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REFLECTION

Clear out the old yeast is the theme for our reflection. Yeast is used in the baking industry to increase the size of the bread. In other words, leavened bread contains yeast which is a raising agent. Paul creatively uses imagery from the baking industry to convey the Gospel or the truth about the infectious nature of sin and its negative impact on the moral and spiritual life of Christians. Paul compares yeast to sin and its impact on the life of a believer. Just as yeast causes the unleavened dough to rise or bloat, similarly sin (yeast) causes the believer (unleavened bread or dough) to become bloated with pride, wickedness and immorality which are elements of sin (the yeast). The work of Salvation Jesus did in our lives is to cure, purge or remove the yeast from our lives so that we shall be transformed into a yeast-free or unleavened bread. Unleavened bread or dough is synonymous with a righteous and undefiled spiritual and moral life. Paul admonished the Corinthian Christians to part way with the sin of immorality and unrepentant people in the Church for sin is like yeast that defiles the body of Christ. Paul wrote that “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you…Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven(yeast) leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. (1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 6-7)

Dear friend in the Lord, apart from sexual immorality, any other sin is also a type of yeast that can defile our spiritual and moral lives. We must not allow sin to cause us to bloat with pride and ignorance such that we become blind to the salvation of Christ and the judgement of God. It is sad how some of us boast about sexual immorality, it is not uncommon to find on social media young men and women who have been so infected and bloated with the yeast of sin that they find no shame in being naked on social media engaged in abominable and forbidden acts. Some engage in fornication and adultery with impunity in our societies. Again, it is unfortunate to note that because some churches are focused on the quantity of membership over the quality of spirituality and morality, leaders of some churches turn a blind eye or condone immorality in the Church for the fear of losing membership when the appropriate Biblical sanctions are applied. Some preachers and pastors hardly preach about immorality but stress on prosperity and prophetic declarations when it is obvious our youth are practically going naked on the street and some even come to church with their cleavages exposed. In some Churches, sexual immorality is found among leaders and congregants therefore the hitherto unleavened church of Christ is now bloated with the yeast of immorality. The preacher who preaches against sin and wickedness being committed in the church and society is either removed from the preaching roster or met with hostility and accusations of being verbally abusive with the pulpit. We live in a generation where the yeast of sin has bloated the Church and society so much that a revival is needed. We need a revival to clear out the old yeast and render us unleavened and acceptable to God. We must return to our first love, Jesus Christ, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven(yeast), the leaven(yeast) of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) Shalom

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to remain unleavened and may we never again be infected and bloated by the yeast of sin. Enable us to reach out to those who have been bloated by the yeast of sin so that through the power of the Gospel they will repent by clearing out the old yeast of sin and become part of the unleavened, undefiled and righteous body of Christ. Amen.