Lesson 25 Warring Against the Flesh - Overcoming Bitterness
Questions 1 and 2
Evaluating Your Battle Plan
Greetings friend, welcome back, so glad to be here with you today! As we are talking about warring against our flesh, it’s a good time to stop and evaluate your battle plan. Over the years, I’ve adjusted my plan as needed based on whether I was walking by the Spirit or gratifying the lusts of my flesh. There’s no shame, only wisdom in making adjustments along the way; they will always be needed.
Question 1. How are things going now? Are you walking by the Spirit or in the flesh? Is there anything about your plan that needs to change? If so, what will you change?
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Consider the Leaves
As we begin our study, let's take a moment to consider the leaves of trees and plants as an illustration of our subject today. Think of all the different kinds of leaves—beautiful oak, maple, cypress, etc. Did you know that God didn't make leaves just for beauty, but also to perform a wonderful function in the health of our environment?
God designed leaves to drink in poison from the air. It’s true. Leaves consume gases that are poisonous to us: Carbon dioxide, Acidic Sulfur Dioxide, and various other noxious compounds. And what do you think leaves do with the poisons? Leaves transform the bitter poison into life-sustaining oxygen by the process of photosynthesis. They remove poisonous substances and leave oxygen for us. It is quite miraculous!
When I was in bondage to substances and impurity I was a bitter person. I had noxious compounds within my heart: seething anger that boiled up deep within me which sometimes expressed itself in uncontrollable rage as I would lash out at those around me including those I loved.
THE EXAMPLE OF ESAU
Maybe you’ve never had uncontrollable rage, but impurity of any kind (moral impurity, substance impurity, etc.) always fosters bitterness in our hearts. We can see how the two are connected together in the person of Esau:
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
Hebrews 12:15-16 NIV
Here, we see that bitterness, immorality, and godlessness are all lumped together in an unholy trinity.
Question 2. According to Hebrews 12:15 NIV, what does bitterness do in our lives?
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