Repent of the Root not the Fruit!

Every person’s life is bearing fruit—good or bad. The fruit we see in our lives is the result of what we are rooted in. Scripture teaches that sinful actions are not the problem themselves—they are symptoms of a deeper issue: the root. Until the root changes, the fruit will never change.

Just like a tree cannot produce different fruit unless its root is changed, a person cannot live a transformed life without being rooted in Christ.

I. Two Trees, Two Roots, Two Lives

1. Life Rooted in Self

The first tree represents a life rooted in self—a life centered on our own desires, pleasures, dreams, and purposes apart from God.

The fruit on this tree includes things like Lying, Cussing, Stealing, Bad choices & attitudes, Smoking, Broken relationships, etc.

These behaviors are not the true problem—they are merely the fruit.
The real problem is the root: a heart set on self rather than God.

2. Life Rooted in Christ

The second tree is a life rooted in Christ. When Christ becomes your source, He produces: Love, Kindness, Patience, Peace, Gentleness, etc.

These things are not achieved through willpower—they are produced naturally by a new root system.

II. Repentance: Uprooting the Old Life

Many people misunderstand repentance. They feel sorry about their behavior (the fruit) and promise to “do better.” But Scripture does not call us to trim the tree—it calls us to uproot it.

•True Repentance Is Not: merely stopping bad actions; Not promising to behave better; Not trimming off sinful branches

•True repentance is: A death to self; A change of allegiance; A change of purpose; A complete turning from self to Christ

Repenting of fruit without repenting of the root is worthless. A person can regret the consequences while still loving the sin.

III. The Root Must Die Before New Fruit Can Grow

Romans 6:1–6 teaches that the old person must die. 2 Corinthians 5:17 teaches that the person must become a new creation.

This uprooting and replanting happens in baptism: The old root (self) is buried and a new seed  is planted, and a new life begins to take root and grow.

You cannot patch the old life and call it new. Christ does not fix you—He replaces you.

Only when the root is changed will the fruit be changed.

IV. Giving Your Entire Life to Christ

Luke 14:33 teaches that being a disciple requires giving up everything. Christ must own: Your thoughts; Your desires; Your plans; Your dreams; Your purpose.

Christianity is not self-improvement. It is self-replacement.
You don’t add Jesus to your life—you surrender your life entirely to Him.

When Christ becomes your root: Your habits change; Your behaviors change; Your relationships change; Your desires change; Your entire identity changes

Not because you worked harder, but because your source changed.

Conclusion

Your life is always bearing fruit. The question is not, “How do I change my behavior?” The real question is:

“What is my life rooted in?”

If you change the root, the fruit will follow.
If you surrender your life to Christ, He will produce His life in you.