Set Free From Bitterness

Y’all know what I’m about to say so get ready for the right reply… If the Son has set you free… YOU ARE FREE INDEED!

That is a truth you can take to the bank all day long! Jesus Christ has come to bring freedom and forgiveness to all who would call upon His name. God NEVER intended for His creation to live in ANY kind of bondage! God intended for His creation to be free!

This morning we continue our series “Set Free” by looking at another specific topic that can cause a lack of freedom in our lives.

Last week, we talked about pride. We talked about how our pride can keep us from experiencing total freedom in Christ.

Now wait a minute, pastor, we just shouted out a verse that says if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed. How can pride keep a person in bandage if a person has been set free by Jesus?

Great question… and this can be asked regarding any one of the topics we are going to talk about. Jesus has the power and ability to deliver you from any and all things that would keep a person in bondage. BUT… a person can choose to go right back to that thing that Jesus just delivered them from - especially if they don’t recognize it as a point of bondage.

This often happens as a result of being deceived. And some might say, “No one is deceiving me of anything” and yet think about it… the reason we call it deception is because we don’t realize we are being deceived in the moment! A person rarely choose to be deceived… and… choosing to turn a blind eye toward something is NOT deception… it’s willful intentional sin.

Therefore… it is important that we recognize these topics, such as pride, as ways the enemy might try to deceive us into giving up the freedom we have in Jesus.

This week, we are going to talk about a topic that has been robbing people of freedom and peace for generations. It is absolutely a common trap the enemy uses to get people caught up in bondage. It hurts. It stings. We don’t like to talk about it because of the effect it has had on so many of us. That topic… is bitterness.

Bitterness is all too common in this world. Bitterness is a powerful prison. Bitterness has the ability to rob precious moments from you… all the while making you feel justified or excused regarding any behavior that may result.

We all know what bitterness is. Bitterness is a deep spiritual root that can begin growing within our lives for a number of different reasons. The Bible describes bitterness in Hebrews 12:14-16

Hebrews 12:14–16 NLT

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

This verse gives clear instruction and a stern warning. It also indicates that this root is poisonous to our souls and that “many” are able to be corrupted or defiled by bitterness.

Think about it… bitterness RARELY only affects the person harboring the feeling. It most often will affect that person and the people around them.

Bitterness is a SERIOUS issue. Bitterness - literally - is one of our taste sensations, a sharp, harsh, disagreeable feeling in our mouths.

A lemon is bitter. An Aspirin tastes bitter before it is swallowed.

Bitterness - figuratively - is a disagreeable feeling deep inside of us. It is a stinging, piercing sensation deep within our souls. Bitterness can begin to rise up when:

We feel life is unfair.

We feel offended.

We feel like we were pushed to the side.

We feel annoyed.

We feel provoked.

We feel resentful.

We feel cynical, grieved, jealous, or distressed.

We feel we haven’t received our fair share.

We feel slighted… and it shows.

And notice in that list the emphasis on what we “feel.” In some cases, those feeling may line up accurately with the circumstances at hand… but other times… those feelings may be based off a skewed perception of what really happened. Regardless, the root of bitterness begins its growth through how we FEEL. And our feelings can be a POWERFUL influence in our lives. In fact… our feelings can become a controlling factor in our lives.

Here’s the deal, church… and this might be hard to receive at first. Bitterness… does NOT have to grow inside our lives. In fact, Hebrews gives us good instruction on how to keep bitterness from growing in our lives. Look at the text again in Hebrews 12:14

Hebrews 12:14 NIV

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

The Bible makes clear that the way we keep bitterness from becoming a problem is to live in peace and holiness. And I can hear it already being said in hearts, “I can choose to go that way, but what if others choose to be destructive or offensive?”

I get it… many time we cannot control what other people do… BUT we can choose how we are going to allow it to affect us. And believe you me… we will need God’s help if we desire to overcome and be free in this area!

I’m going to say it again… bitterness does NOT have to grow inside our lives. Our wounds and unmet desires CAN BE HEALED BY JESUS CHRIST.

We don’t have to be bitter people… but before that can become our reality… we must choose not to become bitter. We’ve gotta choose to live by faith… not by feelings.

IF bitterness has been allowed to grow, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO STAY. Christ can dig down deep and remove that root. This is not to diminish the level of your hurt… it is said to remind us of the power of our Lord and Savior. CHRIST CAN DELIVER YOU. Jesus can set you free from any and ALL bitterness.

This morning I want to look at three characteristics of bitterness. I want us to see what bitterness is and what it can do. But I also want us to see how Christ can deliver us from these feelings that can imprison us and rob us of the life God has for us.

Bitter Roots Deceive Us. God Tells Us the Truth.

We talked about deception a moment ago and bitterness certainly opens the door for further deception. And this might not be something you would connect with bitterness. Satan will use bitterness as an avenue to speak lies to you.

The enemy loves to play on our feelings. Our feelings turn us inward instead of upward and Satan knows that when we are focused on self… we are vulnerable to deception. Because if we are honest with ourselves, feelings like bitterness keep us from seeing a situation clearly… and it muddies up our judgment.

This deception has been going on since the very beginning. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 11:3 gives warning to this deception saying

2 Corinthians 11:3 NIV

3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Paul takes the reader all the way back to Genesis… to the original sin. He warns us that what happened then can certainly happen to us if we are not careful.

It all started… with one BIG lie.

Genesis 3:4-5 records the words spoken by the serpent that day.

Genesis 3:4–5 NIV

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Look at what he says… your eyes will be opened and you will be like God… knowing GOOD and EVIL.

Now, have you ever stopped to think about what is wrong with this statement? In this moment, sin had not entered the world. In this moment… all that Adam and Eve had ever known was… GOOD! Satan presented the situation to Eve as if God was withholding something good from her… but all they had ever known was God’s goodness!!! It truly didn’t get any better than that! They literally knew the ultimate embodiment of good… who was God!

The lie was that somehow Adam and Eve would be better off disobeying God’s command. The lie created a sense of resentment in their hearts, “Why would God withhold good from me?” THE TRUTH WAS GOD HAD GIVEN THEM ALL THAT WAS GOOD! Truly, the ONLY thing Adam and Eve would “gain” was evil. And… they fell for it in their resentment.

People still do this all the time with God. Satan convinces the world that God is withholding something good from them… when all the while He is leading them to all that is good. Satan wants to believe the lie that God is holding out on us. And many today… have believed it.

Think about it… how many times have we heard

If God really loved me then this would not have happened.

If God really looked out for me I would have all I ever wanted.

If God really cared about me He would have healed me of my cancer.

If God really is my provider than He would have helped me fill my bank account.

If God is really there then I wouldn’t be feeling lonely.

WHY DOES GOD LET TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN?

These are all statements made from a position of feeling slighted by God. It is a position of being convinced through the lies and deception of the enemy - a conclusion that God has withheld something good from us.

Not only had God given Adam and Eve everything good… He has also given us someone that is beyond good.

Adam and Eve messed up… they sinned. They fell for it. They bought the lie. But God did not leave them in that position of nakedness and shame.

We have all sinned. We’ve all been there and done that. And God, in His unfailing love, gave His Son Jesus to die for us. Jesus came to this earth to make a way back to all things good - no one comes back to the Father except through Him.

God tolad Adam and Eve the truth in the Garden… and He tells us the truth today through His Son. Anyone who does not believe in Him WILL PERISH. The enemy would convince the world otherwise.

“You don’t need to be ‘saved’ from anything… you don’t need to go to church… you don’t need to listen to the Bible… you don’t need to be in fellowship with other believers… why waist your time? Instead, just go do whatever you want to do and find happiness your own way. Forget God… you won’t perish… good people go to heaven too.”

The enemy has planted the seed that if left unchecked… will grow into a root of resentment and bitterness toward God. DO NOT BE DECEIVED TODAY… GOD IS TELLING YOU THE TRUTH. Life more abundantly is ONLY FOUND in Jesus Christ! The Lord is GOOD and His mercy endures forever!

Bitter Roots Corrupt Many. God Can Cleanse Every Stain.

Secondly this morning, I want us to go back to our verse in Hebrews again as we dig into this second point. look at Hebrews 12:15

Hebrews 12:15 NLT

15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

I want us to focus in on the word corrupting for a moment.

The original word used here literally means to stain or to defile. The NLT uses the word corrupting. To corrupt is to change or debase by making errors or unintentional alterations.

In other words… the intended outcome was changed, altered, or stained by something unintended - in this case, the root of bitterness.

I can personally tell you the effect that bitterness has had in my life. Thankfully, this is something God has delivered me from. Yet, I allowed for bitterness to rob me in multiple ways for over ten years of my life. TEN YEARS.

The cause for my initial bitterness was something beyond my control. While I will not go into details, the wound was caused as I watched my family fall apart at the age of 12 years old. I felt justified in my feelings and held onto negative thoughts and emotions that defiled my spirit.

Here’s the really interesting part - I found Jesus shortly after all this went down… but even as a believer I allowed that bitterness to remain. I allowed the enemy to corrupt or stain my soul with thoughts of anger, forgiveness, and hatred.

I was angry with the world, angry with my parents, and even angry with God. Thankfully God’s love broke through in my life and began to heal these deep wounds… but my continued harboring of bitterness kept certain wounds open… for a long time.

I find it interesting that Hebrews goes on to say in verse 16,

Hebrews 12:16 NLT

16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

In my life, bitterness robbed me of ten years of really knowing my dad. Thankfully, that is all in the past, but the Word here gives a similar warning as to what the corruption of bitterness can do to a person’s life.

Hebrews mentions Esau… the older twin brother of Jacob. Esau does something rather foolish. he finds himself in a moment where he is REALLY hungry. He walks in on his brother who is making stew and demands he get some. Jacob says, “Sure, I will give you some stew, if you give me your birthright.” Dude must have been famished because he agrees to it… but then the Word says this is Genesis 25:34

Genesis 25:34 NIV

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Esau DESPISED his birthright. He became bitter… Shortly after this in chapter 28, we see the effect of bitterness set in first hand.

Genesis 28:6–9 NIV

6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

Did you just catch that? BECAUSE of his bitterness, Esau went out and did the very thing that his dad did not want him to do! Esau was trying to hurt his father and mother in his bitterness. Esau allowed a root of bitterness to take hold and it began to corrupt his spirit and stain his relationship with his family.

Here’s the deal… God doesn’t want us living with these stains… GOD WANTS TO WASH US CLEAN FROM ANY AND ALL STAINS!

And the key to becoming clean today is the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ! Don’t allow bitterness to further corrupt, defile, or stain your soul! The Word flat out calls Esau’s actions as “immoral and godless.” Bitterness leads you away from what God has for.

And the longer you harbor it… the deeper the corruption becomes. you may not even realize how many areas in your life is being defiled by the bitterness you are holding on to. God wants to set you free today! No matter if the circumstance was something in or out of your control… do not be controlled or defiled by that root of bitterness any longer!

Bitter Roots Depress. God Brings New Life

Now I want to be careful with this and very clear in what I mean. In NO WAY am I trying to say that all depression is caused by bitterness… however… if left unchecked… bitterness WILL cause a person to be downcast or even depressed.

Bitterness will often imply that nothing else can be done… no more words can be shared… no action can remedy the situation. So all that is left for us to do is stew in our sorrows.

With bitterness comes a sense of discouragement. With bitterness might also come a sense of rejection. With bitterness, we dig our selves in deeper with every negative though or feeling regarding the situation at hand.

Bitterness is an ugly trap that the enemy has set… and many have chosen to fall into it.

You might not like this next statement… but it is true. Bitterness… is a choice. Just like forgiveness is a choice… so is bitterness a choice.

Maybe someone has hurt you. Maybe a friend or family member did something that upset you. Maybe you have been emotionally or mentally wounded… and to that I say I am so sorry you have experienced that initial wound.

But what happens after that… is your responsibility. You can either remain wounded… or you can allow God to pour in new life.

I found this quote to be really interesting

Your feelings are your responsibility and you must own them and see them as your problem so you can begin to find an answer to whatever issue they are pointing to.

Too often we blame others for how we feel… but really we are responsible for our feelings. We make choices on how the actions of others will make us feel.

Your emotions are not a bad thing… God gave them to you! And God desires to help you govern your emotions through His Holy Spirit.

But you have to make the choice. We all know what bitterness feels like. We all know what it can do in our lives and the depression it can cause. BUT… do you know what being set free from bitterness feels like?

That’s a feeling Jesus wants you to experience RIGHT NOW if bitterness is being harbored in your life. He wants to set you free from it.

The key is found… in forgiveness.

Number one, we MUST ask Jesus to forgive us of the bitterness we have been harboring. God NEVER called us to be bound by bitterness, but rather, He has called us to new life and peace.

Number two, we MUST be willing to forgive those we have been reluctant to forgive. And… this might be something you might have to do more than once. Why? Because the enemy will try to bring it up again. The enemy will try to reopen that wound. Take my word for it… the enemy will test the resolve of your forgiveness. DON’T GIVE HIM AN INCH.

PRAYER

Resource - The Bait of Satan book by John Bevere