ROOTS OF BITTERNESS
It is a great thing to get saved; -- it
is much greater to keep saved. Many lose communion with God by compromising
with sin -- many more by losing their love and becoming harsh and uncharitable.
In the same breath in which we are commanded to "follow holiness without which
no man shall see the Lord" we are charged to look
"diligently, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble
you, and thereby many be defiled." -- Heb.
12:15.
These "roots of bitterness" are troublesome
things. What trouble they make in the Conference, and in the Church,
especially if there is a strong, leading spirit nourished by the root. There
is almost no end to the mischief it can make. It brings in a spirit of
division, it instigates to church trials, it stirs up a hasty spirit it breaks
up societies and ruins souls. As alcohol, the bane of our race, is extracted
from grain from which the bread of our race is made, so this "root of
bitterness" is a perversion of holiness without which no one can be saved. To
discern it one must look diligently. Much that passes for the fruit of
holiness grows upon this root of bitterness. It produces many sermons, and
exhortations, and articles for the papers which claim to be inspired by the
Holy Spirit. From knowing that what goes into a building is suitable for food
you cannot decide that what comes out is good to nourish human beings. The
grain may come out flour for bread; or it may come out liquid hell-fire. It
depends upon whether there is a mill or a still inside. So what one gets out
of a text depends upon what there is in the heart. If there is love, the
severest words will be seasoned with tenderness. They may be sharper than a
two-edged sword; but, to the honest soul that is wounded, there comes the oil
of joy for mourning.
But if, instead of love within there is the root
of bitterness the words will drive rather than draw; the arrow may be well
aimed; but it will leave a poisoned wound which refuses to be healed. Those
who come under the influence of this root of bitterness become less kind, less
amiable, than they were before they professed holiness. Those who live in love
may stir up enmity, but their enemies are drawn to them in spite of
themselves.
It is not enough that we are zealous, and our
zeal is successful in making converts. What is the character of our converts?
Are they filled with that love of God which leads them to keep His
commandments?
"For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments: and
his commandments are not grievous." -- 1 John 5:3.
Or, on the contrary, are they conformed to this world? If not, if they are
simple and plain, are they bitter in their spirit and denunciatory in their
tone?
Christ said of the Pharisees,
"Ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is
made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves." -- Matt.
23:15.
We must see to it that we are not of that sort, and that our converts are not
of that sort. Zeal and success in making converts and in getting them into the
church are not evidence that those who have the zeal and meet with the success
are children of God. Both those who lead and those who follow may be blind.
The church and the world greatly need those who can and will do true work for
God. Many who seem willing to do it are not in a spiritual condition to do it.
They are either too complaisant or too bitter. Their converts are either
baptized worldlings or self-complacent
bigots.
Who will have true charity and will do faithful
work for God?