Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Romans 8:28-39

The Sin of Bitterness - Part 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2007-02-18

Synopsis: John Weaver continues his study on bitterness and resentment from Hebrews 12:12-17, connecting it to the preceding passage on chastening. He explains that bitterness arises when believers fail to respond biblically to trials, leading to spiritual fainting and potential apostasy. The sermon emphasizes self-examination, the duty to avoid bitterness, and the warning from Esau's example of a wasted life.

[John Weaver] So let's open our Bibles in today to the book of Hebrews chapter 12 again. Hebrews chapter 12. And I will take a few minutes and review from last week and then we'll just take right off. Hebrews chapter 12. This is the second part on the subject of bitterness and resentment. So look at Hebrews chapter 12 and let's once again read verses 12 through 17. Hebrews 12, verse 12, Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.

[John Weaver] Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness bringing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For you know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, so he sought it carefully with tears."

[John Weaver] Now last week we looked at five introductory truths concerning bitterness and resentment. I also pointed out to you that the Greek word for bitter literally means sharp, pungent, bitter, venomous, and it denotes bitterness that is usually associated with grief, disappointment, hatred, and malice. Now, we do have the tapes from last week, but very quickly, I'm going to give you those five truths again. First of all, bitterness is a word that is used in Scripture to describe the unconverted.

[John Weaver] both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. You'll remember what the Apostle told Simon the Sorcerer in Acts chapter 5, I believe it is. I forgot the chapter all of a sudden. My mind went blank. Acts chapter 11, maybe? I don't remember. My mind went blank. But anyhow, 8. Why couldn't I think of 8? It's Acts chapter 8. But Peter told Simon the sorcerer, he said, thou art in the bond of iniquity and in the gall of bitterness. So it is used then to describe the unconverted, not only in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament as well.

[John Weaver] Secondly, I pointed out that bitterness and resentment are in reality an attack upon God and His providential dealings. And we looked at the life of Esau and how Esau did not like what God had ordained and what God brought to pass. And although he directed his anger at Jacob, in reality, he was angry at God. And then thirdly, I pointed out that bitterness is a source of individual and corporate problems. In fact, he said, lest any root of bitterness springing up and trouble you individually, and thereby many, plural, be defiled. So it's not just an individual problem, it is an individual and corporate problem as well. So the Bible is teaching us that resentment and bitterness are contagious. It's like cancer. It's like a serpent's venom. It spreads very rapidly. And then fourthly, I pointed out that bitterness is utterly incompatible with the Christian faith and makes real worship impossible. No one can worship God correctly and acceptably with bitterness and resentment in their lives. And then fifthly, I pointed out how bitterness and resentment makes it impossible for an individual to be right with God.

[John Weaver] And the Bible teaches very clearly we can't be right and wrong at the same time. No fountain, he said, sends forth sweet water and bitter at the same time. So you're either right with God or you're not right with God. It's that simple.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you by way of introduction today that there is one real problem with sin. And that is this, regardless of what that sin is, it is never alone. Sin always breeds more sin. Bitterness and resentment always breed other sins as well. So we should never then be surprised to find other sins that are involved with bitterness and resentment. Now, before we begin today, what I want to do is this. I want to show you in my first point, really, the connection between verses 12 through 17 and the preceding verse. And you're going to see how these things actually connect, and we should never then be surprised that there are other sins involved with bitterness and resentment as well.

[John Weaver] So look in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12 once again, and let's look at verse 12. He says, wherefore lift up the hands which hang down in feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is be lamed be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. And then he talks about this root of bitterness in verse 15 and then Esau in verse 16 and then the result of that in verse 17.

[John Weaver] Now you have to ask yourself this question. What is the connection? between verses 12 through 17 and that which precedes those verses. So if you will look in your Bibles beginning with verse 4, I want to read through verse 11, and you're going to find that the subject under discussion is chastening. Now look in verse 4, Hebrews 12. You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.

[John Weaver] and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, my son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." By the way, let me just stop and tell you that the word for chastening or chastisement, it's the same Greek word, it's the word padeia, which literally means child training. OK, so he says, my son despised not thou the child training or the chastening of the Lord, nor faint without rebuked of him. Why? For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth or child trains. And scourgeth or child trains every son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, Then are you bastards and not sons?

[John Weaver] Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to this Father Spirit and live? For they, that is, the earthly fathers, verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we should be partakers of his holiness.

[John Weaver] Now no chastening for the present seemed to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness, under them that are exercised thereby.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you the link. The link, of course, in verses 4 through 11 is dealing with chasing. Why are we chastised to begin with? And that is because of our sins, our disobedience, and our rebellion.

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible asks this question, what son is there whom the father chastened not? Is there anyone, any son particularly, in this room that never got a whipping coming up? I got my share of them. I usually tell people we had a peach tree behind our house and it never did bloom until after I left home. My daddy had to break so many limbs.

[John Weaver] Now, Lacey's big brag is she's the only grandchild that I've never, ever whipped and I never have. Now, I'm not going to ask her if her father ever got a hold of her, but her grandfather never has.

[John Weaver] Now, but usually all of us have been chastened. And the reason we're chastened is we will not listen.

[John Weaver] Now, what God is telling us in verses 4 through 11, that is if we live right and do right, we don't get chastened. We only get chastened when we do that which is wrong. And according to verse 10, If you look there, the only reason God chastens us is for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. And then verse 11 tells us, it's not fun to get whipped, but when God whips us afterwards, it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby. I only wish my chastisement of my children would have been as successful as God's chastisement of His children.

[John Weaver] Because when He does it, it works. Okay?

[John Weaver] Now, look what He's saying. If you live right, you don't get whipped. If you live wrong, you get whipped.

[John Weaver] Now, an interesting thing is found in verse 5. Look what He admonishes us. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto us, as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." Don't faint when God rebukes you.

[John Weaver] Now, let's stop for a moment and examine that. I have fainted one time in my entire life, just once. When I was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, we got a little break from the CBR range, chemical, biological, radiological. And the sergeant was there teaching, and as usual, they said, take 10, expect 5, and get 2. And that's the way it worked, because I was all the way across the field. Going to the latrine, and before I ever reached it, they started blowing the whistle, get back, get back, hustle, hustle, hustle. And I turned around and I started running back to the bleachers.

[John Weaver] Well, the grass was cut smoothly. There was a hole about that deep and about that big around, and the grass had grown out of the hole and it was cut. You couldn't even see the hole. And my foot went in the hole and turned, and as I fell, I heard it snap. Well, I limped up to the sergeant. You remember I had those boots on. I limped up to the sergeant. I said, I just broke my foot. Well, he said, can you sit out the rest of the lecture and march back to camp?

[John Weaver] And what a stupid idiot I was. I said, well, yes, sir, I guess so. Well, camp was two miles. But I, you know, hopped and limped back to camp. And when we stood in formation, when he said, fall out, I did. No, not really. I mean, I just leapt inside and I told one of the boys, I said, you have to take this boot off because it was, you know, tight. I said, I don't think I can even take it off. And when he unloosened that string and pulled that boot off, that foot that had been held in by that tight boot all of a sudden swelled out like that.

[John Weaver] And the pain hit me. And next thing I knew, I was smelling pneumonia.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. When I had fainted, that sergeant could have stood over me and said, present arms. I wouldn't have done it. He could have said about face. I wouldn't have done it. He could have said at ease. I wouldn't have done it. I was unable to discharge my duties. Why? Because I had fainted. He said, when you're chastened of God, do not faint under His chastening.

[John Weaver] Now, help me out now, because we're talking about Esau. Do you remember in Genesis 25, Esau came from the field and he told Jacob, feed me some of that pottage, give me some of those lentils, give me some of those beans. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. And he said, I'm at the point of death, I'm weak and I want fate. What does that birthright prophet mean? It's when you and I are at the point of faintness that we're tempted to apostatize.

[John Weaver] Now, the word apostatize means that we either deny or leave the faith. And fainting under chastisement is one of those simple things that will lead us to apostasy, because when we faint, we're unable to discharge our duties. When our duties are neglected, we either dry up or forget them or eventually just despise them. Now, here's what happens. God chastens us in different ways. Sometimes he chastises us by bringing our problems upon us and compounding them and multiplying them.

[John Weaver] because of our rebellion, because we won't listen, we won't learn. And oftentimes when we're just inundated with all of these problems, we want to throw up our hands and say, I give up. What's the use? Or I'm not going to do this any longer because no one understands and no one appreciates me. Everything I do is unappreciated. I want to just quit trying. What are we doing? We're feigning. When we take the attitude, well, I'm just not going to take it anymore. I mean, I'm quitting. What are we doing? We're fainting and it's leading us to either deny the faith or to leave the faith.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look at verse 15, you see this connection then how our problems, our trials, our sufferings that are not responded to biblically, will turn out to be stumbling stones instead of stepping stones. So look what he says now in verse 15. Here are three truths concerning, really, apostasy. He says in verse 15, 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. First of all, here's the spring of apostasy, failing of the grace of God.

[John Weaver] I'm going to deal with that in just a moment. Secondly, it's nature, a root of bitterness springing up. And thirdly, the result, many will be defiled. So bitterness then and resentment are vitally connected with apostasy. Because that bitterness and resentment then develops because we don't like what's happening in our lives.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note in light of this connection, verses 12 through 14 right now, In verse 12, he says, wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees. So God now is instructing us to make right our feeble hands and our knees. Now, the words lift up in verse 12 denotes the making or setting a right. In other words, what do you do with a broken bone? You set it. You make it straight. You make it right.

[John Weaver] You restore it to its proper place or its proper posture. That's exactly what he's talking about. So he's saying you restore yourself to the proper frame of mind and to the proper posture in thinking. In other words, don't you faint. You just do that which is right. So the hands that hang down and the feeble knees are metaphorically representing then our spirits, our hearts, our dispositions, things that have drooped, things that have caused us to be despondent and despairing.

[John Weaver] Now, very quickly, look back in your Bibles to Isaiah 33. Isaiah 33. And let's begin reading there at verse 3. I think that's the passage I want. 35. It's Isaiah 35. Isaiah 35, beginning in verse 3. To show you how this actually refers to our hearts, our minds, our spirits, Isaiah 35, beginning in verse 3, here's what God says, strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the weak knees.

[John Weaver] Now, this is exactly where the apostle has taken this from in Hebrews chapter 12. So he says, strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a heart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.

[John Weaver] For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." But note, if you would, he began with,"...say ye to the weak and the feeble knees, and then he talks about the heart, which of course is our mind, our attitude, our disposition, our thinking. So what he's telling us is this, if you have got feeble hands and weak knees, that is if you're fainting under the trials and pressures of life, strengthen yourself, renew your mind, renew your obedience, renew your faith, you walk in the way that God has commanded you. Then he says, watch in verse 13, Because verse 13 confirms the interpretation of verse 12 when he says in verse 12, wherefore, lift up hands which hang down and the feeble knees.

[John Weaver] Now look in verse 13 and make straight paths for your feet. Lest that which is lame. Be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed. So what is he saying unless we resort back to the biblical paths? There's a possibility that we're going to be turned out of the way. That is, there's that possibility that our bitterness, our resentment will lead us then either to deny the faith or to leave the faith.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm going to explain that a little bit later, too. But he's saying it's much better to be healed than it is to go on in pain and agony.

[John Weaver] Now, every one of you understands this, especially the ones that are doctors in here. There have been times in my life when I've been in extreme pain. I did everything I could to stay out of surgery. Did everything I could. And finally, I went to the doctor one day. I said, what in the world is going to happen? He said, one of these days, you're going to beg me to cut on you.

[John Weaver] You know what I did? I laughed. I said, it will never happen. Until one day, I was ready. If that was the only way I could get relief, I was wanting that. And I did. I said, put me in today. Do it now. And as much as I dreaded the surgery. It surely was successful and it surely was a blessing, and I'd much rather have had it and gotten it over with than I would have continued to live my life in constant pain and agony.

[John Weaver] Now, that's what God is saying. You better make straight paths, lest it be turned out, but rather let it be healed.

[John Weaver] Now look at verse 14. We're still in the same context.

[John Weaver] Now he says, follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Where did Esau think that his problems came from, Jacob? Jacob was not the source of his problems, but he thought that. Where do we think that most of our problems come from? People. They treat us wrong. They disrespect us. They don't appreciate us. They won't help us. They won't work with us. I mean, come on. They do us wrong. So we think they're the source of our problems. Well, look what God says in verse 14.

[John Weaver] Here's what we're to do. We're to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. What is God telling us? He's telling us that we are to do right even if everyone else does wrong. Now, think about this. We're to do right even if everyone else does wrong. We're to follow peace with all men.

[John Weaver] Now, if Ed and I have a falling out, It's going to be on Ed's part, not mine. That's what God's saying. And Ed's attitude ought to be this. If he and Pastor have a falling out, it's going to be on Pastor's part, not his. That's what he's saying. You do right regardless of what someone else does.

[John Weaver] Now, when he says follow peace with all men, you've got to understand this. God knows that there are some men that we cannot live peaceably with. And there, therefore, is a necessity for separation at some time. But don't necessarily let it be on yours. You still do what's right. You see, the Bible says in Romans 12, in verse 18, just listen, Romans 12, verse 18, if it be possible, if it be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all men. So there's something you can't live peaceably with. But he said, if it be possible, as much as life in you, in other words, you do what's right until the other person says, I don't need anything to do with it.

[John Weaver] And let the break be on them. Now, I want you to note in verse 14, we're exhorted. To follow two things. Peace with men and holiness with God. And in verse 15, Verse 15 it is, we're exhorted therefore to avoid two things, a failing of the grace of God and a root of bitterness.

[John Weaver] Now we work our way down and I want to come to verse 15 and let's look secondly today at the duty enjoined. Here's our duty, 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."

[John Weaver] Now let me begin by telling you that this, verse 15, is a call to self-examination. Looking diligently. Looking diligently is from the Greek word episkopeo. I hope that word sounds Familiar to you. Episcopal is the noun. That is where we get the word bishop from. We talk about the Episcopalian church, Episcopal comes right there. But the word Episcopal literally means to look diligently to take the oversight over to look upon, to inspect, to oversee, to look after, and to care for. That's what a bishop is supposed to be doing to his people. He bears the oversight. He looks after them. He cares for them. Here in this context, the Word is saying, look, it is your responsibility to look diligently, to look intently, and to watch closely, and to make sure that no bitterness and no resentment are in your lives. Now, hold Hebrews chapter 12, but look back in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. I told you that verse 15 is a call to self-examination.

[John Weaver] I hope you understand that there is a direct command for that in the Bible. In 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5, the Apostle Paul says this, examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates. He said, unless you are a reprobate, you ought to be able to examine yourself and prove yourself in light of Scripture.

[John Weaver] So it's got to be a call to self-examination. You are to look diligently in your spirit, in your mind, in your disposition, in your attitude. to make sure there's no bitterness and resentment in your life. Now, it has to be a call to a close examination, and let me explain why. You remember the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 and verse 9, that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. What's that mean? That means our own mind can deceive us unless we're careful, unless we deal with things very closely. Involved in this self-examination, not only is it a call to close examination, but it also, we've got to understand, it includes a duty toward our brethren.

[John Weaver] You know, I have never, ever wanted just to hurt someone, just to be hurting them. It's just never done that. I have no desire to go out and grab ahold of Doc Brissey and break his arm, just to be breaking his arm. I have no desire to go out and just slap somebody upside the head, just to slap them upside the head. Some folks derive pleasure out of that, you know.

[John Weaver] That's why you have drive-by shootings. They just kill to be killing. But the same should be true emotionally. Mentally and spiritually. Why should I say something ugly and hateful? That's going to hurt Doc. Just to be saying something ugly and hateful. To be hurtful. In other words, I've got to understand that bitterness and resentment not only destroys my life. But it will destroy the lives of others as well.

[John Weaver] One root springing up will trouble many. You know what else I have to understand? That out of all the people, out of all the children of God, out of all the Christians, I am the one that's most likely to fail. That's why I have to be careful to guard my own heart. Doesn't mean no good to try to watch over Phil's heart. I don't know what's in his mind. I don't know what goes through his mind. I could not watch over his heart. The only one I can watch over is mine.

[John Weaver] Now, look back in Hebrews chapter 3, since you're very close there. Look in Hebrews chapter 3, verses 12 and 13.

[John Weaver] Now, here's what I mean by not wanting to inflict damage upon the brethren. Okay? Hebrews chapter 3. Notice, if you would please, verse 12. Hebrews 3, verse 12. Take heed, brethren. Lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. And then what does verse 13 say? But exhort one another daily while it is called a day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. So I'm not only in one sense of the word to look after my own heart. I am responsible. I do have a duty toward my brethren not to hurt them. And if I see them heading in this direction to exhort them and rebuke them. OK. But I'm not to inflict unnecessary pain upon them by not watching my own heart first and foremost. Now, go back in your Bibles, Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 15 again.

[John Weaver] Here's what you're to closely guard, he says, looking diligently. Lest any man fail of the grace of God, so you are to examine yourself lest you fail of the grace of God. Now let me tell you what the word fail means. The word fail means to lack. To be behind. To want. To come short of. To come behind in. to be deficient in. Now, look what he says, looking diligently, lest any man become deficient in, fall short in, fail, come behind in, come short of, lack or want in the grace of God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to listen to this statement I'm about to make. Let me have your attention. The word fail occurs many times in the Bible. Never once does it mean to fall from. There is a difference between failing in the grace of God and falling from the grace of God. A big difference. The word fail does not mean to fall from. It means to come short of, or to be deficient in, or to have a lack thereof.

[John Weaver] Well, let's ask a question. How can Christians fail in the grace of God? How can they become deficient in the grace of God? Well, let me give you several ways. I want you to think this through with me. We can be deficient or fall short of or lack or need the grace of God when we fail to submit ourselves to the Word of God. If I were to take the time today to take you to Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3, I could show you over and over in scripture where God tells us to put off the old man and to put on the new man. Now, the old man is our old habits. our old ways, our old thought patterns, our old dispositions.

[John Weaver] It's those things that we learned when we were unconverted, and every one of us have a history of how we lived before God saved us. The new man is that which is righteous and obedient and holy and godly. It's that which God commands. So what does God tell us? He tells us to put off the old way of thinking, the old way of acting, the old way of handling problems, and we're to put on biblical methods that are righteous and holy. So when we fail to submit to the Word of God and obey, we're becoming deficient in the grace of God.

[John Weaver] For instance, in 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 5, and you know this verse, or at least you should by heart, where he says that we are to bring how many of our thoughts into captivity of Jesus Christ? Every thought. So when we begin to think unbiblically, we're coming short of the grace of God. We're not thinking the way that we should because God has been gracious to us.

[John Weaver] How about the passage in Romans 12? Where he said, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind. So when we fail to present our bodies, when we fail to renew our minds, We're becoming deficient in the grace of God. It's not that God's grace is insufficient. It's that we're not making use of that grace in our lives. We're failing in it. God has given us grace, but we're not acting graciously. We're not acting as if we have the grace. So we fail in the grace of God. We come short of it in our lives by not submitting ourselves to the Word of God. Secondly, Christians fail in the grace of God, that is, they become deficient and fall short in it by not persevering in the outward means of grace. What do I mean by not persevering in the outward means of grace?

[John Weaver] We fail to pray. We fail to study. We fail to be faithful to the preached word. We fail to do all of those things that God has commanded us to do. We just don't persevere in it. There are some people that will go all week and never even read their Bible, much less study it. Sometimes months. How in the world can we know the will of God and the word of God if we don't read it? How can we know the mind of God and the will of God if we don't commune with him and ask him to teach us and instruct us and show us?

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this for a moment. I'm not saying this is necessarily right. All the times, but it does have a certain amount of truth in it. I have pastor friends. Who refuse to do counseling? Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. You know why? They say I give you counsel Sunday morning or Sunday night or Wednesday night. If you want the counsel, you need to be there. Well. You know what they're saying?

[John Weaver] That is when God is instructing us. And if we fail to persevere in that outward means of grace that is being taught and receiving the counsel of things of God, why in the world are you asking someone to do something that is extra when you won't do what's being taught?

[John Weaver] Now, I'm not saying that's my position, but my position is folks need all the help they can get. And I'm willing to talk to anybody anytime about Christ and about the Word and bringing our lives in conformity to it. But I'm just simply saying this, folks, when we fail to persevere in those means that God has ordained, we're coming short of the grace of God. How in the world can we act right if we don't even know what is right? Thirdly, Christians fail of the grace of God by not improving that which God has already bestowed upon them. Now, let me ask you a question, is there anybody in this room who would say, I know all truth? No. But everyone in this room knows some truth.

[John Weaver] Every one of you have gifts And you can improve upon those gifts. You stop and think that the gifts that God has given us that are undeveloped, graces that are unused or neglected, faith that is unexercised, light that is unwalked in and unappreciated. And look at all the times we fail to make application of the Word of God to our lives. So when God gives us truth, we are to use it and build upon it and improve upon it. And when God gives us gifts, we are to use them. I'm just simply saying we fail in the grace of God when we do not use that which God has given us. Fourthly, Christians fail in the grace of God by hardening their hearts against the Word of God. Go back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3 and look at verse 15.

[John Weaver] After he tells us in verse 12 that we're to take heed, lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, After he tells us in verse 13 that we're to exhort one another daily while it's called a day, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sins.

[John Weaver] Now he says in verse 15, while it is said today, if you will hear his voice, that is, if you will hear God's voice in his word, harden not your hearts as in the provocation. Now, if I were to ask you, What in the world is he talking about? Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Well, I hope you will remember when God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt in the desert, how they provoked Him, and how He said, this generation is not going to get into the Promised Land, but their children, whom they said would be Victims, they're going to get in, but this generation is not going to get it. They have provoked me.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to listen very carefully. You remember, I told you last week that the Greek word for bitterness was Picros. Picros meant to be bitter, pungent, sharp, venomous. I want you to listen to the Greek word for provocation. It is parapikrasmos. Did you hear pikras in the middle of it? How did the children of Israel provoke God? Oh, if I had time today, I could go take you back and show you how they were bitter and resentful at God's providence. Do you remember one time they got fed up with the manna? Our soul loves this manna. The manna was everything they needed. They said, we want quail, we want meat. God said, you want meat, I'll give you meat. And He sent quail up to their eyeballs.

[John Weaver] And when they started eating them, He slew the fattest of them. He killed them. You know, an interesting verse there in Psalm 78 talking about that. He said He gave them their quests for their stomachs, but He sent leanness into their souls. They hardened themselves against God. They wouldn't listen to God. They wouldn't take His word. They provoked Him. You'll find it in Exodus 17 and Psalm 95 and Psalm 78. The provocation was bitterness. And it was their bitterness and resentment that caused them to harden themselves against God.

[John Weaver] Fifthly, we fail in the grace of God when instead of repenting and turning from our sins, we stubbornly hold on to them and demand our way instead of God's way and our will instead of God's will. None will ever prosper in the faith who disdain repentance and obedience.

[John Weaver] Now, look back in Hebrews chapter 12. We're still in verse 15. He says, looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, and I dealt with that phrase. Now he says, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. So this call to self-examination, this call to look diligently and to closely observe, is to be lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. I hope you can see now that there is a connection between failing in the grace of God and the root of bitterness springing up and troubling you.

[John Weaver] Let me say it like this. He who is bitter and resentful. Has already failed in the grace of God. Because of bitterness and resentfulness are just evidences of failing in the grace of God.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to pay close attention. Verse 15 to the word root. He said, lest any root of bitterness springing up troubled you. Now, the Greek word for root is the word RZA, and it literally means root. It's what it means, root. Why is that word so important? Here's why it's important. Because before there could be a root. There must be a seed. Roots come from seeds. What is the seed? That sows the root of bitterness. The seed is a failure on our part to respond and act biblically to our problems. I don't care what our problem is, I don't care if it's financial. I don't care if it's emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, when we fail to respond biblically, we're sowing a seed in which a root of bitterness will arise. Now, I want you to note something else. The Bible says in verse 15, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you. I hope you will observe something else about roots. They're underground. You can't see them. You can't observe them until they spring up or until the plant actually sprouts out.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that Christians oftentimes carry the seed and the root of bitterness in their lives undetected for months and sometimes years? But all of a sudden, there will be a springing up. It will come to light. There will be a growing up, and once it is grown up and sprung forth, it will be there for all to see. There will be a manifestation. For what does the scripture say in Numbers chapter 32 and verse 23? Let me quote it.

[John Weaver] Be sure your sins will find you out. Be absolutely sure.

[John Weaver] Now, here's the amazing thing about the root of bitterness. When it does spring up, when it does manifest itself, usually it's going to be over something that is extremely trifling or insignificant, some tiny little incident. And those who are observing externally or from the outside say, How can you get so blown out of shape over some little tiny insignificant thing? The problem is not the problem. Bitterness and resentment are the problem. The little trifle, the little insignificant incident was just there when the root sprung up. I've known people that just got bent out of shape because the toothpaste was squeezed from the wrong end. Or the toilet tissue was not put on the roll just right. How can people get upset over that? That's not the problem. The problem is the bitterness.

[John Weaver] It was there all along. This small, insignificant tribal just brought it out. It was time for it to spring up. If the bitterness, if the resentment, if the problem initially had been dealt with biblically, the bitterness and the resentment would not be there. You know, the Bible says in Ephesians 4, verse 26, and this is a command, by the way, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." What does that mean?

[John Weaver] It means we're to settle our problems on a daily basis. Husbands and wives should never go to bed mad. Friends should never go to bed mad. I mean, if I've got a problem with Phil, I better call him or I better go see him before the sun sets. Because when we start going to bed angry and upset and with ill will in our hearts, bitterness and resentment are being sown.

[John Weaver] And they will spring up. Bitterness and resentment never, ever solve our problems. They only compound them and make new problems. Yea, they are a problem in and of themselves.

[John Weaver] Now, look back in verse 15. He says, looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness bring trouble to you. Look at the word trouble. That's a very interesting word. The word trouble means, and it's interpreted here from the Greek as trouble, but it also means to excite, to annoy and to disturb, and the word trouble is the same word that is used figuratively for a poisonous plant.

[John Weaver] Thus it represents someone who through bitterness and resentment not only corrupts their own faith and piety, but if you touch them, or if they touch you, it will corrupt you as well. It spreads. It's like poison ivy. It's extremely contagious. It's like a virus. It's communicable. So he said, looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness bring you trouble, you and thereby many be defiled. Now, where does the root of bitterness come from? It comes from the seed that is sown in our lives when we fail to handle our problems in a biblical and scriptural and godly manner.

[John Weaver] Now, I've got the third point, the last point. In verses 16 and 17, the warning given. Look at this warning. There be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something about the word list. It is a primary particle of qualified negation. In the Greek you say, what does that mean to me? Well, let me tell you what it means. This primary particle of negation is oftentimes translated in our Bibles another way. You remember the Apostle Paul said it like this. God forbid. God forbid. That's what that word means. Look at verse 16. God forbid.

[John Weaver] That there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. In simple language, what he's saying is this, God forbid that any of us turn out like Esau. What is God showing us? He's showing us the end, the ultimate end of bitterness and resentment. He says bitter and resentful people are like Esau, who are spiritual fornicators and they're profane in the fact that they live their lives outside of God. Now, look at the word profane. Everyone knows what a fornicator is, but in this context, it's not just physical, it's spiritual, because Esau hated spiritual things. He was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of beans. But look at the word profane.

[John Weaver] Hope you remember that a number of years ago, not more than two, I brought a message entitled Preaching Profanity. And I talked about the word profane, we get our English word profane from the Latin pro phantom. The word phantom means temple and pro means to or toward. So if you were to or toward the temple, what's that mean? You're outside of the temple. So the word profane means someone who is outside the temple. It's someone who is living his life apart from God, outside of God, or without regard to God.

[John Weaver] In other words, I don't care what he says. I don't care what his commands are. I don't care what his law says. I don't care what his instructions are. I do what I want to do. That's a profane person. That was Esau. If you study the life of Esau, you'll find out when those Canaanite wives did not please Isaac and Rebekah, what did Esau do? He went out and married some more just to spite them. He didn't care that God said that they were not to intermarry. He didn't care that their parents didn't want him to do that, or his parents didn't want him to. No, no, he just did it anyhow. He's a profane person. So a profane person is one who lives his life, as if God had never spoken, and if God had nothing to do with him. He was not going to have God to rule over him.

[John Weaver] Bitterness and resentment lead to apostasy, and the ultimate end of bitterness and resentment is despising the things of God. It leads us to hold on to our will, our way, and our sins. And I want you to look at the consequences. Look in verse 17. For you know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

[John Weaver] Now, without me going back and reading Genesis 25, 26, and 27, you remember how Jacob did deceive his father, pretended to be Saul, and he got the blessing. And like I told you last week, the blessing really went with the birthright. But Jacob knew that Esau was a dishonest person and would not keep his end of the bargain. So he got the blessing. And after Jacob got out of his father's presence, as the Bible says, he had scarce gone out, Esau came in and said, let my father rise in need of his venison, such is his soul, that he may bless me. And he says, who art thou, my son? He said, I am Esau. He said, well, who is this that has come before you and taken your blessing?

[John Weaver] And when he found out what? Jacob had done. Esau cried and said, bless me, even me, oh, my father. And Jacob said, look, I've already made him your Lord. I've already given him all the blessings of the field and the dew of heaven, and I can't change it. It's unchangeable. It was God's providence. It was God's will. I pointed out before how God had already told Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, will be the ruler. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. God chose Jacob and not Esau. It didn't matter to Isaac at that particular time. Isaac was going to bless him just to eat of his venison. But he said, look, God's brought this to pass. I can't change it. Nothing you can do, Esau, will change it. And he saw a wept before his father. He said, bless me, even me, oh my father. And Jacob gave him some kind of very bland blessing. But he could not undo what had been done. Listen carefully. I want you to pause for a moment and think of all the blessings.

[John Weaver] That we as children of God lose because of our sins. There is no way to undo a wasted life. There is no way to undo a wasted day. Or a wasted week or wasted month or wasted year. All of us have the same amount of time, some will throw it away and waste it. We'll waste it by not obeying God and not bringing our lives in conformity to the Word of God. I can assure you that everyone that is in this room today would say about something in their life, would to God I could do it over again. Or would to God I hadn't done it. But it's done.

[John Weaver] Nothing you can do about it. It's gone. It's over. You remember that little couplet? Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. Alice and I had a dear friend, and I've mentioned him before. He and his wife are now dead. We called him Papa Mars. We weren't related, but he played that saxophone and he can play it beautifully. And he would come over and spend a week, sometimes two weeks with us.

[John Weaver] And I almost starved to death when he came. Because he would have Alice at the piano and all they would do is play the saxophone and the piano. But I never will forget Papa Marsh's favorite song. And he played that song beautifully on that saxophone. Wasted years. Wasted years. Oh, how foolish. Because Papa was in his fifties when God saved him. And before that, he was a drunkard. And all he could think of was all the years of his life that he had thrown away and wasted. And it was wicked and foolish and wrong.

[John Weaver] But you can't undo it. And the whole point is this, and this is what God is making. If we don't repent and if we don't deal with our bitterness and our resentment and our bad attitudes, we'll turn out with a wasted life. We'll miss God's best and God's blessings in our lives. We have to learn to deal with sin and to deal with our attitudes and our dispositions. I can't change Doc, but I can change me. I can't change Roy, but I can change me. And if Roy never does what's right, I have to do what's right. And if I never do what's right, Roy still has to do what's right. Bitterness. and resentment, ill will, hatred, hard feelings, leads to nothing but wasted lives.

[John Weaver] You know, he said, he was supposed to get the blessing. But he didn't because of his sin and his wickedness. Don't let that be. the story of your life. You deal with your sins and your bitterness and your resentment. And once you deal with them, you diligently observe and watch closely that they don't come back into your life. Make sure that the seed is not sown. And if the seed is never sown, a root will never spring up. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, we do ask you in the name of Jesus Christ that you help us. It is true, Lord, that most of us, most of us, probably, Lord, every one of us have the same problem in our lives because we're sinners, Lord. We allow bitterness and anger and ill will and resentment to build up. And it just destroys ourselves and harms others too. Lord, give us grace to repent. Give us grace to respond biblically and scripturally. And to do what's right under every circumstance and to wait upon thee to work it out for our good and for your glory. Give us grace that we may serve thee acceptably with the reverence and godly fear. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

The Sin of Bitterness - Part 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3707175844
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Romans 8:28-39
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-02-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 161: The Sin of Bitterness — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	96

Formatted Transcript

Opening

So let's open our Bibles today to the book of Hebrews chapter 12 again. Hebrews chapter 12. And I will take a few minutes and review from last week and then we'll just take right off. Hebrews chapter 12. This is the second part on the subject of bitterness and resentment. So look at Hebrews chapter 12 and let's once again read verses 12 through 17. Hebrews 12, verse 12,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:12-17

"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed."

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. 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. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For you know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

Review of Part 1

Weaver reviews five introductory truths about bitterness: it describes the unconverted, attacks God's providence, causes individual and corporate problems, is incompatible with worship, and makes being right with God impossible.

Now last week we looked at five introductory truths concerning bitterness and resentment. I also pointed out to you that the Greek word for bitter literally means sharp, pungent, bitter, venomous, and it denotes bitterness that is usually associated with grief, disappointment, hatred, and malice. Now, we do have the tapes from last week, but very quickly, I'm going to give you those five truths again. First of all, bitterness is a word that is used in Scripture to describe the unconverted. Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. You'll remember what the Apostle told Simon the Sorcerer in Acts chapter 5, I believe it is. I forgot the chapter all of a sudden. My mind went blank. Acts chapter 11, maybe? I don't remember. My mind went blank. But anyhow, 8. Why couldn't I think of 8? It's Acts chapter 8. But Peter told Simon the sorcerer, he said, "Thou art in the bond of iniquity and in the gall of bitterness." So it is used then to describe the unconverted, not only in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament as well.

Secondly, I pointed out that bitterness and resentment are in reality an attack upon God and His providential dealings. And we looked at the life of Esau and how Esau did not like what God had ordained and what God brought to pass. And although he directed his anger at Jacob, in reality, he was angry at God. And then thirdly, I pointed out that bitterness is a source of individual and corporate problems. In fact, he said, "lest any root of bitterness springing up and trouble you individually, and thereby many, plural, be defiled." So it's not just an individual problem, it is an individual and corporate problem as well. So the Bible is teaching us that resentment and bitterness are contagious. It's like cancer. It's like a serpent's venom. It spreads very rapidly. And then fourthly, I pointed out that bitterness is utterly incompatible with the Christian faith and makes real worship impossible. No one can worship God correctly and acceptably with bitterness and resentment in their lives. And then fifthly, I pointed out how bitterness and resentment makes it impossible for an individual to be right with God.

And the Bible teaches very clearly we can't be right and wrong at the same time. No fountain, he said, sends forth sweet water and bitter at the same time. So you're either right with God or you're not right with God. It's that simple.

Connection Between Chastening and Bitterness

Weaver links Hebrews 12:12-17 to the preceding verses on chastening, showing that fainting under God's discipline can lead to bitterness and apostasy.

So look in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12 once again, and let's look at verse 12. He says, "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." And then he talks about this root of bitterness in verse 15 and then Esau in verse 16 and then the result of that in verse 17. Now you have to ask yourself this question. What is the connection between verses 12 through 17 and that which precedes those verses? So if you will look in your Bibles beginning with verse 4, I want to read through verse 11, and you're going to find that the subject under discussion is chastening. Now look in verse 4, Hebrews 12. "You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin."

"And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." By the way, let me just stop and tell you that the word for chastening or chastisement, it's the same Greek word, it's the word paideia, which literally means child training. OK, so he says, "My son, despise not thou the child training or the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Why? For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth or child trains. And scourgeth or child trains every son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons?"

"Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to this Father of spirits and live? For they, that is, the earthly fathers, verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we should be partakers of his holiness." "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them that are exercised thereby."

Now, let me show you the link. The link, of course, in verses 4 through 11 is dealing with chastening. Why are we chastised to begin with? And that is because of our sins, our disobedience, and our rebellion.

Now, the Bible asks this question, what son is there whom the father chasteneth not? Is there anyone, any son particularly, in this room that never got a whipping coming up? I got my share of them. I usually tell people we had a peach tree behind our house and it never did bloom until after I left home. My daddy had to break so many limbs.

Now, Lacey's big brag is she's the only grandchild that I've never, ever whipped and I never have. Now, I'm not going to ask her if her father ever got a hold of her, but her grandfather never has. Now, but usually all of us have been chastened. And the reason we're chastened is we will not listen.

Now, what God is telling us in verses 4 through 11, that is if we live right and do right, we don't get chastened. We only get chastened when we do that which is wrong. And according to verse 10, if you look there, the only reason God chastens us is for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. And then verse 11 tells us, it's not fun to get whipped, but when God whips us afterwards, it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby. I only wish my chastisement of my children would have been as successful as God's chastisement of His children. Because when He does it, it works. Okay?

Now, look what He's saying. If you live right, you don't get whipped. If you live wrong, you get whipped. Now, an interesting thing is found in verse 5. Look what He admonishes us. "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto us, as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." Don't faint when God rebukes you.

Now, let's stop for a moment and examine that. I have fainted one time in my entire life, just once. When I was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, we got a little break from the CBR range, chemical, biological, radiological. And the sergeant was there teaching, and as usual, they said, take 10, expect 5, and get 2. And that's the way it worked, because I was all the way across the field. Going to the latrine, and before I ever reached it, they started blowing the whistle, get back, get back, hustle, hustle, hustle. And I turned around and I started running back to the bleachers.

Well, the grass was cut smoothly. There was a hole about that deep and about that big around, and the grass had grown out of the hole and it was cut. You couldn't even see the hole. And my foot went in the hole and turned, and as I fell, I heard it snap. Well, I limped up to the sergeant. You remember I had those boots on. I limped up to the sergeant. I said, I just broke my foot. Well, he said, can you sit out the rest of the lecture and march back to camp?

And what a stupid idiot I was. I said, well, yes, sir, I guess so. Well, camp was two miles. But I, you know, hopped and limped back to camp. And when we stood in formation, when he said, fall out, I did. No, not really. I mean, I just leapt inside and I told one of the boys, I said, you have to take this boot off because it was, you know, tight. I said, I don't think I can even take it off. And when he unloosened that string and pulled that boot off, that foot that had been held in by that tight boot all of a sudden swelled out like that.

And the pain hit me. And next thing I knew, I was smelling ammonia. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. When I had fainted, that sergeant could have stood over me and said, present arms. I wouldn't have done it. He could have said about face. I wouldn't have done it. He could have said at ease. I wouldn't have done it. I was unable to discharge my duties. Why? Because I had fainted. He said, when you're chastened of God, do not faint under His chastening.

Now, help me out now, because we're talking about Esau. Do you remember in Genesis 25, Esau came from the field and he told Jacob, feed me some of that pottage, give me some of those lentils, give me some of those beans. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. And he said, I'm at the point of death, I'm weak and I want to faint. What does that birthright profit mean? It's when you and I are at the point of faintness that we're tempted to apostatize.

Now, the word apostatize means that we either deny or leave the faith. And fainting under chastisement is one of those simple things that will lead us to apostasy, because when we faint, we're unable to discharge our duties. When our duties are neglected, we either dry up or forget them or eventually just despise them. Now, here's what happens. God chastens us in different ways. Sometimes he chastises us by bringing our problems upon us and compounding them and multiplying them. Because of our rebellion, because we won't listen, we won't learn. And oftentimes when we're just inundated with all of these problems, we want to throw up our hands and say, I give up. What's the use? Or I'm not going to do this any longer because no one understands and no one appreciates me. Everything I do is unappreciated. I want to just quit trying. What are we doing? We're fainting. When we take the attitude, well, I'm just not going to take it anymore. I mean, I'm quitting. What are we doing? We're fainting and it's leading us to either deny the faith or to leave the faith.

Now, if you look at verse 15, you see this connection then how our problems, our trials, our sufferings that are not responded to biblically, will turn out to be stumbling stones instead of stepping stones. So look what he says now in verse 15. Here are three truths concerning, really, apostasy. He says in verse 15, "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." First of all, here's the spring of apostasy, failing of the grace of God.

Exhortation to Strengthen and Make Straight Paths

Believers are commanded to lift up drooping hands and strengthen feeble knees, restoring proper spiritual posture, and to make straight paths to avoid being turned out of the way.

You restore it to its proper place or its proper posture. That's exactly what he's talking about. So he's saying you restore yourself to the proper frame of mind and to the proper posture in thinking. In other words, don't you faint. You just do that which is right. So the hands that hang down and the feeble knees are metaphorically representing then our spirits, our hearts, our dispositions, things that have drooped, things that have caused us to be despondent and despairing.

Now, very quickly, look back in your Bibles to Isaiah 33. Isaiah 33. And let's begin reading there at verse 3. I think that's the passage I want. 35. It's Isaiah 35. Isaiah 35, beginning in verse 3. To show you how this actually refers to our hearts, our minds, our spirits, Isaiah 35, beginning in verse 3, here's what God says, "Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the weak knees."

Now, this is exactly where the apostle has taken this from in Hebrews chapter 12. So he says, "Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." "For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." But note, if you would, he began with, "...say ye to the weak and the feeble knees," and then he talks about the heart, which of course is our mind, our attitude, our disposition, our thinking. So what he's telling us is this, if you have got feeble hands and weak knees, that is if you're fainting under the trials and pressures of life, strengthen yourself, renew your mind, renew your obedience, renew your faith, you walk in the way that God has commanded you. Then he says, watch in verse 13, because verse 13 confirms the interpretation of verse 12 when he says in verse 12, "Wherefore, lift up hands which hang down and the feeble knees."

Now look in verse 13, "And make straight paths for your feet. Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed." So what is he saying unless we resort back to the biblical paths? There's a possibility that we're going to be turned out of the way. That is, there's that possibility that our bitterness, our resentment will lead us then either to deny the faith or to leave the faith.

Now, I'm going to explain that a little bit later, too. But he's saying it's much better to be healed than it is to go on in pain and agony. Now, every one of you understands this, especially the ones that are doctors in here. There have been times in my life when I've been in extreme pain. I did everything I could to stay out of surgery. Did everything I could. And finally, I went to the doctor one day. I said, what in the world is going to happen? He said, one of these days, you're going to beg me to cut on you.

Pursuing Peace and Holiness

Weaver explains that following peace with all men and holiness is essential, doing right even when others do wrong, and that separation should be on the other person's part if possible.

Now he says, "Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." Where did Esau think that his problems came from, Jacob? Jacob was not the source of his problems, but he thought that. Where do we think that most of our problems come from? People. They treat us wrong. They disrespect us. They don't appreciate us. They won't help us. They won't work with us. I mean, come on. They do us wrong. So we think they're the source of our problems. Well, look what God says in verse 14.

Here's what we're to do. We're to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. What is God telling us? He's telling us that we are to do right even if everyone else does wrong. Now, think about this. We're to do right even if everyone else does wrong. We're to follow peace with all men.

Now, if Ed and I have a falling out, it's going to be on Ed's part, not mine. That's what God's saying. And Ed's attitude ought to be this. If he and Pastor have a falling out, it's going to be on Pastor's part, not his. That's what he's saying. You do right regardless of what someone else does.

Now, when he says follow peace with all men, you've got to understand this. God knows that there are some men that we cannot live peaceably with. And there, therefore, is a necessity for separation at some time. But don't necessarily let it be on yours. You still do what's right. You see, the Bible says in Romans 12, in verse 18, just listen, Romans 12, verse 18,

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:18

"If it be possible, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

So there's some you can't live peaceably with. But he said, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, in other words, you do what's right until the other person says, I don't need anything to do with it.

And let the break be on them. Now, I want you to note in verse 14, we're exhorted to follow two things. Peace with men and holiness with God. And in verse 15, verse 15 it is, we're exhorted therefore to avoid two things, a failing of the grace of God and a root of bitterness.

The Duty of Self-Examination

Verse 15 calls for diligent self-examination to guard against failing in the grace of God and allowing a root of bitterness to spring up.

Now let me begin by telling you that this, verse 15, is a call to self-examination. Looking diligently. Looking diligently is from the Greek word episkopeo. I hope that word sounds familiar to you. Episkopos is the noun. That is where we get the word bishop from. We talk about the Episcopalian church, Episcopal comes right there. But the word episkopeo literally means to look diligently, to take the oversight over, to look upon, to inspect, to oversee, to look after, and to care for. That's what a bishop is supposed to be doing to his people. He bears the oversight. He looks after them. He cares for them. Here in this context, the Word is saying, look, it is your responsibility to look diligently, to look intently, and to watch closely, and to make sure that no bitterness and no resentment are in your lives. Now, hold Hebrews chapter 12, but look back in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. I told you that verse 15 is a call to self-examination.

I hope you understand that there is a direct command for that in the Bible. In 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5, the Apostle Paul says this,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 13:5

"Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates."

He said, unless you are a reprobate, you ought to be able to examine yourself and prove yourself in light of Scripture.

So it's got to be a call to self-examination. You are to look diligently in your spirit, in your mind, in your disposition, in your attitude, to make sure there's no bitterness and resentment in your life. Now, it has to be a call to a close examination, and let me explain why. You remember the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 and verse 9, that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. What's that mean? That means our own mind can deceive us unless we're careful, unless we deal with things very closely. Involved in this self-examination, not only is it a call to close examination, but it also, we've got to understand, it includes a duty toward our brethren.

You know, I have never, ever wanted just to hurt someone, just to be hurting them. It's just never done that. I have no desire to go out and grab ahold of Doc Brissey and break his arm, just to be breaking his arm. I have no desire to go out and just slap somebody upside the head, just to slap them upside the head. Some folks derive pleasure out of that, you know.

Ways Christians Fail in the Grace of God

Weaver details five ways believers become deficient in grace: failing to submit to God's Word, not persevering in means of grace, not improving bestowed gifts, hardening hearts, and refusing repentance.

Now, I want you to listen to this statement I'm about to make. Let me have your attention. The word fail occurs many times in the Bible. Never once does it mean to fall from. There is a difference between failing in the grace of God and falling from the grace of God. A big difference. The word fail does not mean to fall from. It means to come short of, or to be deficient in, or to have a lack thereof.

Well, let's ask a question. How can Christians fail in the grace of God? How can they become deficient in the grace of God? Well, let me give you several ways. I want you to think this through with me. We can be deficient or fall short of or lack or need the grace of God when we fail to submit ourselves to the Word of God. If I were to take the time today to take you to Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3, I could show you over and over in scripture where God tells us to put off the old man and to put on the new man. Now, the old man is our old habits, our old ways, our old thought patterns, our old dispositions.

It's those things that we learned when we were unconverted, and every one of us have a history of how we lived before God saved us. The new man is that which is righteous and obedient and holy and godly. It's that which God commands. So what does God tell us? He tells us to put off the old way of thinking, the old way of acting, the old way of handling problems, and we're to put on biblical methods that are righteous and holy. So when we fail to submit to the Word of God and obey, we're becoming deficient in the grace of God. For instance, in 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 5, and you know this verse, or at least you should by heart, where he says that we are to bring how many of our thoughts into captivity of Jesus Christ? Every thought. So when we begin to think unbiblically, we're coming short of the grace of God. We're not thinking the way that we should because God has been gracious to us.

How about the passage in Romans 12? Where he said, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind." So when we fail to present our bodies, when we fail to renew our minds, we're becoming deficient in the grace of God. It's not that God's grace is insufficient. It's that we're not making use of that grace in our lives. We're failing in it. God has given us grace, but we're not acting graciously. We're not acting as if we have the grace. So we fail in the grace of God. We come short of it in our lives by not submitting ourselves to the Word of God. Secondly, Christians fail in the grace of God, that is, they become deficient and fall short in it by not persevering in the outward means of grace. What do I mean by not persevering in the outward means of grace?

We fail to pray. We fail to study. We fail to be faithful to the preached word. We fail to do all of those things that God has commanded us to do. We just don't persevere in it. There are some people that will go all week and never even read their Bible, much less study it. Sometimes months. How in the world can we know the will of God and the word of God if we don't read it? How can we know the mind of God and the will of God if we don't commune with him and ask him to teach us and instruct us and show us?

Now, I want you to think about this for a moment. I'm not saying this is necessarily right all the times, but it does have a certain amount of truth in it. I have pastor friends who refuse to do counseling Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. You know why? They say I give you counsel Sunday morning or Sunday night or Wednesday night. If you want the counsel, you need to be there. Well, you know what they're saying?

That is when God is instructing us. And if we fail to persevere in that outward means of grace that is being taught and receiving the counsel of things of God, why in the world are you asking someone to do something that is extra when you won't do what's being taught? Now, I'm not saying that's my position, but my position is folks need all the help they can get. And I'm willing to talk to anybody anytime about Christ and about the Word and bringing our lives in conformity to it. But I'm just simply saying this, folks, when we fail to persevere in those means that God has ordained, we're coming short of the grace of God. How in the world can we act right if we don't even know what is right? Thirdly, Christians fail of the grace of God by not improving that which God has already bestowed upon them. Now, let me ask you a question, is there anybody in this room who would say, I know all truth? No. But everyone in this room knows some truth.

Every one of you have gifts and you can improve upon those gifts. You stop and think that the gifts that God has given us that are undeveloped, graces that are unused or neglected, faith that is unexercised, light that is unwalked in and unappreciated. And look at all the times we fail to make application of the Word of God to our lives. So when God gives us truth, we are to use it and build upon it and improve upon it. And when God gives us gifts, we are to use them. I'm just simply saying we fail in the grace of God when we do not use that which God has given us. Fourthly, Christians fail in the grace of God by hardening their hearts against the Word of God. Go back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3 and look at verse 15.

After he tells us in verse 12 that we're to take heed, lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, after he tells us in verse 13 that we're to exhort one another daily while it's called a day, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sins. Now he says in verse 15, "While it is said today, if you will hear his voice," that is, if you will hear God's voice in his word, "harden not your hearts as in the provocation." Now, if I were to ask you, what in the world is he talking about? "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." Well, I hope you will remember when God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt in the desert, how they provoked Him, and how He said, this generation is not going to get into the Promised Land, but their children, whom they said would be victims, they're going to get in, but this generation is not going to get it. They have provoked me.

Now, I want you to listen very carefully. You remember, I told you last week that the Greek word for bitterness was pikros. Pikros meant to be bitter, pungent, sharp, venomous. I want you to listen to the Greek word for provocation. It is parapikrasmos. Did you hear pikras in the middle of it? How did the children of Israel provoke God? Oh, if I had time today, I could go take you back and show you how they were bitter and resentful at God's providence. Do you remember one time they got fed up with the manna? Our soul loatheth this manna. The manna was everything they needed. They said, we want quail, we want meat. God said, you want meat, I'll give you meat. And He sent quail up to their eyeballs.

And when they started eating them, He slew the fattest of them. He killed them. You know, an interesting verse there in Psalm 78 talking about that. He said He gave them their quests for their stomachs, but He sent leanness into their souls. They hardened themselves against God. They wouldn't listen to God. They wouldn't take His word. They provoked Him. You'll find it in Exodus 17 and Psalm 95 and Psalm 78. The provocation was bitterness. And it was their bitterness and resentment that caused them to harden themselves against God.

Fifthly, we fail in the grace of God when instead of repenting and turning from our sins, we stubbornly hold on to them and demand our way instead of God's way and our will instead of God's will. None will ever prosper in the faith who disdain repentance and obedience. Now, look back in Hebrews chapter 12. We're still in verse 15. He says, "Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God," and I dealt with that phrase. Now he says, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled." So this call to self-examination, this call to look diligently and to closely observe, is to be lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. I hope you can see now that there is a connection between failing in the grace of God and the root of bitterness springing up and troubling you.

The Root of Bitterness

Bitterness begins as a seed from unbiblical responses to problems, grows underground undetected, and eventually springs up, often over trivial matters, defiling many.

Now, I want you to pay close attention. Verse 15 to the word root. He said, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you." Now, the Greek word for root is the word rhiza, and it literally means root. It's what it means, root. Why is that word so important? Here's why it's important. Because before there could be a root, there must be a seed. Roots come from seeds. What is the seed that sows the root of bitterness? The seed is a failure on our part to respond and act biblically to our problems. I don't care what our problem is, I don't care if it's financial. I don't care if it's emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, when we fail to respond biblically, we're sowing a seed in which a root of bitterness will arise. Now, I want you to note something else. The Bible says in verse 15, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you." I hope you will observe something else about roots. They're underground. You can't see them. You can't observe them until they spring up or until the plant actually sprouts out.

Do you realize that Christians oftentimes carry the seed and the root of bitterness in their lives undetected for months and sometimes years? But all of a sudden, there will be a springing up. It will come to light. There will be a growing up, and once it is grown up and sprung forth, it will be there for all to see. There will be a manifestation. For what does the scripture say in Numbers chapter 32 and verse 23? Let me quote it.

"Be sure your sins will find you out." Be absolutely sure. Now, here's the amazing thing about the root of bitterness. When it does spring up, when it does manifest itself, usually it's going to be over something that is extremely trifling or insignificant, some tiny little incident. And those who are observing externally or from the outside say, "How can you get so blown out of shape over some little tiny insignificant thing?" The problem is not the problem. Bitterness and resentment are the problem. The little trifle, the little insignificant incident was just there when the root sprung up. I've known people that just got bent out of shape because the toothpaste was squeezed from the wrong end. Or the toilet tissue was not put on the roll just right. How can people get upset over that? That's not the problem. The problem is the bitterness.

It was there all along. This small, insignificant trifle just brought it out. It was time for it to spring up. If the bitterness, if the resentment, if the problem initially had been dealt with biblically, the bitterness and the resentment would not be there. You know, the Bible says in Ephesians 4, verse 26, and this is a command, by the way,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26

"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

What does that mean? It means we're to settle our problems on a daily basis. Husbands and wives should never go to bed mad. Friends should never go to bed mad. I mean, if I've got a problem with Phil, I better call him or I better go see him before the sun sets. Because when we start going to bed angry and upset and with ill will in our hearts, bitterness and resentment are being sown.

And they will spring up. Bitterness and resentment never, ever solve our problems. They only compound them and make new problems. Yea, they are a problem in and of themselves.

Now, look back in verse 15. He says, "Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you." Look at the word trouble. That's a very interesting word. The word trouble means, and it's interpreted here from the Greek as trouble, but it also means to excite, to annoy and to disturb, and the word trouble is the same word that is used figuratively for a poisonous plant.

Thus it represents someone who through bitterness and resentment not only corrupts their own faith and piety, but if you touch them, or if they touch you, it will corrupt you as well. It spreads. It's like poison ivy. It's extremely contagious. It's like a virus. It's communicable. So he said, "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." Now, where does the root of bitterness come from? It comes from the seed that is sown in our lives when we fail to handle our problems in a biblical and scriptural and godly manner.

Warning from Esau's Example

Esau is presented as a profane person who despised spiritual things, and his bitterness led to a wasted life; believers are warned not to follow his pattern.

Now let me tell you something about the word lest. It is a primary particle of qualified negation. In the Greek you say, what does that mean to me? Well, let me tell you what it means. This primary particle of negation is oftentimes translated in our Bibles another way. You remember the Apostle Paul said it like this. God forbid. God forbid. That's what that word means. Look at verse 16. God forbid.

That there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. In simple language, what he's saying is this, God forbid that any of us turn out like Esau. What is God showing us? He's showing us the end, the ultimate end of bitterness and resentment. He says bitter and resentful people are like Esau, who are spiritual fornicators and they're profane in the fact that they live their lives outside of God. Now, look at the word profane. Everyone knows what a fornicator is, but in this context, it's not just physical, it's spiritual, because Esau hated spiritual things. He was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of beans. But look at the word profane.

Hope you remember that a number of years ago, not more than two, I brought a message entitled Preaching Profanity. And I talked about the word profane, we get our English word profane from the Latin pro fanum. The word fanum means temple and pro means to or toward. So if you were to or toward the temple, what's that mean? You're outside of the temple. So the word profane means someone who is outside the temple. It's someone who is living his life apart from God, outside of God, or without regard to God.

In other words, I don't care what he says. I don't care what his commands are. I don't care what his law says. I don't care what his instructions are. I do what I want to do. That's a profane person. That was Esau. If you study the life of Esau, you'll find out when those Canaanite wives did not please Isaac and Rebekah, what did Esau do? He went out and married some more just to spite them. He didn't care that God said that they were not to intermarry. He didn't care that their parents didn't want him to do that, or his parents didn't want him to. No, no, he just did it anyhow. He's a profane person. So a profane person is one who lives his life, as if God had never spoken, and if God had nothing to do with him. He was not going to have God to rule over him.

Bitterness and resentment lead to apostasy, and the ultimate end of bitterness and resentment is despising the things of God. It leads us to hold on to our will, our way, and our sins. And I want you to look at the consequences. Look in verse 17. "For you know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

Now, without me going back and reading Genesis 25, 26, and 27, you remember how Jacob did deceive his father, pretended to be Esau, and he got the blessing. And like I told you last week, the blessing really went with the birthright. But Jacob knew that Esau was a dishonest person and would not keep his end of the bargain. So he got the blessing. And after Jacob got out of his father's presence, as the Bible says, he had scarce gone out, Esau came in and said, let my father rise and eat of his venison, such is his soul, that he may bless me. And he says, who art thou, my son? He said, I am Esau. He said, well, who is this that has come before you and taken your blessing?

And when he found out what Jacob had done, Esau cried and said, bless me, even me, oh, my father. And Jacob said, look, I've already made him your Lord. I've already given him all the blessings of the field and the dew of heaven, and I can't change it. It's unchangeable. It was God's providence. It was God's will. I pointed out before how God had already told Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob will be the ruler. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. God chose Jacob and not Esau. It didn't matter to Isaac at that particular time. Isaac was going to bless him just to eat of his venison. But he said, look, God's brought this to pass. I can't change it. Nothing you can do, Esau, will change it. And Esau wept before his father. He said, bless me, even me, oh my father. And Jacob gave him some kind of very bland blessing. But he could not undo what had been done. Listen carefully. I want you to pause for a moment and think of all the blessings.

That we as children of God lose because of our sins. There is no way to undo a wasted life. There is no way to undo a wasted day. Or a wasted week or wasted month or wasted year. All of us have the same amount of time, some will throw it away and waste it. We'll waste it by not obeying God and not bringing our lives in conformity to the Word of God. I can assure you that everyone that is in this room today would say about something in their life, would to God I could do it over again. Or would to God I hadn't done it. But it's done.

Nothing you can do about it. It's gone. It's over. You remember that little couplet? Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. Alice and I had a dear friend, and I've mentioned him before. He and his wife are now dead. We called him Papa Mars. We weren't related, but he played that saxophone and he can play it beautifully. And he would come over and spend a week, sometimes two weeks with us.

And I almost starved to death when he came. Because he would have Alice at the piano and all they would do is play the saxophone and the piano. But I never will forget Papa Marsh's favorite song. And he played that song beautifully on that saxophone. Wasted years. Wasted years. Oh, how foolish. Because Papa was in his fifties when God saved him. And before that, he was a drunkard. And all he could think of was all the years of his life that he had thrown away and wasted. And it was wicked and foolish and wrong.

But you can't undo it. And the whole point is this, and this is what God is making. If we don't repent and if we don't deal with our bitterness and our resentment and our bad attitudes, we'll turn out with a wasted life. We'll miss God's best and God's blessings in our lives. We have to learn to deal with sin and to deal with our attitudes and our dispositions. I can't change Doc, but I can change me. I can't change Roy, but I can change me. And if Roy never does what's right, I have to do what's right. And if I never do what's right, Roy still has to do what's right. Bitterness and resentment, ill will, hatred, hard feelings, leads to nothing but wasted lives.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Bitterness as a response to chastening

Summary: Bitterness often develops when believers faint under God's discipline instead of responding biblically.

Evidence: Weaver explains that fainting under chastisement leads to apostasy, and bitterness is connected to failing in the grace of God (Hebrews 12:5-15).

Self-examination and vigilance

Summary: Believers are commanded to diligently examine themselves to prevent bitterness from taking root.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes 'looking diligently' (episkopeo) as a call to self-examination, citing 2 Corinthians 13:5.

The contagious nature of bitterness

Summary: Bitterness not only troubles the individual but defiles many, spreading like poison.

Evidence: Weaver states that bitterness is like cancer or venom, and the word 'trouble' implies a poisonous plant that corrupts others.

Failing in the grace of God

Summary: Christians can become deficient in grace by not submitting to God's Word, neglecting spiritual disciplines, and hardening their hearts.

Evidence: Weaver lists five ways believers fail in grace, including not persevering in prayer and Bible study, and hardening hearts as in the provocation.

The example of Esau as a warning

Summary: Esau's profane attitude and bitterness led to his rejection and a wasted life, serving as a cautionary tale.

Evidence: Weaver describes Esau as a fornicator and profane person who sold his birthright and later found no place of repentance.

Key Arguments

Bitterness is an attack on God's providence

Summary: Resentment ultimately reflects anger at God's sovereign dealings, as seen in Esau's anger at Jacob.

Evidence: Weaver states that bitterness is 'an attack upon God and His providential dealings' and that Esau was really angry at God.

Fainting under chastening leads to apostasy

Summary: When believers faint under trials, they become unable to discharge duties, leading to neglect and potential denial of the faith.

Evidence: Weaver uses his fainting experience to illustrate how fainting renders one unable to obey commands, paralleling spiritual fainting.

Bitterness stems from unbiblical responses to problems

Summary: The root of bitterness grows from a seed sown when problems are not handled scripturally.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The seed is a failure on our part to respond and act biblically to our problems.'

Bitterness often manifests over trivial matters

Summary: When bitterness springs up, it is often triggered by insignificant incidents, revealing a deeper issue.

Evidence: Weaver gives examples like toothpaste squeezed from the wrong end, stating 'The problem is not the problem. Bitterness and resentment are the problem.'

Unrepented bitterness leads to a wasted life

Summary: Like Esau, those who hold onto bitterness miss God's blessings and cannot undo the damage.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'There is no way to undo a wasted life' and references the song 'Wasted Years.'

Scripture References

Hebrews 12:12-17

Context: Primary text of the sermon, read at the beginning and expounded throughout.

Acts 8:23

Context: Peter tells Simon the sorcerer he is in the gall of bitterness, showing bitterness describes the unconverted.

Hebrews 12:4-11

Context: Preceding passage on chastening, read to show the connection to bitterness.

Isaiah 35:3-6

Context: Quoted to show that 'weak hands and feeble knees' refer to the heart and spirit.

Romans 12:18

Context: Cited to support following peace with all men as much as possible.

2 Corinthians 13:5

Context: Used to emphasize the call to self-examination.

Jeremiah 17:9

Context: Mentioned to show the heart is deceitful, necessitating close examination.

Hebrews 3:12-13

Context: Warns against an evil heart of unbelief and exhorts daily to avoid hardening through sin.

Hebrews 3:15

Context: Quoted to show hardening hearts as in the provocation, linked to bitterness.

Numbers 32:23

Context: Quoted to affirm that sin will be found out.

Ephesians 4:26

Context: Command not to let the sun go down on wrath, applied to daily resolution of problems.

Genesis 25, 26, 27

Context: Referenced as the account of Esau selling his birthright and losing the blessing.

Romans 9:13

Context: Alluded to in 'Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated' to show God's sovereign choice.

Historical References

Esau

Context: Used as the primary example of a profane person who despised his birthright and became bitter.

Simon the Sorcerer

Context: Mentioned as an unconverted person described as being in the gall of bitterness (Acts 8).

Children of Israel in the wilderness

Context: Their provocation and bitterness against God's provision (manna) is cited as an example of hardening hearts.

Important Quotes

Bitterness and resentment are in reality an attack upon God and His providential dealings.

Significance: Summarizes the theological core that bitterness is ultimately against God, not just people.

The seed is a failure on our part to respond and act biblically to our problems.

Significance: Identifies the root cause of bitterness as unbiblical responses to trials.

The problem is not the problem. Bitterness and resentment are the problem.

Significance: Highlights that trivial triggers only reveal a pre-existing heart condition.

There is no way to undo a wasted life.

Significance: Emphasizes the irreversible consequences of unrepented sin and bitterness.

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.

Significance: The key verse of the sermon, calling for vigilant self-examination.

Discussion Questions

How does fainting under God's chastening lead to bitterness and potential apostasy?

Context: Weaver explains that fainting renders us unable to obey, leading to neglect and eventual denial of faith.

What are practical ways we can 'look diligently' to prevent bitterness in our hearts?

Context: The sermon calls for self-examination and close watching over our spirits.

In what ways do Christians today fail in the grace of God, and how can we avoid these pitfalls?

Context: Weaver lists five ways, including neglecting Scripture and hardening hearts.

Why does bitterness often manifest over trivial matters, and how can we address the root cause?

Context: Weaver notes that small incidents trigger deep-seated bitterness.

How does Esau's example serve as a warning for believers today regarding bitterness and wasted lives?

Context: Esau's profane attitude and loss of blessing illustrate the consequences of unrepented sin.

Applications

Respond biblically to trials

Summary: Instead of fainting under pressure, believers should strengthen their spiritual posture and obey God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver urges, 'Strengthen yourself, renew your mind, renew your obedience, renew your faith, you walk in the way that God has commanded you.'

Practice daily self-examination

Summary: Regularly inspect your heart for any seed of bitterness and deal with it immediately.

Evidence: Weaver commands, 'Look diligently in your spirit, in your mind, in your disposition, in your attitude, to make sure there's no bitterness.'

Resolve conflicts quickly

Summary: Do not let the sun go down on your anger; settle problems daily to prevent bitterness from taking root.

Evidence: Weaver applies Ephesians 4:26, saying, 'Husbands and wives should never go to bed mad.'

Pursue peace and holiness regardless of others

Summary: Do right even if others do wrong, and let any separation be on their part, not yours.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'You do right regardless of what someone else does.'

Avoid a wasted life by repenting of bitterness

Summary: Repent of bitterness and resentment to avoid missing God's blessings and living with regret.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'If we don't repent and deal with our bitterness... we'll turn out with a wasted life.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:27:02Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:58:41Z

Clean Transcript

The Sin of Bitterness - Part 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

So let's open our Bibles today to the book of Hebrews chapter 12 again. Hebrews chapter 12. And I will take a few minutes and review from last week and then we'll just take right off. Hebrews chapter 12. This is the second part on the subject of bitterness and resentment. So look at Hebrews chapter 12 and let's once again read verses 12 through 17. Hebrews 12, verse 12, "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed."
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"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. 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. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For you know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
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Now last week we looked at five introductory truths concerning bitterness and resentment. I also pointed out to you that the Greek word for bitter literally means sharp, pungent, bitter, venomous, and it denotes bitterness that is usually associated with grief, disappointment, hatred, and malice. Now, we do have the tapes from last week, but very quickly, I'm going to give you those five truths again. First of all, bitterness is a word that is used in Scripture to describe the unconverted.
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Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. You'll remember what the Apostle told Simon the Sorcerer in Acts chapter 5, I believe it is. I forgot the chapter all of a sudden. My mind went blank. Acts chapter 11, maybe? I don't remember. My mind went blank. But anyhow, 8. Why couldn't I think of 8? It's Acts chapter 8. But Peter told Simon the sorcerer, he said, "Thou art in the bond of iniquity and in the gall of bitterness." So it is used then to describe the unconverted, not only in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament as well.
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Secondly, I pointed out that bitterness and resentment are in reality an attack upon God and His providential dealings. And we looked at the life of Esau and how Esau did not like what God had ordained and what God brought to pass. And although he directed his anger at Jacob, in reality, he was angry at God. And then thirdly, I pointed out that bitterness is a source of individual and corporate problems. In fact, he said, "lest any root of bitterness springing up and trouble you individually, and thereby many, plural, be defiled." So it's not just an individual problem, it is an individual and corporate problem as well. So the Bible is teaching us that resentment and bitterness are contagious. It's like cancer. It's like a serpent's venom. It spreads very rapidly. And then fourthly, I pointed out that bitterness is utterly incompatible with the Christian faith and makes real worship impossible. No one can worship God correctly and acceptably with bitterness and resentment in their lives. And then fifthly, I pointed out how bitterness and resentment makes it impossible for an individual to be right with God.
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And the Bible teaches very clearly we can't be right and wrong at the same time. No fountain, he said, sends forth sweet water and bitter at the same time. So you're either right with God or you're not right with God. It's that simple.
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Now, let me tell you by way of introduction today that there is one real problem with sin. And that is this, regardless of what that sin is, it is never alone. Sin always breeds more sin. Bitterness and resentment always breed other sins as well. So we should never then be surprised to find other sins that are involved with bitterness and resentment. Now, before we begin today, what I want to do is this. I want to show you in my first point, really, the connection between verses 12 through 17 and the preceding verse. And you're going to see how these things actually connect, and we should never then be surprised that there are other sins involved with bitterness and resentment as well.
#7 | 4:07 to 5:07 | cleaned
So look in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12 once again, and let's look at verse 12. He says, "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." And then he talks about this root of bitterness in verse 15 and then Esau in verse 16 and then the result of that in verse 17.
#8 | 5:07 to 5:34 | cleaned
Now you have to ask yourself this question. What is the connection between verses 12 through 17 and that which precedes those verses? So if you will look in your Bibles beginning with verse 4, I want to read through verse 11, and you're going to find that the subject under discussion is chastening. Now look in verse 4, Hebrews 12. "You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin."
#9 | 5:34 to 6:07 | cleaned
"And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." By the way, let me just stop and tell you that the word for chastening or chastisement, it's the same Greek word, it's the word paideia, which literally means child training. OK, so he says, "My son, despise not thou the child training or the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Why? For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth or child trains. And scourgeth or child trains every son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards and not sons?"
#10 | 6:08 to 7:00 | cleaned
"Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to this Father of spirits and live? For they, that is, the earthly fathers, verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we should be partakers of his holiness."
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"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them that are exercised thereby."
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Now, let me show you the link. The link, of course, in verses 4 through 11 is dealing with chastening. Why are we chastised to begin with? And that is because of our sins, our disobedience, and our rebellion.
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Now, the Bible asks this question, what son is there whom the father chasteneth not? Is there anyone, any son particularly, in this room that never got a whipping coming up? I got my share of them. I usually tell people we had a peach tree behind our house and it never did bloom until after I left home. My daddy had to break so many limbs.
#14 | 7:45 to 8:10 | cleaned
Now, Lacey's big brag is she's the only grandchild that I've never, ever whipped and I never have. Now, I'm not going to ask her if her father ever got a hold of her, but her grandfather never has.
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Now, but usually all of us have been chastened. And the reason we're chastened is we will not listen.
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Now, what God is telling us in verses 4 through 11, that is if we live right and do right, we don't get chastened. We only get chastened when we do that which is wrong. And according to verse 10, if you look there, the only reason God chastens us is for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. And then verse 11 tells us, it's not fun to get whipped, but when God whips us afterwards, it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby. I only wish my chastisement of my children would have been as successful as God's chastisement of His children.
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Because when He does it, it works. Okay?
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Now, look what He's saying. If you live right, you don't get whipped. If you live wrong, you get whipped.
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Now, an interesting thing is found in verse 5. Look what He admonishes us. "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto us, as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." Don't faint when God rebukes you.
#20 | 9:38 to 10:05 | cleaned
Now, let's stop for a moment and examine that. I have fainted one time in my entire life, just once. When I was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, we got a little break from the CBR range, chemical, biological, radiological. And the sergeant was there teaching, and as usual, they said, take 10, expect 5, and get 2. And that's the way it worked, because I was all the way across the field. Going to the latrine, and before I ever reached it, they started blowing the whistle, get back, get back, hustle, hustle, hustle. And I turned around and I started running back to the bleachers.
#21 | 10:06 to 10:51 | cleaned
Well, the grass was cut smoothly. There was a hole about that deep and about that big around, and the grass had grown out of the hole and it was cut. You couldn't even see the hole. And my foot went in the hole and turned, and as I fell, I heard it snap. Well, I limped up to the sergeant. You remember I had those boots on. I limped up to the sergeant. I said, I just broke my foot. Well, he said, can you sit out the rest of the lecture and march back to camp?
#22 | 10:52 to 11:25 | cleaned
And what a stupid idiot I was. I said, well, yes, sir, I guess so. Well, camp was two miles. But I, you know, hopped and limped back to camp. And when we stood in formation, when he said, fall out, I did. No, not really. I mean, I just leapt inside and I told one of the boys, I said, you have to take this boot off because it was, you know, tight. I said, I don't think I can even take it off. And when he unloosened that string and pulled that boot off, that foot that had been held in by that tight boot all of a sudden swelled out like that.
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And the pain hit me. And next thing I knew, I was smelling ammonia.
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. When I had fainted, that sergeant could have stood over me and said, present arms. I wouldn't have done it. He could have said about face. I wouldn't have done it. He could have said at ease. I wouldn't have done it. I was unable to discharge my duties. Why? Because I had fainted. He said, when you're chastened of God, do not faint under His chastening.
#25 | 12:10 to 12:43 | cleaned
Now, help me out now, because we're talking about Esau. Do you remember in Genesis 25, Esau came from the field and he told Jacob, feed me some of that pottage, give me some of those lentils, give me some of those beans. And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. And he said, I'm at the point of death, I'm weak and I want to faint. What does that birthright profit mean? It's when you and I are at the point of faintness that we're tempted to apostatize.
#26 | 12:43 to 13:21 | cleaned
Now, the word apostatize means that we either deny or leave the faith. And fainting under chastisement is one of those simple things that will lead us to apostasy, because when we faint, we're unable to discharge our duties. When our duties are neglected, we either dry up or forget them or eventually just despise them. Now, here's what happens. God chastens us in different ways. Sometimes he chastises us by bringing our problems upon us and compounding them and multiplying them.
#27 | 13:21 to 14:00 | cleaned
Because of our rebellion, because we won't listen, we won't learn. And oftentimes when we're just inundated with all of these problems, we want to throw up our hands and say, I give up. What's the use? Or I'm not going to do this any longer because no one understands and no one appreciates me. Everything I do is unappreciated. I want to just quit trying. What are we doing? We're fainting. When we take the attitude, well, I'm just not going to take it anymore. I mean, I'm quitting. What are we doing? We're fainting and it's leading us to either deny the faith or to leave the faith.
#28 | 14:01 to 14:37 | cleaned
Now, if you look at verse 15, you see this connection then how our problems, our trials, our sufferings that are not responded to biblically, will turn out to be stumbling stones instead of stepping stones. So look what he says now in verse 15. Here are three truths concerning, really, apostasy. He says in verse 15, "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." First of all, here's the spring of apostasy, failing of the grace of God.
#29 | 14:38 to 15:16 | cleaned
I'm going to deal with that in just a moment. Secondly, its nature, a root of bitterness springing up. And thirdly, the result, many will be defiled. So bitterness then and resentment are vitally connected with apostasy. Because that bitterness and resentment then develops because we don't like what's happening in our lives.
#30 | 15:16 to 15:41 | cleaned
Now, I want you to note in light of this connection, verses 12 through 14 right now. In verse 12, he says, "Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees." So God now is instructing us to make right our feeble hands and our knees. Now, the words lift up in verse 12 denotes the making or setting a right. In other words, what do you do with a broken bone? You set it. You make it straight. You make it right.
#31 | 15:42 to 16:13 | cleaned
You restore it to its proper place or its proper posture. That's exactly what he's talking about. So he's saying you restore yourself to the proper frame of mind and to the proper posture in thinking. In other words, don't you faint. You just do that which is right. So the hands that hang down and the feeble knees are metaphorically representing then our spirits, our hearts, our dispositions, things that have drooped, things that have caused us to be despondent and despairing.
#32 | 16:14 to 16:50 | cleaned
Now, very quickly, look back in your Bibles to Isaiah 33. Isaiah 33. And let's begin reading there at verse 3. I think that's the passage I want. 35. It's Isaiah 35. Isaiah 35, beginning in verse 3. To show you how this actually refers to our hearts, our minds, our spirits, Isaiah 35, beginning in verse 3, here's what God says, "Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the weak knees."
#33 | 16:51 to 17:27 | cleaned
Now, this is exactly where the apostle has taken this from in Hebrews chapter 12. So he says, "Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing."
#34 | 17:27 to 17:55 | cleaned
"For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." But note, if you would, he began with, "...say ye to the weak and the feeble knees," and then he talks about the heart, which of course is our mind, our attitude, our disposition, our thinking. So what he's telling us is this, if you have got feeble hands and weak knees, that is if you're fainting under the trials and pressures of life, strengthen yourself, renew your mind, renew your obedience, renew your faith, you walk in the way that God has commanded you. Then he says, watch in verse 13, because verse 13 confirms the interpretation of verse 12 when he says in verse 12, "Wherefore, lift up hands which hang down and the feeble knees."
#35 | 17:55 to 18:41 | cleaned
Now look in verse 13, "And make straight paths for your feet. Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed." So what is he saying unless we resort back to the biblical paths? There's a possibility that we're going to be turned out of the way. That is, there's that possibility that our bitterness, our resentment will lead us then either to deny the faith or to leave the faith.
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Now, I'm going to explain that a little bit later, too. But he's saying it's much better to be healed than it is to go on in pain and agony.
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Now, every one of you understands this, especially the ones that are doctors in here. There have been times in my life when I've been in extreme pain. I did everything I could to stay out of surgery. Did everything I could. And finally, I went to the doctor one day. I said, what in the world is going to happen? He said, one of these days, you're going to beg me to cut on you.
#38 | 19:28 to 19:54 | cleaned
You know what I did? I laughed. I said, it will never happen. Until one day, I was ready. If that was the only way I could get relief, I was wanting that. And I did. I said, put me in today. Do it now. And as much as I dreaded the surgery, it surely was successful and it surely was a blessing, and I'd much rather have had it and gotten it over with than I would have continued to live my life in constant pain and agony.
#39 | 19:56 to 20:33 | cleaned
Now, that's what God is saying. You better make straight paths, lest it be turned out, but rather let it be healed.
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Now look at verse 14. We're still in the same context.
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Now he says, "Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." Where did Esau think that his problems came from, Jacob? Jacob was not the source of his problems, but he thought that. Where do we think that most of our problems come from? People. They treat us wrong. They disrespect us. They don't appreciate us. They won't help us. They won't work with us. I mean, come on. They do us wrong. So we think they're the source of our problems. Well, look what God says in verse 14.
#42 | 20:48 to 21:26 | cleaned
Here's what we're to do. We're to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. What is God telling us? He's telling us that we are to do right even if everyone else does wrong. Now, think about this. We're to do right even if everyone else does wrong. We're to follow peace with all men.
#43 | 21:26 to 21:53 | cleaned
Now, if Ed and I have a falling out, it's going to be on Ed's part, not mine. That's what God's saying. And Ed's attitude ought to be this. If he and Pastor have a falling out, it's going to be on Pastor's part, not his. That's what he's saying. You do right regardless of what someone else does.
#44 | 21:54 to 22:19 | cleaned
Now, when he says follow peace with all men, you've got to understand this. God knows that there are some men that we cannot live peaceably with. And there, therefore, is a necessity for separation at some time. But don't necessarily let it be on yours. You still do what's right. You see, the Bible says in Romans 12, in verse 18, just listen, Romans 12, verse 18, "If it be possible, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." So there's some you can't live peaceably with. But he said, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, in other words, you do what's right until the other person says, I don't need anything to do with it.
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And let the break be on them. Now, I want you to note in verse 14, we're exhorted to follow two things. Peace with men and holiness with God. And in verse 15, verse 15 it is, we're exhorted therefore to avoid two things, a failing of the grace of God and a root of bitterness.
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Now we work our way down and I want to come to verse 15 and let's look secondly today at the duty enjoined. Here's our duty, "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."
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Now let me begin by telling you that this, verse 15, is a call to self-examination. Looking diligently. Looking diligently is from the Greek word episkopeo. I hope that word sounds familiar to you. Episkopos is the noun. That is where we get the word bishop from. We talk about the Episcopalian church, Episcopal comes right there. But the word episkopeo literally means to look diligently, to take the oversight over, to look upon, to inspect, to oversee, to look after, and to care for. That's what a bishop is supposed to be doing to his people. He bears the oversight. He looks after them. He cares for them. Here in this context, the Word is saying, look, it is your responsibility to look diligently, to look intently, and to watch closely, and to make sure that no bitterness and no resentment are in your lives. Now, hold Hebrews chapter 12, but look back in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5. I told you that verse 15 is a call to self-examination.
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I hope you understand that there is a direct command for that in the Bible. In 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5, the Apostle Paul says this, "Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates." He said, unless you are a reprobate, you ought to be able to examine yourself and prove yourself in light of Scripture.
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So it's got to be a call to self-examination. You are to look diligently in your spirit, in your mind, in your disposition, in your attitude, to make sure there's no bitterness and resentment in your life. Now, it has to be a call to a close examination, and let me explain why. You remember the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 and verse 9, that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. What's that mean? That means our own mind can deceive us unless we're careful, unless we deal with things very closely. Involved in this self-examination, not only is it a call to close examination, but it also, we've got to understand, it includes a duty toward our brethren.
#50 | 26:06 to 26:58 | cleaned
You know, I have never, ever wanted just to hurt someone, just to be hurting them. It's just never done that. I have no desire to go out and grab ahold of Doc Brissey and break his arm, just to be breaking his arm. I have no desire to go out and just slap somebody upside the head, just to slap them upside the head. Some folks derive pleasure out of that, you know.
#51 | 27:02 to 27:29 | cleaned
That's why you have drive-by shootings. They just kill to be killing. But the same should be true emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Why should I say something ugly and hateful that's going to hurt Doc, just to be saying something ugly and hateful, to be hurtful? In other words, I've got to understand that bitterness and resentment not only destroys my life, but it will destroy the lives of others as well.
#52 | 27:30 to 28:15 | cleaned
One root springing up will trouble many. You know what else I have to understand? That out of all the people, out of all the children of God, out of all the Christians, I am the one that's most likely to fail. That's why I have to be careful to guard my own heart. Doesn't mean no good to try to watch over Phil's heart. I don't know what's in his mind. I don't know what goes through his mind. I could not watch over his heart. The only one I can watch over is mine.
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Now, look back in Hebrews chapter 3, since you're very close there. Look in Hebrews chapter 3, verses 12 and 13.
#54 | 28:48 to 28:55 | cleaned
Now, here's what I mean by not wanting to inflict damage upon the brethren. Okay? Hebrews chapter 3. Notice, if you would please, verse 12. Hebrews 3, verse 12. "Take heed, brethren. Lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." And then what does verse 13 say? "But exhort one another daily while it is called a day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." So I'm not only in one sense of the word to look after my own heart. I am responsible. I do have a duty toward my brethren not to hurt them. And if I see them heading in this direction to exhort them and rebuke them. OK. But I'm not to inflict unnecessary pain upon them by not watching my own heart first and foremost. Now, go back in your Bibles, Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 15 again.
#55 | 28:55 to 29:56 | cleaned
Here's what you're to closely guard, he says, "Looking diligently. Lest any man fail of the grace of God," so you are to examine yourself lest you fail of the grace of God. Now let me tell you what the word fail means. The word fail means to lack. To be behind. To want. To come short of. To come behind in. To be deficient in. Now, look what he says, "Looking diligently, lest any man become deficient in, fall short in, fail, come behind in, come short of, lack or want in the grace of God."
#56 | 29:58 to 31:00 | cleaned
Now, I want you to listen to this statement I'm about to make. Let me have your attention. The word fail occurs many times in the Bible. Never once does it mean to fall from. There is a difference between failing in the grace of God and falling from the grace of God. A big difference. The word fail does not mean to fall from. It means to come short of, or to be deficient in, or to have a lack thereof.
#57 | 31:01 to 31:41 | cleaned
Well, let's ask a question. How can Christians fail in the grace of God? How can they become deficient in the grace of God? Well, let me give you several ways. I want you to think this through with me. We can be deficient or fall short of or lack or need the grace of God when we fail to submit ourselves to the Word of God. If I were to take the time today to take you to Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3, I could show you over and over in scripture where God tells us to put off the old man and to put on the new man. Now, the old man is our old habits, our old ways, our old thought patterns, our old dispositions.
#58 | 31:43 to 32:36 | cleaned
It's those things that we learned when we were unconverted, and every one of us have a history of how we lived before God saved us. The new man is that which is righteous and obedient and holy and godly. It's that which God commands. So what does God tell us? He tells us to put off the old way of thinking, the old way of acting, the old way of handling problems, and we're to put on biblical methods that are righteous and holy. So when we fail to submit to the Word of God and obey, we're becoming deficient in the grace of God.
#59 | 32:37 to 33:13 | cleaned
For instance, in 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 5, and you know this verse, or at least you should by heart, where he says that we are to bring how many of our thoughts into captivity of Jesus Christ? Every thought. So when we begin to think unbiblically, we're coming short of the grace of God. We're not thinking the way that we should because God has been gracious to us.
#60 | 33:13 to 33:37 | cleaned
How about the passage in Romans 12? Where he said, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind." So when we fail to present our bodies, when we fail to renew our minds, we're becoming deficient in the grace of God. It's not that God's grace is insufficient. It's that we're not making use of that grace in our lives. We're failing in it. God has given us grace, but we're not acting graciously. We're not acting as if we have the grace. So we fail in the grace of God. We come short of it in our lives by not submitting ourselves to the Word of God. Secondly, Christians fail in the grace of God, that is, they become deficient and fall short in it by not persevering in the outward means of grace. What do I mean by not persevering in the outward means of grace?
#61 | 33:37 to 34:56 | cleaned
We fail to pray. We fail to study. We fail to be faithful to the preached word. We fail to do all of those things that God has commanded us to do. We just don't persevere in it. There are some people that will go all week and never even read their Bible, much less study it. Sometimes months. How in the world can we know the will of God and the word of God if we don't read it? How can we know the mind of God and the will of God if we don't commune with him and ask him to teach us and instruct us and show us?
#62 | 34:57 to 35:38 | cleaned
Now, I want you to think about this for a moment. I'm not saying this is necessarily right all the times, but it does have a certain amount of truth in it. I have pastor friends who refuse to do counseling Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. You know why? They say I give you counsel Sunday morning or Sunday night or Wednesday night. If you want the counsel, you need to be there. Well, you know what they're saying?
#63 | 35:41 to 36:22 | cleaned
That is when God is instructing us. And if we fail to persevere in that outward means of grace that is being taught and receiving the counsel of things of God, why in the world are you asking someone to do something that is extra when you won't do what's being taught?
#64 | 36:22 to 36:39 | cleaned
Now, I'm not saying that's my position, but my position is folks need all the help they can get. And I'm willing to talk to anybody anytime about Christ and about the Word and bringing our lives in conformity to it. But I'm just simply saying this, folks, when we fail to persevere in those means that God has ordained, we're coming short of the grace of God. How in the world can we act right if we don't even know what is right? Thirdly, Christians fail of the grace of God by not improving that which God has already bestowed upon them. Now, let me ask you a question, is there anybody in this room who would say, I know all truth? No. But everyone in this room knows some truth.
#65 | 36:40 to 37:40 | cleaned
Every one of you have gifts and you can improve upon those gifts. You stop and think that the gifts that God has given us that are undeveloped, graces that are unused or neglected, faith that is unexercised, light that is unwalked in and unappreciated. And look at all the times we fail to make application of the Word of God to our lives. So when God gives us truth, we are to use it and build upon it and improve upon it. And when God gives us gifts, we are to use them. I'm just simply saying we fail in the grace of God when we do not use that which God has given us. Fourthly, Christians fail in the grace of God by hardening their hearts against the Word of God. Go back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3 and look at verse 15.
#66 | 37:43 to 39:08 | cleaned
After he tells us in verse 12 that we're to take heed, lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, after he tells us in verse 13 that we're to exhort one another daily while it's called a day, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sins.
#67 | 39:08 to 39:25 | cleaned
Now he says in verse 15, "While it is said today, if you will hear his voice," that is, if you will hear God's voice in his word, "harden not your hearts as in the provocation." Now, if I were to ask you, what in the world is he talking about? "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." Well, I hope you will remember when God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt in the desert, how they provoked Him, and how He said, this generation is not going to get into the Promised Land, but their children, whom they said would be victims, they're going to get in, but this generation is not going to get it. They have provoked me.
#68 | 39:26 to 40:19 | cleaned
Now, I want you to listen very carefully. You remember, I told you last week that the Greek word for bitterness was pikros. Pikros meant to be bitter, pungent, sharp, venomous. I want you to listen to the Greek word for provocation. It is parapikrasmos. Did you hear pikras in the middle of it? How did the children of Israel provoke God? Oh, if I had time today, I could go take you back and show you how they were bitter and resentful at God's providence. Do you remember one time they got fed up with the manna? Our soul loatheth this manna. The manna was everything they needed. They said, we want quail, we want meat. God said, you want meat, I'll give you meat. And He sent quail up to their eyeballs.
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And when they started eating them, He slew the fattest of them. He killed them. You know, an interesting verse there in Psalm 78 talking about that. He said He gave them their quests for their stomachs, but He sent leanness into their souls. They hardened themselves against God. They wouldn't listen to God. They wouldn't take His word. They provoked Him. You'll find it in Exodus 17 and Psalm 95 and Psalm 78. The provocation was bitterness. And it was their bitterness and resentment that caused them to harden themselves against God.
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Fifthly, we fail in the grace of God when instead of repenting and turning from our sins, we stubbornly hold on to them and demand our way instead of God's way and our will instead of God's will. None will ever prosper in the faith who disdain repentance and obedience.
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Now, look back in Hebrews chapter 12. We're still in verse 15. He says, "Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God," and I dealt with that phrase. Now he says, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled." So this call to self-examination, this call to look diligently and to closely observe, is to be lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. I hope you can see now that there is a connection between failing in the grace of God and the root of bitterness springing up and troubling you.
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Let me say it like this. He who is bitter and resentful has already failed in the grace of God. Because bitterness and resentfulness are just evidences of failing in the grace of God.
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Now, I want you to pay close attention. Verse 15 to the word root. He said, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you." Now, the Greek word for root is the word rhiza, and it literally means root. It's what it means, root. Why is that word so important? Here's why it's important. Because before there could be a root, there must be a seed. Roots come from seeds. What is the seed that sows the root of bitterness? The seed is a failure on our part to respond and act biblically to our problems. I don't care what our problem is, I don't care if it's financial. I don't care if it's emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, when we fail to respond biblically, we're sowing a seed in which a root of bitterness will arise. Now, I want you to note something else. The Bible says in verse 15, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you." I hope you will observe something else about roots. They're underground. You can't see them. You can't observe them until they spring up or until the plant actually sprouts out.
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Do you realize that Christians oftentimes carry the seed and the root of bitterness in their lives undetected for months and sometimes years? But all of a sudden, there will be a springing up. It will come to light. There will be a growing up, and once it is grown up and sprung forth, it will be there for all to see. There will be a manifestation. For what does the scripture say in Numbers chapter 32 and verse 23? Let me quote it.
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"Be sure your sins will find you out." Be absolutely sure.
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Now, here's the amazing thing about the root of bitterness. When it does spring up, when it does manifest itself, usually it's going to be over something that is extremely trifling or insignificant, some tiny little incident. And those who are observing externally or from the outside say, "How can you get so blown out of shape over some little tiny insignificant thing?" The problem is not the problem. Bitterness and resentment are the problem. The little trifle, the little insignificant incident was just there when the root sprung up. I've known people that just got bent out of shape because the toothpaste was squeezed from the wrong end. Or the toilet tissue was not put on the roll just right. How can people get upset over that? That's not the problem. The problem is the bitterness.
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It was there all along. This small, insignificant trifle just brought it out. It was time for it to spring up. If the bitterness, if the resentment, if the problem initially had been dealt with biblically, the bitterness and the resentment would not be there. You know, the Bible says in Ephesians 4, verse 26, and this is a command, by the way, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." What does that mean?
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It means we're to settle our problems on a daily basis. Husbands and wives should never go to bed mad. Friends should never go to bed mad. I mean, if I've got a problem with Phil, I better call him or I better go see him before the sun sets. Because when we start going to bed angry and upset and with ill will in our hearts, bitterness and resentment are being sown.
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And they will spring up. Bitterness and resentment never, ever solve our problems. They only compound them and make new problems. Yea, they are a problem in and of themselves.
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Now, look back in verse 15. He says, "Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you." Look at the word trouble. That's a very interesting word. The word trouble means, and it's interpreted here from the Greek as trouble, but it also means to excite, to annoy and to disturb, and the word trouble is the same word that is used figuratively for a poisonous plant.
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Thus it represents someone who through bitterness and resentment not only corrupts their own faith and piety, but if you touch them, or if they touch you, it will corrupt you as well. It spreads. It's like poison ivy. It's extremely contagious. It's like a virus. It's communicable. So he said, "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." Now, where does the root of bitterness come from? It comes from the seed that is sown in our lives when we fail to handle our problems in a biblical and scriptural and godly manner.
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Now, I've got the third point, the last point. In verses 16 and 17, the warning given. Look at this warning. "Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright."
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Now let me tell you something about the word lest. It is a primary particle of qualified negation. In the Greek you say, what does that mean to me? Well, let me tell you what it means. This primary particle of negation is oftentimes translated in our Bibles another way. You remember the Apostle Paul said it like this. God forbid. God forbid. That's what that word means. Look at verse 16. God forbid.
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That there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. In simple language, what he's saying is this, God forbid that any of us turn out like Esau. What is God showing us? He's showing us the end, the ultimate end of bitterness and resentment. He says bitter and resentful people are like Esau, who are spiritual fornicators and they're profane in the fact that they live their lives outside of God. Now, look at the word profane. Everyone knows what a fornicator is, but in this context, it's not just physical, it's spiritual, because Esau hated spiritual things. He was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of beans. But look at the word profane.
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Hope you remember that a number of years ago, not more than two, I brought a message entitled Preaching Profanity. And I talked about the word profane, we get our English word profane from the Latin pro fanum. The word fanum means temple and pro means to or toward. So if you were to or toward the temple, what's that mean? You're outside of the temple. So the word profane means someone who is outside the temple. It's someone who is living his life apart from God, outside of God, or without regard to God.
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In other words, I don't care what he says. I don't care what his commands are. I don't care what his law says. I don't care what his instructions are. I do what I want to do. That's a profane person. That was Esau. If you study the life of Esau, you'll find out when those Canaanite wives did not please Isaac and Rebekah, what did Esau do? He went out and married some more just to spite them. He didn't care that God said that they were not to intermarry. He didn't care that their parents didn't want him to do that, or his parents didn't want him to. No, no, he just did it anyhow. He's a profane person. So a profane person is one who lives his life, as if God had never spoken, and if God had nothing to do with him. He was not going to have God to rule over him.
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Bitterness and resentment lead to apostasy, and the ultimate end of bitterness and resentment is despising the things of God. It leads us to hold on to our will, our way, and our sins. And I want you to look at the consequences. Look in verse 17. "For you know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
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Now, without me going back and reading Genesis 25, 26, and 27, you remember how Jacob did deceive his father, pretended to be Esau, and he got the blessing. And like I told you last week, the blessing really went with the birthright. But Jacob knew that Esau was a dishonest person and would not keep his end of the bargain. So he got the blessing. And after Jacob got out of his father's presence, as the Bible says, he had scarce gone out, Esau came in and said, let my father rise and eat of his venison, such is his soul, that he may bless me. And he says, who art thou, my son? He said, I am Esau. He said, well, who is this that has come before you and taken your blessing?
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And when he found out what Jacob had done, Esau cried and said, bless me, even me, oh, my father. And Jacob said, look, I've already made him your Lord. I've already given him all the blessings of the field and the dew of heaven, and I can't change it. It's unchangeable. It was God's providence. It was God's will. I pointed out before how God had already told Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob will be the ruler. Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. God chose Jacob and not Esau. It didn't matter to Isaac at that particular time. Isaac was going to bless him just to eat of his venison. But he said, look, God's brought this to pass. I can't change it. Nothing you can do, Esau, will change it. And Esau wept before his father. He said, bless me, even me, oh my father. And Jacob gave him some kind of very bland blessing. But he could not undo what had been done. Listen carefully. I want you to pause for a moment and think of all the blessings.
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That we as children of God lose because of our sins. There is no way to undo a wasted life. There is no way to undo a wasted day. Or a wasted week or wasted month or wasted year. All of us have the same amount of time, some will throw it away and waste it. We'll waste it by not obeying God and not bringing our lives in conformity to the Word of God. I can assure you that everyone that is in this room today would say about something in their life, would to God I could do it over again. Or would to God I hadn't done it. But it's done.
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Nothing you can do about it. It's gone. It's over. You remember that little couplet? Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. Alice and I had a dear friend, and I've mentioned him before. He and his wife are now dead. We called him Papa Mars. We weren't related, but he played that saxophone and he can play it beautifully. And he would come over and spend a week, sometimes two weeks with us.
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And I almost starved to death when he came. Because he would have Alice at the piano and all they would do is play the saxophone and the piano. But I never will forget Papa Marsh's favorite song. And he played that song beautifully on that saxophone. Wasted years. Wasted years. Oh, how foolish. Because Papa was in his fifties when God saved him. And before that, he was a drunkard. And all he could think of was all the years of his life that he had thrown away and wasted. And it was wicked and foolish and wrong.
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But you can't undo it. And the whole point is this, and this is what God is making. If we don't repent and if we don't deal with our bitterness and our resentment and our bad attitudes, we'll turn out with a wasted life. We'll miss God's best and God's blessings in our lives. We have to learn to deal with sin and to deal with our attitudes and our dispositions. I can't change Doc, but I can change me. I can't change Roy, but I can change me. And if Roy never does what's right, I have to do what's right. And if I never do what's right, Roy still has to do what's right. Bitterness and resentment, ill will, hatred, hard feelings, leads to nothing but wasted lives.
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You know, he said, he was supposed to get the blessing. But he didn't because of his sin and his wickedness. Don't let that be the story of your life. You deal with your sins and your bitterness and your resentment. And once you deal with them, you diligently observe and watch closely that they don't come back into your life. Make sure that the seed is not sown. And if the seed is never sown, a root will never spring up. Let's pray.
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Father, we do ask you in the name of Jesus Christ that you help us. It is true, Lord, that most of us, most of us, probably, Lord, every one of us have the same problem in our lives because we're sinners, Lord. We allow bitterness and anger and ill will and resentment to build up. And it just destroys ourselves and harms others too. Lord, give us grace to repent. Give us grace to respond biblically and scripturally. And to do what's right under every circumstance and to wait upon thee to work it out for our good and for your glory. Give us grace that we may serve thee acceptably with the reverence and godly fear. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
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The Sin of Bitterness - Part 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver continues his study on bitterness and resentment from Hebrews 12:12-17, connecting it to the preceding passage on chastening. He explains that bitterness arises when believers fail to respond biblically to trials, leading to spiritual fainting and potential apostasy. The sermon emphasizes self-examination, the duty to avoid bitterness, and the warning from Esau's example of a wasted life.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:12-17

"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed."

Review of Part 1

Connection Between Chastening and Bitterness

Weaver links Hebrews 12:12-17 to the preceding verses on chastening, showing that fainting under God's discipline can lead to bitterness and apostasy.

Exhortation to Strengthen and Make Straight Paths

Believers are commanded to lift up drooping hands and strengthen feeble knees, restoring proper spiritual posture, and to make straight paths to avoid being turned out of the way.

Pursuing Peace and Holiness

Weaver explains that following peace with all men and holiness is essential, doing right even when others do wrong, and that separation should be on the other person's part if possible.

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:18

"If it be possible, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

The Duty of Self-Examination

Verse 15 calls for diligent self-examination to guard against failing in the grace of God and allowing a root of bitterness to spring up.

I hope you understand that there is a direct command for that in the Bible. In 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5, the Apostle Paul says this,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 13:5

"Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates."

He said, unless you are a reprobate, you ought to be able to examine yourself and prove yourself in light of Scripture.

Ways Christians Fail in the Grace of God

The Root of Bitterness

Bitterness begins as a seed from unbiblical responses to problems, grows underground undetected, and eventually springs up, often over trivial matters, defiling many.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:26

"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."

And they will spring up. Bitterness and resentment never, ever solve our problems. They only compound them and make new problems. Yea, they are a problem in and of themselves.

Warning from Esau's Example

Esau is presented as a profane person who despised spiritual things, and his bitterness led to a wasted life; believers are warned not to follow his pattern.

The Sin of Bitterness - Part 2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3707175844
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Romans 8:28-39
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-02-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 161: The Sin of Bitterness — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	96

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of Part 1: Weaver reviews five introductory truths about bitterness: it describes the unconverted, attacks God's providence, causes individual and corporate problems, is incompatible with worship, and makes being right with God impossible.
Connection Between Chastening and Bitterness: Weaver links Hebrews 12:12-17 to the preceding verses on chastening, showing that fainting under God's discipline can lead to bitterness and apostasy.
Exhortation to Strengthen and Make Straight Paths: Believers are commanded to lift up drooping hands and strengthen feeble knees, restoring proper spiritual posture, and to make straight paths to avoid being turned out of the way.
Pursuing Peace and Holiness: Weaver explains that following peace with all men and holiness is essential, doing right even when others do wrong, and that separation should be on the other person's part if possible.
The Duty of Self-Examination: Verse 15 calls for diligent self-examination to guard against failing in the grace of God and allowing a root of bitterness to spring up.
Ways Christians Fail in the Grace of God: Weaver details five ways believers become deficient in grace: failing to submit to God's Word, not persevering in means of grace, not improving bestowed gifts, hardening hearts, and refusing repentance.
The Root of Bitterness: Bitterness begins as a seed from unbiblical responses to problems, grows underground undetected, and eventually springs up, often over trivial matters, defiling many.
Warning from Esau's Example: Esau is presented as a profane person who despised spiritual things, and his bitterness led to a wasted life; believers are warned not to follow his pattern.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Bitterness is an attack on God's providence

Resentment ultimately reflects anger at God's sovereign dealings, as seen in Esau's anger at Jacob.

Weaver states that bitterness is 'an attack upon God and His providential dealings' and that Esau was really angry at God.

Fainting under chastening leads to apostasy

When believers faint under trials, they become unable to discharge duties, leading to neglect and potential denial of the faith.

Weaver uses his fainting experience to illustrate how fainting renders one unable to obey commands, paralleling spiritual fainting.

Bitterness stems from unbiblical responses to problems

The root of bitterness grows from a seed sown when problems are not handled scripturally.

Weaver says, 'The seed is a failure on our part to respond and act biblically to our problems.'

Bitterness often manifests over trivial matters

When bitterness springs up, it is often triggered by insignificant incidents, revealing a deeper issue.

Weaver gives examples like toothpaste squeezed from the wrong end, stating 'The problem is not the problem. Bitterness and resentment are the problem.'

Unrepented bitterness leads to a wasted life

Like Esau, those who hold onto bitterness miss God's blessings and cannot undo the damage.

Weaver says, 'There is no way to undo a wasted life' and references the song 'Wasted Years.'

Scripture References

Hebrews 12:12-17: Primary text of the sermon, read at the beginning and expounded throughout.
Acts 8:23: Peter tells Simon the sorcerer he is in the gall of bitterness, showing bitterness describes the unconverted.
Hebrews 12:4-11: Preceding passage on chastening, read to show the connection to bitterness.
Isaiah 35:3-6: Quoted to show that 'weak hands and feeble knees' refer to the heart and spirit.
Romans 12:18: Cited to support following peace with all men as much as possible.
2 Corinthians 13:5: Used to emphasize the call to self-examination.
Jeremiah 17:9: Mentioned to show the heart is deceitful, necessitating close examination.
Hebrews 3:12-13: Warns against an evil heart of unbelief and exhorts daily to avoid hardening through sin.
Hebrews 3:15: Quoted to show hardening hearts as in the provocation, linked to bitterness.
Numbers 32:23: Quoted to affirm that sin will be found out.
Ephesians 4:26: Command not to let the sun go down on wrath, applied to daily resolution of problems.
Genesis 25, 26, 27: Referenced as the account of Esau selling his birthright and losing the blessing.
Romans 9:13: Alluded to in 'Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated' to show God's sovereign choice.

Historical References

Esau: Used as the primary example of a profane person who despised his birthright and became bitter.
Simon the Sorcerer: Mentioned as an unconverted person described as being in the gall of bitterness (Acts 8).
Children of Israel in the wilderness: Their provocation and bitterness against God's provision (manna) is cited as an example of hardening hearts.

Important Quotes

Bitterness and resentment are in reality an attack upon God and His providential dealings.

Summarizes the theological core that bitterness is ultimately against God, not just people.

The seed is a failure on our part to respond and act biblically to our problems.

Identifies the root cause of bitterness as unbiblical responses to trials.

The problem is not the problem. Bitterness and resentment are the problem.

Highlights that trivial triggers only reveal a pre-existing heart condition.

There is no way to undo a wasted life.

Emphasizes the irreversible consequences of unrepented sin and bitterness.

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.

The key verse of the sermon, calling for vigilant self-examination.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does fainting under God's chastening lead to bitterness and potential apostasy?

[Context]

Weaver explains that fainting renders us unable to obey, leading to neglect and eventual denial of faith.

[Question]

What are practical ways we can 'look diligently' to prevent bitterness in our hearts?

[Context]

The sermon calls for self-examination and close watching over our spirits.

[Question]

In what ways do Christians today fail in the grace of God, and how can we avoid these pitfalls?

[Context]

Weaver lists five ways, including neglecting Scripture and hardening hearts.

[Question]

Why does bitterness often manifest over trivial matters, and how can we address the root cause?

[Context]

Weaver notes that small incidents trigger deep-seated bitterness.

[Question]

How does Esau's example serve as a warning for believers today regarding bitterness and wasted lives?

[Context]

Esau's profane attitude and loss of blessing illustrate the consequences of unrepented sin.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:58:41Z