The Blood and the Unleavened Bread, part 5
Live as the forgiven person you are!
God does not say that the presence of leaven/sin in the House proves that there is no Blood on the door: quite the contrary, the constant peril of known or discoverable, but un-expelled sin, is assumed in every house. All of us live with a certain fear of the judgment seat of Christ because we all know that there either has been, or is, an element of sin in our lives. Yet the blood has been applied to our souls. Did you catch what
1 Corinthians 5:7
said when we read it earlier? “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are.”
When I read,
“as you really are,” I was stirred in my spirit. What this verse is saying is this: once the blood is applied, you are viewed as forgiven and without sin from God’s perspective, even if you still struggle with temptations and weaknesses. When the death angel passed over a house, it wasn’t because everyone in that house was perfect. He passed over because the blood [of Christ] is the acceptable sacrifice for our sins. So this verse is basically saying that, now that you are a Christian, live as God really sees you. Live without willful sin.
We are about to take time to share in the Lord’s Table. If you are able, I ask that you find some grape juice and a cracker (wherever you are, at whatever time you are reading this) as we partake of the elements of communion.
1 Corinthians 11:27-28 “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”
Do you know what it means to be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord? In the context of the Corinthian believers, it was a matter of not discriminating between the bread, which they were using for the Passover meal and the common ordinary food, which was filled with leaven. Eating in an unworthy manner is that of taking communion while you are content with leaven in your life.
A person does not have to be living a perfect life before they can participate in communion, but they do need to understand that there is a great difference between working at living a more righteous life and the person who is apathetic about the leaven in their life. Work at your salvation. Strive to live as the forgiven person you are.
Let’s read
1 Corinthians 11:23-24, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Now, pause and pray a prayer of thanks for the bread then eat.
VS 25-26, “In the same way, after supper Jesus took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink tis cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” Now, pause and pray a prayer of thanks for the cup – then drink.
Let’s pray one more time: Lord, thank You for this provision, this covering, for my sin. Help me to apply Your blood to my life. Help me to live a life pleasing to You. May I bring honor to You in how I live my life. Amen.
