Root Of Bitterness
Hebrews 12:14-15 ESV [14] Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. [15] See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
In this article, I want to discuss the root of bitterness. I aim to shed light on its sneaky and divisive agenda and how it takes hold of our lives. We will explore how bitterness can be conceived and then grow and sprout once it takes root, ultimately infecting and poisoning us and those around us. Its methods can be so subtle that we might miss them entirely until the Spirit of Truth illuminates its deceptive ways, leading us to our knees in prayer and repentance.
This topic is not just one I've chosen to explore; I believe it is timely and relevant to each of us. The Lord, in His wisdom, allows us to experience times when everything around us seems to reveal one hidden evil after another that still resides within us.
I want to encourage you that if you have a heart that seeks after the Lord and you desire to fully commit to Him—not shrinking back and truly experiencing the reality of “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”—these moments will inevitably come. It is not a matter of if, but when the Lord will strategically position us to test our hearts and reveal what truly lies within. I have realised more profoundly that the Lord is a jealous God. He tests what our hearts are attached to, and if they are clinging to anything other than Him, He will see fit to shake those things out of our grasp, leaving us exposed and longing—longing for Him.
This will challenge our mindset because we often blame external events for our internal struggles. I challenge you, just as I was challenged, to shift your focus away from the external factors that have affected you and allow the Lord to reveal what is in your heart.
If we truly desire to be vessels in the Lord's hands—shaped and molded on the Potter's Wheel for His divine purpose—so that we can hold the new wine and become a Bride prepared for His precious Son, then He is certainly willing to orchestrate circumstances that reveal our great need for His increase within us. This may just be one of those times.
I have no desire to get to judgment day and tell the Lord about all the Sundays I showed up at Church, all the things I did for Him, and all the trolleys I put back in the trolley bay because people were too lazy to do it themselves. I want to stand before Him and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. I believe with all my heart that the Father has every right to look upon this vessel of clay and see it filled with His Son, glorifying Him, not just to those whom I see in this realm, but as Ephesians 3:10 declares, [10] so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. It is not just about us but a declaration to the angels, principalities, and powers that God's wisdom is vast. He has chosen to reconcile carnal, wicked, and sinful humanity to Himself through His precious Son, Jesus. This allows us to experience a life beyond anything we could imagine. This is not a mere pipe dream, nor is it easily attained. Salvation is a free gift, not something earned through our actions or deserving merit. However, it will cost us everything if we truly want to experience resurrection life.
Philippians 3:10 ESV [10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Paul, just before this, described that he had suffered the loss of all things… Philippians 3:8 ESV [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. The loss of merit, status, worldly gain, and accolades. Just look at what he suffered: 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 ESV [23] Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. [24] Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; [26] on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; [27] in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. [28] And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. I’m sorry, but if all Paul had attained in this life was worth losing, and as a result, gaining all of the above, then He knew Jesus! Listen to this: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV [16] So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. [17] For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Paul stated that his sufferings were momentary but were preparatory for something far more significant. To qualify for suffering for Jesus—though that isn't our primary goal, knowing Him is—but quite often, it is through suffering that our relationship with Him grows all the deeper. It is worth considering how we can endure hardship for His sake while still striving to promote our names, build our kingdoms, and grapple with issues like unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, hidden sin, and contention. We often fail to rightly divide the Word of Truth because we don’t give it the time and devotion required to sit and let the Lord teach us. Instead, we create personas that suggest we have everything figured out. In this process, we can ironically become accusers, prosecutors, and judges while harbouring an unregenerate life and resisting the Lord's Truth that ultimately sets us free.
As we begin to examine the scriptures, I pray that this freedom will come. That we would see as the Lord sees and realise that we have come to the God who says this of us: Ephesians 1:4 ESV [4] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love. God is love, and we are called to be found in Him, holy and blameless. Do you believe that is possible? I do! He said it, I believe it, and I pray His will be done to bring it to fruition.
We began this by reading Hebrews 12:14-15. 14 instructs us to pursue two key things: peace with everyone and holiness.
The Greek word for “Peace with everyone” is eirēnē, meaning the way leading to peace, a course of life promoting harmony, or a mild and friendly spirit. Even in its definition, we can see that it is not passive. It must be pursued, and like most things that require pursuit, it is likely to be difficult at times.
The Greek word for holiness is hagiasmos, which means Consecration, purification, and sanctification of heart and life. We are called to be set apart, just as the Levites were called to be holy unto the Lord, devoted, obedient, and pure. The Word gives us this instruction: 1 Peter 1:16 AMP [16] because it is written, “You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.” [Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2].
Without these two things, we will not be able to see the Lord. That is a sobering statement for anyone who fears and loves the Lord. “Will not see the Lord.” Just take a moment to absorb that. We can do all the outward Christian things, and yet, if inwardly we are not seeking the Lord, who is the Holy One to be Holy through us, we will not see Him.
Verse 15 “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.”
The Greek word for "see to" is episkopeō, which means to oversee or to be cautious. It involves looking diligently and taking oversight. However, there is an additional layer to this meaning: it reflects the responsibility of the elders in caring for the church. Thus, not only do individuals have a personal responsibility to seek to obtain the grace of God, but the elders also have a duty to oversee and diligently care for the flock to help ensure that they obtain the grace of God.
The Greek word for “grace” is charis and means the merciful kindness by which God, exerting (applying pressure or force to achieve a specific result) his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. The spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace. This is a key for us to understand these two verses and the others I will share. We could say the grace of God is applied to achieve a specific result. Remember the Lord said to Paul: 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. His grace turns us to Christ in our time of weakness that he may strengthen us and increase our faith and knowledge of Him. It is the power to overcome that which can only be overcome by Him. And we need this grace so that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.
The Greek word for root is riza, meaning offspring, sprout or shoot
The Greek word for bitterness is pikria, meaning Bitter Gall (Produces Extreme Wickedness), Bitter Root (Produces Bitter Fruit), Bitter Hatred (Produces Bitter Speech).
Since bitterness leads to wickedness, bitter fruit, and bitter speech, examining other scriptures that elaborate on the types of outward behaviours associated with a heart filled with bitterness is essential, along with the key antidote to overcoming it.
Ephesians 4:31 AMP [31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence].
James 3:14 AMP [14] But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth.
In these two scriptures, bitterness has some closely related companions, so let's look at some of those also.
· Anger
· Perpetual animosity
· Resentment
· Strife
· Fault finding
· Malice
· Verbal abuse
· Malevolence (Hostile)
· Jealousy
· Selfish ambition
· Arrogance
There is an incredible passage in Deuteronomy that provides deeper insight into the internal processes occurring as these things arise and bear fruit within us, and shows us why it happens and the moment conception takes place.
Deuteronomy 29:18-19 ESV [18] Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, [19] one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.
These are verses 17-18, but the AMP helps us understand something significant. Deuteronomy 29:17-18 AMP [17] and you have seen their detestable acts and their [repulsive] idols of wood and stone, [lifeless images] of silver and gold, which they had with them), [18] so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the [false] gods of these nations; so that there will not be among you a root [of idolatry] bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood (bitterness).
This is a profound passage. Just before this Moses had said: Deuteronomy 29:10, 12-13 AMP 10] “All of you stand today before the Lord your God—your chiefs, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel, [12] so that you may enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, and into His oath and agreement which the Lord your God is making with you today, [13] so that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God, just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
So, those who entered the Covenant that God made witnessed the detestable acts and idols of the other nations, understanding that they all produce death and that not one of their hand-made gods can give life. The purpose of seeing them was that no one among them would turn their heart from the Lord to serve the gods of those nations. Then, right before our eyes, the key to the root of bitterness is Idolatry! Idolatry is the worship of a false god.
With all of that in mind, we are going to come back to Hebrews 12:1-3 AMP [1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [2] [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author (Chief Leader) and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. [Ps 110:1] [3] Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
I know I am sharing a lot of scriptures, and you may be wondering what these have to do with bitterness. But if we want to understand the root of bitterness, how it enters, and why the writer of Hebrews exhorts us not to fail to obtain grace so that the root of bitterness does not spring up and cause trouble, then I believe we need first to understand the Covenant we have entered into and its power because remember back in Deuteronomy 29, [19] one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart. This is the most dangerous attitude of the heart to have. If we think that we can come into a Covenant relationship with Christ and believe that we can remain in sin and be safe, we are deceived and in real danger. So, let's look at more scripture.
Hebrews 8:6, 8, 10-13 AMP [6] But as it is, Christ has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is more excellent [than the old Levitical priestly ministry], for He is the Mediator (Arbiter) of a better covenant [uniting God and man], which has been enacted and rests on better promises. A New Covenant [8] However, God finds fault with them [showing its inadequacy] when He says, “Behold, the days will come, says the Lord, When I will make and ratify a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; [10] “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their minds [even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding], And engrave them upon their hearts [effecting their regeneration]. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. [11] “And it will not be [necessary] for each one to teach his fellow citizen, Or each one his brother, saying, ‘Know [by experience, have knowledge of] the Lord,’ For all will know [Me by experience and have knowledge of] Me, From the least to the greatest of them. [12] “For I will be merciful and gracious toward their wickedness, And I will remember their sins no more.” [Jer 31:31-34] [13] When God speaks of “A new covenant,” He makes the first one obsolete. And whatever is becoming obsolete (out of use, annulled) and growing old is ready to disappear.
When we come to Christ, we enter into a better Covenant—one that is not based on outward actions or attempts to please God, but rather an internal Covenant in which His laws are imprinted on our minds and engraved on our hearts. In the external kingdom of God, there was a physical temple with many prescribed laws governing how and when to approach God. The demands on each individual wanting to come before the Lord were so great. Christ, by His crucifixion, being the acceptable sacrifice, the pure lamb of God, tore the veil that was in the temple, restricting access to God. Matthew 27:50-51 ESV [50] And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. [51] And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. This is significant because now, through the blood sacrifice and death, annulling the Old Covenant, we gain entry and access through Jesus into a reconciled relationship with God. And we now have entered into the new and better Covenant- Christ Jesus. And by Him not abolishing the Law in any way, but rather fulfilling it in completion gave us these commands: Luke 10:25-28 ESV [25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” [26] He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” [27] And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” [28] And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
We often believe that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. However, we need to examine the word "and" in the command. This "and" connects the two commands, indicating that they are inseparable and cannot be fulfilled in isolation from one another. This is where our challenges arise. This, my friends, is where the rubber hits the road, and the true state of our hearts is exposed.
Now let's examine 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 AMPC [1] IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). [3] Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.
We can have spiritual gifts, speak prophetically, and give to the needs of others, yet still not truly love. So let us examine the nature and fruit of love.
[4] Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. [5] It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. [6] It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. [7] Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. [8] Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
I have been weighed by this passage and found wanting. How about you?
Ephesians 4:29-32 ESV [29] Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32] Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Jesus would make it all the more clear by saying John 15:13 AMPC [13] No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.
To lay down in the Greek means “to wear or carry no longer”; it’s putting off oneself for the sake of a friend. Jesus not only preached this, but in His very example of laying down, not carrying out His own desires, but for the sake of another, sacrificing everything, He lived it!
When the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to obtain grace, so that no root of bitterness should spring up, he teaches a profound truth revealed in the Covenant. 1 John 4:19 ESV [19] We love because he first loved us. John 6:44a ESV [44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. If we have been drawn by the Father, and by faith believed in Jesus, repented of our sins and entered into the New Covenant, then we have entered into a relationship with the One who overcame sin and its penalty. Furthermore, He is spoken of here: Hebrews 4:15 ESV [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. He understands, and He sympathises with our weakness, but through Him, we have received by faith His grace. Remember that grace is God, exerting His holy influence upon our soul, turning us to Christ to keep, strengthen, and increase our faith. Regardless of the circumstances, we have obtained a grace that is sufficient for us, and in our greatest time of need, that grace presses down and turns our eyes to Jesus. He is our source of strength, healing, deliverance, and the one through whom all sins committed against us can be forgiven. I am not for one moment making excuses or exceptions for what people do, and the sin they operate in against us, but if our eyes remain on them, the root of bitterness will spring up, and before we know it, our mouth is full of evil, and it spreads like wildfire devouring many. James would say: James 3:8-10 AMPC [8] But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness! [10] Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.
Not obtaining the grace is just as it was described in Deuteronomy 29:19, having heard the promises of the Covenant, but continuing to walk in the stubbornness of your heart, rejecting it, thinking that you will be ok and remain in peace. That is foolishness!
To sum this up, to walk in bitterness is to walk in idolatry, making yourself god and rejecting the Covenant of Christ.
When I began this writing, I acknowledged it was painful and grueling. It is much easier to blame the actions of others and remain in bondage than to accept that we cannot control what anyone says or does. However, we do have the choice to turn to Jesus and receive His grace, which is sufficient for all things. Forgiveness does not mean that we are saying evil is good; rather, it is a declaration that we choose to live by a higher authority than the one this world embraces, which often seeks vengeance and clings to wrongdoings. This leads to a form of enslavement to the very one they serve—the god of this world. We have been called to something much greater, and we will never truly experience the power of that grace unless we repent of our stubbornness and ask the Lord to perfect two commands within our hearts: to love the Lord our God and to love others as ourselves.
