Ephesians 4:30-32, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Life is often unfair because the devil does not fight according to anyone’s rules. The devil often works through selfish people and difficult circumstances to challenge us to accept bitterness. But God has never told us to take vengeance on the people or circumstances that hurt us. When we allow the injustices of life to make us bitter we lower ourselves to the level of our circumstances and the people who hurt us.
Bitterness is a choice because we are told we can put it away. Bitterness is a wrong choice when we choose unforgiveness over love. Bitterness is often from a refusal to release or forgive. Bitterness is retaining in your spirit the debt a person owes you.
Bitterness can be a root that causes other things to surface (Hebrews 12:14-15). Bitter roots produce things that show up (James 3:11-14). It is allowing the seeds of an offense to germinate and grow roots in you. Those roots will produce bad fruit in words, thoughts, and actions.
There are various causes of bitterness:
1. Jacob was bitter at witnessing the blessing of another (Genesis 27:34).
2. Hannah was bitter due to barrenness (1 Samuel 1:10).
3. The challenges of raising children can cause bitterness (Proverbs 17:25).
4. The challenges of marriage can cause bitterness (Colossians 3:19).
5. Witnessing the prosperity of the wicked can lead to bitterness (Psalm 37).
6. Bitterness can come from a wrong response to adversity (James 1:2), disappointments
(Hebrews 12:1-3), the Lord’s correction (Hebrews 12:5), and offense (James 3:11-14).
7. Bitterness can come from hard bondage, heavy burdens, and the hardships of life (Exodus
1:14).
We are told in Ephesians 4:31 to let all bitterness be put away from us so it must be possible. It is possible when we are empowered by God’s provisions.
GOD’S PROVISIONS TO PUT AWAY BITTERNESS
1. The defeat of bitterness comes from GOD’S LOVE for us. The supernatural burden of bitterness can only be supernaturally lifted by God.
Isaiah 38:17, “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”
God’s love for us will deliver us from the pit of bitterness. When He tells us to let go of bitterness and forgive – it is really His love for us, not just the other party. He wants to deliver us. In order to walk free from bitterness, recognize that bitterness is a sin that has been forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus. Once confessed, the Lord will throw it behind you.
2. There is power from CALVARY’S TREE (the Cross) to heal us from every bitter experience.
Exodus 15:25, “And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, which when He had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them.”
When they came to the bitter waters, God’s answer was a tree to make the bitter waters sweet. The tree did not help the bitterness it healed it. The same cross that saved us is the same cross that triumphed over the devil. God has an answer for every bitter thing. Calvary’s tree was a bitter experience. The bitter herbs that were eaten at the Passover feast with the Lamb symbolized the bitter suffering of the cross. Remember He did it in our place. What He substituted for us, we do not have to suffer.
3. There is GRACE (Heaven’s help, strength, and enabling power) at the moment you face an opportunity to get bitter.
Hebrews 12:15, “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.”
You can choose to let all bitterness go and be put away from you. Grace will not fail you; you can only fail it. Just as bitterness is a decision so is forgiveness. There is grace to help in life’s bitter moments. By grace you can get better and not bitter.
Learn from Jesus Himself when Judas betrayed Him Mark 14:43-50. He did not get bitter. Bitterness is more devastating than betrayal. Betrayal is external. Bitterness is internal. Betrayal is something that others do to you. Bitterness is something you do to yourself. Thousands survive betrayals. Very few can survive the poison of bitterness. Remember that God’s love, Calvary’s tree, and the Grace of God will defeat bitterness.
Pastor John Rasicci is the founder and Pastor of Word of His Grace Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where we are building people who are building the Church. Pastor's ministry mission is to help people discover God's dream for their Life, the Local Church, and the Last Days' Harvest. With a strong emphasis on the grace of God and with a prophetic voice, Pastor John preaches and teaches in churches, conferences, and crusades both locally and throughout the world. He has produced books, tapes, and other teaching materials to empower, enable, and equip Believers with the Word of God. Pastor John is married to his wife Candy who with their three children, Krista, Joanna, John Anthony, and two son-in-laws, Matt and Doug, serve together in the ministry. After graduating from Kent State University, Pastor John pursued a career in professional baseball before accepting the call to the ministry. He and his wife, Candy, received their ministry training from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
John Rasicci 
Leave a comment