The Blood and the Unleavened Bread, part 4

The old life is to be abandoned. Once Paul discovered leaven/sin in the camp he said that it had to be purged out. 
 

Consider this: The putting on of the Blood, = Justification; The putting on of the Blood is Jesus’ work for us:

• Only Jesus can justify us. When we spiritually apply His blood to our lives – we gain justification.
• The putting out of the leaven = Sanctification
• The putting out of the leaven is the Spirit’s work in us. 
  
  

So, the unleavened bread relates to sanctification and the work of the Spirit in us. That begins to raise the issue of holiness.

Now observe: There is no command to put out the leaven before putting on the Blood. The heart must turn from all sin in the act of appropriating Christ, but we are not to attempt to cleanse the House of leaven before it is presented to God for the Blood. You don’t clean the fish before you catch it, yet that is how we Christians often treat those who don’t know Jesus. First, the blood is spiritually applied, then the leaven is addressed. We so often hope it would be the other way around, that way we could justify our disgust with those who don’t know God. 

Isn’t it interesting how upset we get with sinners who do not act like Christians? The problem being addressed in this verse is not sinners acting like sinners (because, honestly, that’s what they do), the problem is Christians acting like sinners. That’s why Paul is so surprised at what he found in the church. He said, “You are allowing yourself a freedom that even sinners don’t.” He ends his thoughts in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, with these words, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside.” We have every right to judge those who call themselves Christians based on how the Bible instructs us to live, but leave the judging of those who don’t know Jesus to God. 

Fortunately for us the completed work of Justification immediately introduces the complementary work of Sanctification. In other words, as soon as we get saved, by surrendering our lives to Jesus, we are to turn from any willful sin in our lives. But the greater point I want to make is this; only after the Blood is applied to our lives, do we have the power to put out the leaven, or refuse to continue to sin. 

That’s what Paul means when he said, “Work out your own salvation…”  “…put the leaven out,” (emphasis added) “…with fear and trembling; for it is God which works in you” (Philippians 2:12). What he is saying is that once the blood is applied, the Holy Spirit is now in the House, and because of that, there is to be no more leaven in your life. It seems like an impossible task - and for us humans, it is! But the good news is, it is God who strengthens us to live above sin.   

Continued tomorrow