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"Repent therefore of this thy
wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine
heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art
in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." -
Acts 8:22-23 Bitterness according to the Websters 1828
dictionary is "In a figurative sense, extreme enmity,
grudge, hatred; or rather an excessive degree or
implacableness of passions and emotions; as the bitterness
of anger. Inthe gall of bitterness, in a state of extreme
impiety or enmity to God. Acts. 8.Root of bitterness,
a dangerous error, or schism, tending to draw persons
to apostasy. Heb.12."Bitterness starts when a person feels that they have
been wronged and they are not willing to forgive even if the
person that has supposedly wronged them has tried to make
things right. In the book of Philemon, Paul asks Philemon to
forgive and accept Onesimus once again, because he has
repented and has been born-again. No doubt, Philemon was
bitter because of the wrong that Onesimus had done to him,
or that he felt he had done to him. Look at Philemon 18,
Paul says, "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought,
put that on mine account" It is almost as if
Paul doubts whether Philemon has really been wronged and is
posing that question to Philemon himself to consider. We are
the same way, often we
think we have been wronged; because of pride or selfishness
we take offense to something that we had no right to take
offense to and
then we let it grown into bitterness toward that person or
even toward God Himself. Bitterness will be a problem. Look
at Ephesians 4:30-32,
"Ephesians 4:30 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."
Bitterness, as well as these other sins will grieve the Holy
Spirit; it is no wonder
that the Spirit of the Lord cannot get more done, it is
because we grieve Him so much with the bitterness in our
hearts. Secondly, bitterness will
trouble you. Look at Hebrews 4:14-16 which says, "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." Bitterness will
trouble and defile you and
others around you, plus, it leads to fornication and being
profane. And thirdly, if we regard bitterness in our hearts
then we are in the same
class as the ungodly. Look at Romans 3:13-18, "Their throat
is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used
deceit; the poison of asps
is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and
bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction
and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear
of God before their eyes." Bitterness is killing our
churches, our marriages, and our
homes; get it out before it kills you. God bless you until
next time.
Sis. Tanya
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