A while back I had a dream: I saw white roots growing out of my feet. My first thought was, Well, that’s weird. But then the Lord spoke to me and said, “Those are the roots of righteousness.”
Before I was born again, I had no biblical background, so even well-known stories like David and Goliath were new to me. Andrew says that young believers are like little plants that need to be in a protected environment until their roots grow deep. In the natural world, the root system of a plant will sustain it for life. Our spiritual roots will do the same for our spiritual growth. They need to be strong and firmly planted so that we can mature and bear fruit.
As I was trying to understand the Bible, I would watch different ministers on television and read a lot of books. But sometimes it was hard to connect the dots, because there were a lot of contradictions in the things I was learning. The Word says that we should not be
carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine
Eph. 4:14, Amplified Bible
but we should
grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ
Eph. 4:15, AMP
All of us need to take care of our spiritual roots. For healthy spiritual growth, it’s essential to stay away from influences that contradict the Word. To overcome problems in this life, we need more than spiritual input from a variety of sources; we need a stable foundation that will allow our roots to be firmly established in the faith.
Andrew’s teachings fortify the roots of faith. One of the great benefits of his messages is that they interconnect and build on each other. They reveal the whole counsel of God and help eliminate discrepancies.
The Apostle Paul said,
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], [7] having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude.
Colossians 2:6-7, AMP
Paul exhorted us to be deeply rooted in Christ and to be continually built up in Him and established in our faith, just as we were taught. It doesn’t matter whether we are new in the faith or have been walking with God for a long time, our roots will stay strong as we remember the things we were taught.
Maybe you have already heard all of Andrew’s teachings. But let me ask you this: Are all the things you were taught active and alive in your heart? Have you given up in some areas because you didn’t see the manifestation soon enough? If so, there’s hope.
Sharper than a Two-Edged Sword is one of the best-kept secrets of the ministry. This teaching is a compilation and summary of the sixteen most important revelations that God gave Andrew. Each chapter addresses a specific topic in an abbreviated form. This format provides an overview that helps you to understand how these truths relate. Whether or not you are new in the faith, an overview of these topics will help you put each one in its proper perspective and fortify the roots of righteousness growing in your life.
