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The Branches: The Christmas Tree Analogy pt. 4

We've seen the roots of our faith, those things that deal directly with Jesus and God. Last week we examined the trunk, those large matters of faith that grow directly out of the roots. These two things form the foundation and primary tenets of the Christian faith. The roots anchor our tree (the Trinity, Incarnation, Resurrection, etc.,) and the trunk is where the tree grows tall (Scripture, salvation, the imago dei, etc.) Next up are the branches.

On a Christmas tree the branches are one of the most visible parts. They fan out and cover a great deal of ground. The branches grow out of the tree trunk, receiving their nutrients from the roots below. In our analogy of theology and faith, the branches represent the outworking of various beliefs.

For example, a root belief of Christianity is that God has revealed himself to us, specifically in Jesus. In the trunk that grows up from that root is the firm conviction that the Bible is from God and the authoritative source of God's revelation in Jesus. Out of this grows a wide branch of all sorts of things, like what books are in the Bible, the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, and generally how we are to read Scripture.

Another example would be our theological anthropology, or the Christian beliefs about humanity. The root is that God alone is our creator and savior. Out of this comes the important trunk concept of being made in God's image as well as being made male and female. The branch that grows out of this is our treatment of other human beings, family relationships, serving others, and more. 

The branches are one of the more visible aspects of the tree. People looking at us will see what we do. No matter how big and tall our trunk is or how deep our roots grow, if we don't have branches people will notice how odd we look. A strong faith in God brings forth good works and obedience that is visible in our lives. It is important, however, to always remember that these branches are dependent on the trunk and roots. Next week we look at the most noticed part of the tree, the ornaments.

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