As we traveled through England, we were interested to see that many trees were being slowly overgrown with ivy. It was a lovely sight to see big trees in full leaf with their trunks thickly covered with ivy leaves. However, among the ivy-covered trees there always seemed to be a few in different stages of dying. We noticed one tall trunk without a single branch. It had been a stately tree but was now just an ivy-covered post. Others had a few remaining branches without any leaves of their own or had leaves only at the end of their ivy-covered branches. Finally, we understood what was happening. The ivy, beautiful as it was, was slowly but surely killing these trees, whether they were mighty oaks or stately ash.
It seemed to us that the simple answer to the problem was to cut the ivy roots at the base of the tree so the ivy would die. But a closer look showed us our answer wasn’t as easy as we thought. We saw a maze of thick, tough vines with an iron grip on the tree with roots spreading in every direction, sucking moisture from the soil and robbing the tree of its life-giving water, until eventually the tree died. It would take much hard work to save a tree and free it from the grasp of its enemy.
Sin is just like that ivy. Sin unchecked will grow and grow, until it eventually takes over and finally destroys. The mighty oak might laugh at the tender little ivy stem starting out at its base, but the ivy will always have the last laugh, for the tree will surely die. Sin pays death as its wages, and sin will destroy just as certainly as ivy destroys. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
But there is good news! The last half of Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) tells us, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” God, who is rich in mercy and loved us even when we were in the cruel chains of sin, can break those chains that have an iron grip and free us-freedom to live and grow as He intended. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). If the tree refused to allow a man to cut and tear away all the ivy, then it would be doomed to die. But if the tree could admit that it was going to die unless the man saved it and let the man cut away the ivy, the tree would live. The Lord Jesus Christ is able to set the sinner free from his sins and will release all who come to Him. Have you been set free?
ML-12/04/2005