The Deepest Root

1 Peter 2:24
"24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed."

Weeds are a big problem.  They're hardy, relentless, some are ugly and they grow practically everywhere.  If you want to kill them, you have to destroy the deepest root or they'll just grow right back.

Life is full of "weeds," too.  Before the broken marriage; before the sickness; before you failed.....again; before poverty and lack is stress.  Beneath stress is fear.

The world--those outside of Christ--can only speak to "stress and fear." That's all they can understand and deal with. They are not, however, able to either reach or affect the real culprit behind them all.  Deep down, beneath everything, is fear.  What's beneath fear? CONDEMNATION.  It's the deepest root.

Since we're going back to the "root" of things, come with me back to where it all began:

In the garden.

Long before poverty, sickness or death came to Adam and Eve, they felt condemned.  Then they hid from God.  After that, by the sweat of their face (stress), they tilled the ground and ate bread.  They now feared GOD; "I heard Your voice and I was afraid."
(For more on why God hates sweat, follow this link:
http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/it-began-in-garden.html)

They had never been afraid of God before.  In fact, they took long, wonderful, intimate walks in the garden, in the cool of the evening.  But now they were afraid and they hid themselves.    

As soon as you begin feeling condemned, all the other things begin to operate in your life: poverty, sickness and broken everything else.  So let's deal with it.  Let's deal with the deepest root.

1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
24 "Who His own self bare our sins in His own {physical} BODY on the tree, that we, BEING DEAD TO SINS, {and "DEAD" is DEAD} should LIVE unto righteousness:
by Whose stripes ye were healed."

You are not "in the process" of dying: YOU ARE ALREADY DEAD, that you might LIVE unto righteousness.

Some law-mentality (milk-drinking, i.e. baby) Christians will say "righteousness means you must to live right, do right, talk right, think right."  No, righteousness in the New Testament, IS A GIFT.  We are DEAD to condemnation.  You need to be conscious of your GIFT of righteousness:  To live it; breathe it; share it with our friends and family. That's the GOOD NEWS!!!

Notice the very last line:  BY WHOSE STRIPES YE WERE HEALED?

"Healed" here refers to "physical healing."  What Peter is saying is that, "when you truly understand that YOU ARE DEAD with all finality TO GUILT AND CONDEMNATION OF SIN, you understand there is NO MORE PENALTY.  You will NEVER BE PUNISHED AGAIN FOR SIN and you will live your life from now on conscious that you are FOREVER RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST.

It is THAT UNDERSTANDING which will have the following effect on you:  

BY HIS STRIPES YOU ARE HEALED.  THAT UNDERSTANDING will cause you to experience healing.

Most people are trying to get the benefit of the last six words without implementing the other part of the verse.  They cannot because only when you are free from condemnation, i.e. sin-consciousness, THEN what Jesus did for you when He bore the stripes for you becomes REAL.  Understanding that one thing makes you able to walk in it; to walk in victory!

So don't waste another minute feeling guilty and condemned, Church.  Believe Jesus and BE MADE WHOLE!!!!!  Be free of the Deepest Root.