The Importance Of Discovering Your Roots

How important is it to know your genealogy?  My biological father – now why would I make that distinction?  Because my parents were divorced when I was an infant and I was raised by another father. But, the second father was not in my natural lineage.  At any rate, my biological father did a lot of research on the Elgin family in the United States.  He managed to track our ancestors back to the early 1700’s when they first came to the U.S.  from Scotland.  Although it may be interesting, it really has no eternal significance.  If you recall seeing the pie-charts in the genealogy commercials, everyone of the people has an ancestry representing many people groups.  For some people, like my dad, discovering their roots is a passion – for others an obsession.  Almost as if in finding their roots, they will find some sort of redemption.  

If you recall, the Gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus – from Father Abraham to Jesus.  Those are probably some of the least-read verses in the New Testament.  What is interesting is how God – the Father – wove the lives of those people in that lineage together to fulfill prophecy and, at just the right time, for Jesus, the God-man, to be born.  Our redemption – our significance is found in Him.  The first-born of many sons and daughters.  If you are a Christian – then your natural heritage is not nearly so significant as it was before you were born again.  When Jesus told Nicodemus that Nicodemus must be born again, He was saying that the natural was not eternal – Nicodemus must be also born of the Spirit – as must ever person who has ever walked this earth.  

In 2 Corinthians 5, as a Christian, old things have passed away – all things have become new – we are born again.  So why are we so interested in our natural lineage – as if somehow it might save us – prove us as OK – as significant.  My new life began in September 1976 when I surrendered to Jesus as Lord.  When God sealed my heart with His Spirit and gave me a new life in Christ.  Everyone born on this earth can trace their lineage all the way back to Adam.  Most people are satisfied with knowing what countries their ancestors are from.  They spend money to find that out.  Then they cling to some aspect  like - I am 5% American Indian – I am 30% African – or I am 25% Scot.  (I really have no clue) But – I do know this – I am 100% Christian – I have been adopted – grafted in to the family of God.  My significance and worth is found in Jesus.  I don’t have to wonder if there is something wrong with me – or why I am the way that I am.  There was nothing good in my old nature – there is only good in my new nature.  Spiritually, I am genetically connected to God the Father, through the sacrifice of God the Son by the power of God the Spirit.

So Christian - every time that you see a commercial suggesting that you need to spend up to $50 a month because “It's amazing what our ancestry reveals about who we are.”  Let it be a reminder that you can keep your money because you already know.  CHARLEY