Look diligently
“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”(Hebrews 12:15)
What is the cause of bitterness?
Unbelief
Take heed that there is no evil unbelief in the heart
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”(Hebrews 3:12)
Unbelief can turn ones heart away from God and can cause bitterness to grow in the heart. Even a little root can cause unbelief and bitterness to grow.
“Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.” (Deuteronomy 29:18) Wormwood is very bitter and thus is a picture of bitterness. Bitterness churns up evil in the heart and poisons others, drawing them into toxic bitterness as well. Even if a person does not outwardly turn away from God or follow idols or false gods, just the root results in unbelief and bitterness. Bitterness makes the heart hard against God and makes it hard to understand spiritual things.
Bitterness brings one into bondage to iniquity or sin.
In Acts chapter eight, Simon the sorcerer experienced a false conversion. He did not truly believe but was apparently jealous of Philip and offered him money to receive power so that he could lay hands on people and they would receive the Holy Ghost. He saw that Philip’s power was greater than his power. Everyone was following after Philip and receiving the Holy Ghost when Philip laid his hands on them. Simon did not want to submit to God’s power. He wanted to gain more power for himself. Philip told him his heart was not right with God and that he should repent and pray to God and ask Him to forgive the thoughts of his heart. Why? Because he was in “the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”(See verse 23).
Conclusion
Bitterness is very dangerous. It is the result of unbelief. It turns one’s heart away from God and leads one into sin. Bitterness is contagious. A bitter person turns other people’s hearts away from God and leads them into sin. Bitterness can keep a person from getting saved. Although the person may believe in the head, he or she is unwilling to submit to God with the heart and let God have control and so he or she remains in bondage to sin. Also, that person draws others into sin with them.
Lord, please help me to trust in you and to give you all my concerns and unbelief so that they do not grow into bitterness and thereby turn my heart away from you and infect others.
Turn Again to the Lord