"Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears." (Heb:12:12-17 [12] Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, [13] and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be [dislocated,] but rather be healed. [14] Pursue peace with all [people,] and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: [15] looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; [16] lest there [be] any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. [17] For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. )

One of the most crucial things we must guard our hearts against is any idea or supposition that suggests we separate peace with people from holiness toward God.  We must never be willing to compromise clear scriptural principles, justifying the compromise in the name of ‘grace’ for the sake of maintaining a relationship that’s based upon something other than Jesus Christ.

Just as Peace can not be separated from Holiness, neither can Grace be separated from Truth. Walking together (Amos:3:3Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?) must be done while in agreement with God; and in the light (1 Jn:1:7).

The ‘root of bitterness’ phrase is actually taken from Deut 29:18, “…so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood.” From this verse we see that the root itself is not bitterness but rather bears the fruit of bitterness. And the bitterness it bears is something poisonous. This bitter fruit may be festering anger, or it may be something else. The point seems to be that it is deadly.

The key question is, What is this root that causes deadly, bitter fruit to sprout in the church? The next verse in Deuteronomy 29 gives the surprising answer, but it fits perfectly with the book of Hebrews. Verse 18 ends: “…lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.” Then verse 19 begins by defining this root: “…one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This would lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.”

What then is the root that brings forth the bitter fruit? It is a person who holds a faulty view salvation, and thinks that there are no consequences to stubbornness or that God will allow sinful behavior to go un-chastened. Remember? The first several verses of Hebrews 12 deal with the principle of God’s child-training process.

Hebrews 12 therefore teaches us that the poisonous fruit of bitterness springs from a root of ignoring teaching, correction, rebuke or scourging.  We mustn’t try to separate peace from holiness or fail the family of God by ignoring sin.