Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled Hebrews 12:14–15
I’ve been convicted recently that I had let a root of bitterness spring up in my heart. Something I thought I had forgiven and put away was coming up when I was deeply hurt by the same person again. I came to realize that I had never forgiven the past hurt, so it was coloring the current hurt. I asked for forgiveness for my unforgiveness, and I was hurt yet again.
Like a lot of believers, I knew the verse about the “root of bitterness”, but I didn’t really know the context of this verse. I was led to look it up and consider the context. Now, maybe you knew the context, but I was further convicted when I looked it up.
The author of Hebrews instructs us to “strive for peace with everyone”. I was shaken when I read this, as my root of bitterness was revealed because there was a lack of peace with one person. How do I strive for peace? My effort to reach out resulted in more hurt, and all I wanted to do was lash out. How do I live at peace with this person? My first thought was that the only way we can have peace is not to interact. Is that right? Anxiety built up as I considered how to avoid this person. We have mutual friends. We will have to interact at some point. So, what does the Word mean by “strive for peace with everyone”? What was I to do to make peace? What boxes did I need to check? How do I make that happen?
Is peace dependent on me? I was failing, and I would continue to fail. How can I call myself a Christian if I can’t live at peace with everyone? Am I even saved? How could I let my Savior down so badly?
Then I kept reading. Not only am I to strive for peace, but also for holiness. What’s worse, without holiness I will not see the Lord. The current disagreement with this fellow believer is over holiness. Maybe she’s right. I’m not holy. I don’t do enough to strive for holiness. I will not see the Lord. Maybe I’m really not saved. Or, there’s a chance I am saved, but there’s no way God would use me in Gospel ministry.
How to I achieve holiness? I’m failing at this, too. God commands holiness from the earliest days of His people (Leviticus 11:45, 19:2, 20:26; Deuteronomy 23:14), and then the Apostle Peter quotes that command to believers in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:15-16). Can I be one of God’s people and not be holy? Am I saved if I’m not holy? Does He even want me if I’m such a failure?
Are peace and holiness dependent on me? If they are, we will never have peace nor holiness. I can say that confidently. I will fail.
So, are God’s commands and plans foiled by me? Is God having to come up with another plan because I have failed? Is God wringing His hands? Is He unable to redeem people who are not perfectly holy? If I were to answer yes to any of these questions, then God is not God. But we know He is sovereign.
The author of Hebrews could not mean to say that peace and holiness are dependent on me. In fact, he says that salvation is not dependent on my works.
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14
It is by the work of Christ that believers are perfected. In the words of Paul, believers are justified at the time of belief, sanctified over our lifetimes, and gloried as we are reunited with Christ in eternity. (Romans 8:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:7) This is all by God’s grace. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
If salvation is not dependent on my works, then peace and holiness cannot be dependent on my works either. This has to be striving in Christ for peace and holiness. We lean into Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit within us to achieve peace and holiness. Our goal should be that no believer loses sight of the grace of God. It is bitterness growing up among believers that can lead people astray. (Hebrews 12:15)
So, what does this mean for the situation that brought me to Hebrews 12? I was convicted of a root of bitterness. The Lord doesn’t want us to let any root of bitterness grow. That root deprives others of God’s grace and defiles them. If I want the peace and holiness of God, I need to trust Him. He convicted me. He led me to deal with it. As I deal with my own heart, I live in His grace. His grace grows our peace and holiness. Is it my place to deal with the additional hurt? No, that’s for God to deal with. I need to extend grace like the grace God extends to me. I need to check my heart for bitterness on a regular basis. This is how I strive for peace and holiness. I need to do business with the Lord. I need to trust Him.
Am I in Christ? Do I trust Him? Has He justified me? Do I believe that He will sanctify me and others? Do I desire to exhibit the holiness of Christ in my own life? Then I need time alone with Jesus. More time with Him means more transformation in my life. After spending time with Him, I will have peace with others. My relationships will not be about how good I am, they will be about becoming more and more like my Savior. As I become more like Him, I will necessarily be more holy. One day I look forward to being completely holy with Him in eternity, where these petty human problems will no longer matter.
So, if you’ll excuse me, I need to spend some time becoming peaceful and holy, alone…with Jesus.