[17] But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, [18] do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. [19] Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” [20] That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. [22] Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. [23] And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
(Romans 11:17-24 ESV)
A plant grown from seed or as a cutting has to rely on its own roots and leaves to get the nutrients and water that it needs to grow. A grafted shoot relies on the roots and leaves of its new “parent” plant for nutrients and water.
As Christians, grafted shoots in Christ the Vine, we are not responsible for providing our own nutrients. Christ has become our Root, the source of all our sustenance. He takes care of our growth (and pruning when needed to help us to grow more productively).
You cannot graft an entire plant on to the new host—only a branch. This means cutting and also means pain, since our “own” plant is left behind, and we are pulled away from everything that we are comfortable with.
This idea of being grafted from Romans 11 not only applies to the blessing given to New Testament Gentiles being grafted into God's church, but also can apply to the battle between new man and the old man-- we are in Christ, but still in the flesh. Paul speaks to this battle in Romans 7:
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
(Romans 7:14 ESV)
[22] For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, [23] but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. [24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
(Romans 7:22-25 ESV)
The difficulty is that so often we act as though we are still part of our own plant; we are grafted onto the new one, but still attached to the old one. It is as though we have roots in two places, and we keep reaching backwards to our old root system, wasting our energy on fleshly concerns when we should be concentrated on growing more strongly into the True Vine.
The plant (the First Adam) we originally came from was dead, and we were only saved by grace and grafted into Christ by His blood, His death, and resurrection. It is interesting to note that in order for a graft to be successful “the vascular cambium tissues of the stock and scion plants must be placed in contact with each other. Both tissues must be kept alive until the graft has 'taken', usually a period of a few weeks. Successful grafting only requires that a vascular connection take place between the grafted tissues” (
GraftingWikipedia). If we take Paul's grafting metaphor a step farther, we can see that we have been put vein to vein with Christ, as it were, and He shares his life-giving blood with us, causing us to be made alive in Him.
We must heed Paul's warning though, “[R]emember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” (Romans 7:18). It is so easy to forget that we cannot live in our own strength. We take our new roots for granted and think that we are responsible for everything. We cannot forget that it is only through grace that we have been saved from ourselves. We must remember that we have been grafted into Christ and all we have to do is cling to the Vine.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4
