Deeply rooted in Christ (Wednesday, Easter 5, 2021)

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Introduction

Our world is increasingly becoming anti-Christ (bent on diluting and opposing the teachings of Christ, the teachings of the Christian faith). We have a duty to defend the faith which we have embraced. We can only do this if we get ourselves completely rooted in Christ the True Vine, Master and Teacher.

  

Integrity stands out as a beacon when duplicity and intrigue are at work. A person of integrity is one who possesses and steadfastly adheres to true principles. Such a person can’t be blown away by winds of falsehood. A Christian becomes a person of integrity when he or she sticks to the teachings of the Church, and never bows to external pressures or influences. Mounds gathered around seedlings don’t suffocate them. Rather, they are meant to keep the seedlings firmly rooted in the soil against the ravages of erosions. The true teachings of the faith are the mounds we need against the ravages of false teachings.


Over the centuries, one of the main problems that have confronted the Church is the preponderance of false teachings (heresies). They flow like erosions, so violent that many have been swept away from Christ by their torrents. For example, many have shifted ground because of skewed teachings about Mary. Many have been deceived into believing that tithing is a requirement for heavenly entrance. You will be uprooted if you are not well rooted. Christ is the True Vine; not your preacher. Pay attention to the teachings of Jesus. Read your bible!


In Acts 15:1-6, a false teaching was being peddled in the early Church that “if you are not circumcised, you won’t be saved”. The apostles, being men of integrity, gathered to consider the matter. They couldn’t shift their ground because they were rooted in Christ and in the truth.


Christ is the True Vine, not any institution. For us to stand firm, we must be rooted in Him and be nourished with the right teaching (cf. John 15:1-8). Christ is the truth: those who are well rooted in Him know the truth. When winds of falsehood rage, those rooted in the truth will remain unshakable. That is what it means for a Christian to be a person of integrity.


As Christians, it is incumbent on us to defend the truth of the faith. But you can only defend the faith with what you have known about the faith. And that is why it is very important that we make efforts to have the faith teachings at our finger tips. Let us be open to Christ and to His words; let us always appreciate and assimilate the teachings of the faith; let us always strive to deepen our knowledge of the truth.    


Prayer:

Lord Jesus, guard me against falsehood and error! May I be well rooted in You, Amen!


Have a blessed day!



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