Freedom From Bitterness
Self-centered pride latches to our hearts as we might refuse the forgiveness of God and others.
This can cause us to live in self-pity. Saying to ourselves …”I deserve it”.. “God’s trying to punish me”.. “I shouldn’t have done this or that”
The Bible says, “Watch out for such bitterness!”
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
In life the opportunity to harbor bitterness for a wrong suffered is great. We are given plenty of opportunities to grow bitter from relationships that bring hurt and pain.
Nothing hardens the heart more than love which has turned to bitterness. God specifically commands that we not become bitter.
The writer of the Hebrews passage above admonishes us not to miss the grace of God so that we won’t take up bitterness as a response to life’s pain.
* God cautions us against this because he knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness.
If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned to it.
*God’s grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives.
*We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead.
*We can even become physically ill from it.
**God does not live in bitterness. God lives in grace. He has provided grace for every person to walk in.
The grace of God is God blessing, healing, delivering and prospering you because of Jesus.
*The grace of God is His unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor toward you simply because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross.
*Because God’s grace is based on Jesus’ work and not yours, the only way you fall from this grace is by believing that you can earn, merit and deserve it through your obedience and good works.
*Grace is the absolutely free gift!
* Law says this “I must do it.”
*Grace is this “God will help me.”
1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
You have to have a forgiving heart before you can be at peace with yourself.
Lord, Thank You for the Freedom From Bitterness! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?