Christ, the Passover Lamb

1 Cor. 5:7-8

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. 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.

 

Leaven or fermented dough [of which a little is saved and added to the next week's dough] should be cleansed from the life. Once Jesus saved me, He has made me over anew. It is not reformation where I  would be learning to live with the dough by not allowing it to control my life or exercise its destructive power. Christ did not come to bring reformation. He came to bring transformation. He has transferred me from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of the beloved Son. In this kingdom there is no leaven! He has defeated sin and death and removed my bondage to sin and death.

 

Positionally all this is true. I am covered completely by the blood of Christ so that when God looks at me He sees the righteousness of Christ. However, until He calls me home to receive my glorified body, I am in a battle. Even though my bondage to sin has been removed, I can still fall prey to it. I can still harbor leaven, and it can defeat me spiritually. Paul says clearly that I should cleanse myself constantly because Christ the Lamb sacrificed Himself that I might be free. If I harbor sin [leaven], I am discounting the sacrifice of the Lamb. It would be the most ungrateful attitude that I could have! How horrible!  How could I chose sin instead of Christ's victory? He calls me to celebrate my new life with unleavened bread, the bread of sincerity and truth. Christ is the way, the Truth, and the Life. He dwells within me. Therefore my life must be drastically changed, cleansed, and empowered by His Spirit.

 

Father,

Change my heart so that I find sin [leaven] abhorrent. Thank You for the Lamb who died for me so that I could live through Him. Give me Your grace and strength. Open my eyes to see my heart and its motives. .

In the name of the Lamb,

Amen