HEB.12:14&15
When this says looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God, it’s not telling us to check everyone else out to see if they measure up, no this is telling us to look into our own lives.
It’s easy for us to see what’s wrong with someone else or what they need to do, but this is talking about looking carefully to our own lives.
A young man rushed into a service station one day and asked the manager if he had a pay phone. The manager nodded, “Sure, over there.” The guy inserted a couple of coins, dialed and waited for an answer. Finally someone came on the line. “Uh, sir,” he said in a deep voice, “could you use an honest, hard-working young man?” The service station manager couldn’t help overhearing the question. After a moment or two the young man said, “Oh you already have an honest, hard-working young man? Well, okay. Thanks all the same.” A broad smile stretched across his face. He hung up the phone and started back to his car, obviously elated. “Hey, just a minute,” the station manager said, “I couldn’t help but hear your conversation. Why are you so happy? I thought the man said he already had someone and didn’t need you?” The young man smiled, “well, you see, I am that honest, hard-working young man. I was just checking up on myself!”
We need to be like this young man. We need to check up on ourselves when it comes to our faith. We have probably not even thought about it. However the Bible tells us to do just that, here and in 2COR.13:5. If we did it could save us a lot of trouble. It is like car maintenance. I remember once when not checking the oil cost us the price of a new engine. It was a very expensive repair bill that could have been under five dollars for the price of the oil. It can be the same way for us spiritually. We can save greater hurt to ourselves if we will examine our attitudes and heart conditions. Of course this means that if we find anything amiss we must be willing to change.
Our text says, “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God.” This means that God’s grace is able to take care of any or all of our shortcomings if we will be honest enough to admit we are wrong and call upon God for His help and do what He tells us to do in order to correct it. HEB.4:16. Most of the time when we refer to this verse we are thinking about God’s help for us aimed at other people or things that have been unfair to us. If God would only take care of them. However if we look one scripture higher it talks about our weaknesses. If we would get us right we would have a lot less trouble with everyone and everything else. Let’s look at the rest of verse 15 of Heb.12. “Lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble.”
I think it is important that the Bible calls it a root. Root means cause or origin. When we think of root we usually think of a plant or tree. Roots for the most part are under the surface of the ground. The bitterness that we hold is often hidden deep within our hearts. A tree or plant is nourished by their roots. The tree or plant lives by what the root supplies. If we have a root of bitterness it will affect the way we live. Just as if the tree grows according to what the root sends up so also if someone is fed by that root of bitterness they become negative, angry, defensive, or depressed. That root will effect many areas of our lives if we let it. I think bitterness is one of satan’s best tools. Not only does he mess us up with it but it affects many other lives as well. satan can use it to destroy individuals, families, Churches, communities, and nations. Bitterness is a choice that opens the door to the enemy in many areas of the lives of those who walk in it. Usually bitterness begins with a hurt or offense. At that moment we can choose to keep the hurt and let it grow or we can choose to forgive. If we choose not to forgive the hurt will progress to bitterness.
Bitterness can effect our lives in many ways. None of them good. It can wound and control us emotionally. There are many attitudes that can develop from it. One that does is a victim mentality. We see this in the children of Israel’s attitude when they sent out the spies to search out the land. They came back seeing themselves as grasshoppers. They already had the land, God had given it to them but because of there attitude that generation lost it. No doubt the way they were treated in Egypt caused a lot of that “victim” attitude.
It divides relationships and families. I once heard about two sisters who after inheriting their parents home, lived together. This arrangement worked out well until one of the sisters got her feelings hurt by the other one and they fought back and forth until they decided they had to divide the house in two and not speak to each other again. So they lived in the same house not speaking or having anything to do with each other. How sad. How much they both missed out on over the bitterness that came from an offence. I’m not talking about the use of the whole house but rather a precious relationship and the happiness and comfort that they could have had together.
Bitterness can also hurt us physically. Charles Stanley, in “The Gift of forgiveness” writes: A friend of mine is a fine man and a fine pastor who loves God. His wife had cancer, and they sought the best medical help. The Dr. Who had been studying the relationship between cancer and negative emotions began to work with Mrs. Brown She came to the Dr. Every day and week after week, he tried to get her to cry. She would not cry. She could not cry. Somehow, there was simply nothing to cry about. But the Dr. Kept talking to Mrs. Brown then one day, in the midst of their conversation, she began to cry. As the tears gushed out she confessed bitterness toward her parents for something that had happened years ago. When she got it all out she was free, liberated, and forgiven. Today Mrs. Brown stands by her husband’s side with love and support for his ministry. She has recovered from the cancer. It is the Dr.’s professional opinion that she would not have recovered from the cancer if she had not recovered first from the bitterness.
An article from The Gospel Herald:
“There was a man whose health was good. He was sturdy and strong. His heart action and blood pressure were fine. Then his father died, and he got into a prolonged legal dispute with his sister about their father’s will. The case went to court, and the sister won. From that day on, the man could think of nothing more than the lawsuit and his sister. He talked about it, he thought about it, he filled himself with it, it became an obsession. And each day, he grew to hate his sister more. Then he began to have difficulty with his heart and blood pressure. Next, his kidneys bothered him. Before many months, complications killed him. It seems obvious that he died from bodily injuries brought on by powerful emotion. I believe the man killed himself, death by bitterness.”
One of the worst ways that bitterness affect us is spiritually and in our relationship with the Lord. ACTS 8:9-24. I think this man’s attitude may have been caused from his past. The Bible says that he was poisoned by bitterness. What great destiny did this man have but the bitterness of his heart affected how he received from God. We need to determine in our hearts that bitterness is not worth what it costs us. Compare this man’s story with Joyce Meyers. She was sexually abused as a child. She suffered many things because of the abuse. But she chose to forgive. Her dad was the abuser. I can’t imagine anything more hurtful than being hurt and abused by the very person that is supposed to protect you from harm, yet she chose to forgive her father. God did the miraculous because she did not harbor bitterness and was obedient to God and forgave her dad. She developed a relationship with him. He got saved and she had the privilege of baptizing him. Hallelujah!!! What a difference it makes when we do things God’s way. I don’t doubt that if she would have held on to bitterness and hurt it would have effected her ministry in a negative way as well. MATT.18:21-35. There are many great things we can learn from this story.
1.The servant who did not forgive was called wicked. It is sin to not forgive.
2. It says that forgiveness needs to be from the heart. That means we need to let go of bitterness. 3. We can forgive or it wouldn’t have been expected.
4. Forgiveness is releasing the debt. In other words we are to no longer expect payment.
5. Forgiveness is showing pity and compassion.
6. Not forgiving opens the door for the torturers. If we don’t forgive, we are the ones that suffer.
7. Our lives are greatly affected by our choice. This man and his family missed out on the freedom they could have had.
In this life God has told us to walk or live being led by His Spirit, to walk by faith, and to walk in love. Because forgiveness is a part of love in order to do this we must let go of bitterness and forgive. EPH.4:31-5:2. Let me show you how this works. GAL.6:5. For faith to have it’s full affect it must work by love.
1JOHN 4:18. Perfect love cast out fear. Fear is what hinders faith. But love casts out the fear. Remember Jairus? Jesus told him do not fear only believe. There fore he could not let fear hinder faith. GAL. 5:14&15&22. Love is the fruit of the Spirit. So if we do not forgive and harbor bitterness it affects our love walk, our faith walk, and we are not walking fully in the Spirit.
The greatest example: LUKE 23:34. As Jesus looked down from the cross, he surely saw those who had hurt him. He was betrayed, conspired against, physically beaten while innocent, lied against, and rejected by those who should have embraced Him. I bet satan was reminding Him of all of it. But Jesus chose to forgive. I believe that’s why He said what He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He chose to love instead of hate. We need to let Jesus be our example and love those who have hurt us.
Is there any one that you hold bitterness against this morning. When you see them or hear their name you have a reaction. It is easy to recall the things they said or did to you. You have problems being in the same room with them. You can’t think of any good things about them. Why not let go of that bitterness this morning. Let God replace the bitter root with love that will produce life in you.
