“Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Examining Our Hearts
During the Passover feast, God commanded His people to remove all leaven from their homes.
Yeast causes bread to rise, picturing how sin swells up and permeates our lives.
This yearly ritual reminded Israelites to examine their hearts and take sin seriously.
As believers in Jesus, we also must regularly inspect our lives and root out “old leaven” – attitudes and behaviors that displease God.
Christ’s sacrifice frees us from sin’s power, making us new creations. However, we still struggle with remnants of our old nature that lead us astray if left unchecked.
Pride, greed, lust, bitterness, and selfishness can puff us up like yeast if not confronted and confessed.
Getting rid of sinful leaven requires brutal honesty. We must ask God to reveal blind spots and things sabotaging our spiritual growth.
While painful, facing the truth positions our hearts to be purified and transformed by the Holy Spirit’s cleansing fire.
Removing sin restores the sweet fellowship with Jesus that yeast corrodes.
Crumbs of Compromise
It only takes a small amount of yeast to leaven an entire lump of dough. Similarly, “little” sins or compromises spread and damage our whole lives if tolerated.
Believers often excuse gossip, white lies, inappropriate media, anger, or addictions as harmless. But these behaviors grieving the Spirit, have profound consequences if left unchecked.
Rationalizing and downplaying sins gives the enemy footholds. As issues accumulate over time, we become desensitized until flagrant wickedness seems normal.
Yeast is insidious and penetrating. The only solution is to sincerely confess specific sins and turn away from them.
We must remove even small bits of leaven to remain unleavened bread.
Living holy requires vigilance. Regularly evaluating our lives identifies areas needing God’s cleansing fire.
Even after cleansing, we must guard our hearts since sin crouches at the door.
Staying unleavened means promptly repenting when we stumble. God uses our trials to reveal and refine away sinful impurities.
Becoming New
Christ sacrificed Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb to free us from sin and death.
Now saved by grace, we have a new unleavened identity in Him. Our old selves died on the cross so that we might live free in the Spirit.
However, living into our new natures requires intentionally removing the old leaven of wickedness.
As we increasingly yield control to the Spirit, He empowers us to reject temptations and walk in holiness.
Staying unleavened is only possible through relying on Christ’s strength. Our part is submitting our wills completely to Him.
God is pleased when we actively participate in the process of sanctification. Regular self-examination and repentance keep our lives pure and unleavened for Jesus’ glory.
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