Daily Bread

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

A New Unleavened Batch

Date: Aug. 20, 2015

Passage

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church

5:1 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. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 5:7

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

First, expel the immoral brother (1-5). In the church at Corinth there was a person who was sinning openly. Paul was harsh in his response, and rebuked the Corinthian Christians for tolerating sin in their midst. They should rather expel such blatant immorality from the presence of their fellowship. God hates sin. To compromise with such open sinfulness is the invitation for the yeast of sin to come in, spread and corrupt. It is the destruction of the body of Christ.

Second, Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed (6-13). The Christians in Corinth boasted about their fellowship and their spiritual gifts. But such boasting is not good unless it is accompanied by the recognition and worship of Christ, who died on the cross. Christ's death makes the believer a new creation. They denied the power of Christ when they tolerated sin among them. They denied the reality of what his sacrifice created them to be: a new unleavened batch. Paul's judgment was clear. They should expel the immoral brother and invite Christ, the Passover Lamb. His sacrifice has made us new.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to be clear with sin. Bless our fellowship to be new in Christ.

One Word: Get rid of the old yeast

God is Our Deliverer

Psalm 78:40-72

Key Verse: 78:65

Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.

Today's Question

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