Invasive or Beneficial

 I’m a “member” of a gardening group on social media. People ask questions and other people answer them. Someone will ask for suggestions on what to plant, show a picture asking others to identify the plant, show a plant they think is beautiful to ask questions about it, questions about insects and other random questions or posts. What is interesting is the comments to their answers and suggestions. Almost any time someone posts about a plant, or suggests a plant, someone tells them to get rid of it because it’s invasive. Many of these plants I have in my yard and have had absolutely no issues with them being invasive or spreading out of control. In a way it’s funny, but in another way I wonder why these people live in fear of a plant being invasive. I honestly think they are overly obsessive about it. But I was thinking this morning about something that really is invasive. Sin. Sin is invasive. 

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned

I think we all agree that the apostle Paul had a deep desire to obey God completely, to understand His ways, to teach others the marvelous love of God demonstrated through Jesus, but he also struggled with his sin nature. Sin is invasive in our earthly bodies. Only through Jesus do we have victory over sin.

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 21 So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. 22 For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law. 23 But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.

I have some areas in my yard where I want things that spread quickly. For example there is a steep slope between my yard and the road.  I’ve been trying to figure out what to plant there that will spread quickly. Every time I mow it, I’m afraid the lawn mower will turn over and kill me. (I know that’s an irrational fear.) A concern that a life lived without a relationship with God is futile and ends with eternal separation from Him is a rational fear. We want the good news that Jesus died, was buried, resurrected and ascended into Heaven to make intercession for us to spread. 

Jesus taught that the kingdom of God will spread like a small mustard seed or yeast in dough. 

Matthew 13:31 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it.”

Sometimes someone posts a picture that they want identified before they pull it out of their garden. Comments will ask them not to pull it because it is beneficial, either medicinally, or to support natural pollinators. What they viewed as a weed, others see as beneficial. The same occurs with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Paul and Barnabus preached the good news of Jesus in Antioch. This angered the religious leaders and they stirred up persecution against them. But the conflict did not diminish the power of the gospel. Isn’t it interesting that like the gardening group, there were those who viewed the good news of Jesus as an invasive “plant” that needed to be destroyed? 

Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the message of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 So the message of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the prominent women, who worshiped God, and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. 51 But they shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

God uses us to spread the good news, not for our own glory or profit, but so that others can receive the forgiveness and relationship that we have.

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this? 

We need to pray that the gospel spreads. We can’t be complacent and comfortable in our relationship without a heartfelt desire for others to also know the love of Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the Lord’s message may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you,

Another area in my yard doesn’t have grass but weeds grow there like crazy. And poison ivy and poison oak! I definitely want to get rid of those. I’ve been reading about ground covers that choke out weeds. What will cover the sin that is invasive in our lives? 

I know this sounds obvious, but the weeds and poison ivy in my yard can do absolutely nothing to cover themselves or make themselves valuable. We can’t cover our own invasive sin. Only Jesus can do that. 

Romans 4:2 If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to brag about—but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness. 4 Now to the one who works, pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous,his faith is credited for righteousness. 6 Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the man God credits righteousness to apart from works: 7 How joyful are those whose lawless acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered! 8 How joyful is the man the Lord will never charge with sin!

People view different plants as either invasive or beneficial. Sin can look beautiful to our carnal bodies. The gospel of Jesus is a beneficial “plant” that needs to spread. It is our responsibility to cultivate through our prayers, our actions and our words the spread of the gospel. The weeds and poison of sin is still in the world. Jesus is the “groundcover” that can defeat sin as we yield to His work in our lives.