difference between living faith and dead faith. The illusion of the mind may be so convincing that many imagine that they have faith when, in reality, they are far from its real nature. Jesus told His disciples: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;…” “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” Matthew 7:21; 20:16. God’s definition of faith and religious experience is different from that of man. The apostle James warned the followers of Christ that “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:26.
Oh, how sad the end will be for people living in an illusion of faith! We read about the Jewish nation, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Hebrews 4:2.
ROOTED BY PRACTICING GOD’S WILL
Thinking about roots, Christ’s par able about the seeds falling into different types of soil is rich with meaning. “And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.” Mark 4:5, 6. Jesus explained the meaning of this to His disciples. “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” Matthew 13:20, 21.
The Spirit may be working gradually in the life of the believer. We need to begin cooperating with Him in our small daily endeavors. Faithfulness in the little duties helps us to hear the voice of God and be ready for great er tests. “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21.
One marvelous example in the Bible is the experience of faithful Job. He was rooted in the truth by practicing every part of it. “Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.” Job 4:3, 4. The suffering inflicted by Satan shook Job’s confidence and faith. He did not understand why so much evil was happening to him. Why did God allow it? In such difficult times, his previous experience of daily practicing the truth helped him to be grounded in it. He held on to the promises of God and endured. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” Job 19:25.
This faith is the real one that helps us to grow spiritually and finally enables us to comprehend the “length, and depth, and height” of that which is divine. Job’s practical, living faith helped him not only to obtain victory in the time of trouble but also to obtain a deeper knowledge of God. “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.” Job 42:5. Job advanced from an abstract understanding based on hearing to a three-dimensional comprehension of the truth.
ROOTED IN EXPERIENCE
Sometimes God permits us to make miraculous experiences that help us to move from theory to reality and be grounded in the truth. “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” Matthew 9:6.
The God of the Bible really exists. He speaks, hears, answers, and is omnipresent. We do not see Him, but we may see His presence in the movement of the elements. Like the wind, we do not see it, but we see the trees moving under its influence.
An impressive story from Mexico serves as a fitting illustration to these thoughts. A family that was interested in the truth had been studying the Bible for some time with Elder Martin Lagunas, but they hesitated to make the decision to be baptized.
One Sunday afternoon, they packed up their pickup truck to go to the city from their hometown. They saw dark clouds and were worried about a possible rainstorm; but, having no other option, they prepared for their journey. Their prayers were intense, because the truck bed in the back was full of luggage and people. The husband was driving in the cab, but the rest of the family-his wife and children-were sitting in the open truck bed in the back. In Mexico, this is allowed by the traffic regulations.
Sometime later, as they were traveling on the freeway, it began to rain and turned into a storm. Heavy rain was pouring down, and the driver had the windshield wipers set at the highest speed possible. However, not a single drop of water fell in the truck bed in the back! The sister and her children observed the miracle with fear and joy, for their prayers were being answered. They explained that it was like an invisible barrier surrounding the truck bed. The sister believed she was dreaming, and several times she asked her children if they saw the same thing. Then, she reached her hand outside the truck bed, and her hand got wet and she felt the rain and wind. It was not a dream but reality.
The rain continued for the entire trip-for several hours. On the free way, a bus with passengers passed next to the pickup. The passengers noticed the phenomenon and began to shout and call to each other to come and see. Arriving in the evening, the family called all the church members to come and witness the miracle, because the car was wet all over except for the truck bed, where everything was dry. Shortly there after, the family was baptized, and they are faithful members to this day.
Have you had an experience with God? If so, remember it. If not, then pray for an experience!
ROOTED IN LOVE
The apostle Paul advised the believers to be rooted and grounded in love. According to him, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” 1 Corinthians 13:8.
“The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.
From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvel ous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10.”-The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9.
The spirit of service, obedience, and love is the Spirit of Christ. He demonstrated divine love by leaving His heavenly privileges behind and coming to earth to serve humanity. He expects His followers to represent Him on earth as He will represent them in the heavenly courts.
“For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.” “But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.” Luke 9:26; 1 Corinthians 8:3.
By practicing love, we “may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;” Ephesians 3:18.
Amen!