Leaven (2)
Notes
Transcript
The whole point of the parable lies in one thing—the transforming power of the leaven.
William Barclay
We recall, in our previous bible study on Leaven…that the bible refers to the leaven of the scribes and pharisees as the leaven of “hypocrisy”
Though the bible talks about leaven in this way, we see that Leaven can take on many different types of meanings and applications....an argument can be made til we are blue in the face.
We must remember that leaven is not bad in and of itself…but rather, the bible uses it metaphorically....this can be for good of bad depending on the context in which it’s being used..
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
In order to be a reflection and a true example of a believer, We must set aside or rid ourselves of all malice, and all guile and hypocrisies from our lives
This is the message that the bible is making when it is talking about leaven.
The bible goes on to tell us who we are in Christ what God intended us to be.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Because we have been called out from this present darkness and are now children of light, the bible says that we are to show forth his praises....
Meaning: we are to glorify God in our every day lives and to be a proper representation of his kingdom.
If you remember the quote that i had mentioned last Sunday by John MacArthur:
Leaven is a biblical illustration of permeation, influence.
John F. MacArthur
So that leaven is not an illustration of sin, it is an illustration of permeation.
John F. MacArthur
By allowing sin and hypocrisy in our lives, we are allowing our spiritual man to become sinful and hypocritical.
Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
This holds true with our walk with God and our separation from this world.
Can we walk in the light and be in darkness at the same time.
The same thing with the analogy of the “Mind without the Heart” lesson...
Can a man be at peace when his heart and mind don’t agree as one?
To Permeate means:
to diffuse through or penetrate something
to spread or diffuse through
Something that when it is added to something else it affects the entire thing it was added to.
Has anybody ever been in a room where someone was baking fresh bread or making fresh coffee.....how the smell permeated the room
When the smell permeated the room it means that it filled the entire room.
A thing as small as a loaf of bread can fill an entire room with its aroma.
No matter what part of a room a person would be in.....the smell fills the entirety of that room
This is what we must do with our walk with God and lives as Christians....
We must allow God and his word to permeate our entire being so that every part of our lives reflect the glory of God in us.
The spirit of God takes our old flesh and turns it into a new lump or a new man....by the renewing of our minds and hearts.
The word of God then can be seen as a type of leaven....
When we allow God, his Holy Spirit and his word to permeate our life or to allow it to fill our lives.....It will then effect the entire lump.....it then becomes transforming.
We must purge out therefor the old leaven that we become a new lump.
There is a song that says....Not just a part but all of my heart.
We must allow the word of God to take root in purity and Holiness unto God and to be a perfect example to others in truth and sincerity.
The question them comes…Are we Christians
we might say that yes, I am trying to be a Christian....
this is a misunderstanding of what it is to be a Christian...
Being a Christian starts in our hearts and minds with the determination and acknowledgement that we ARE Christians…not that we are trying.
If we start with this premise we have missed the mark....
The more accurate response should be: Yes, I am a Christian and am working through the process of perfection in the spirit to become a true and acceptable example of the believer....a more accurate reflection of God
By default: if we say we are trying to be a Christian we have, in essence, justified our actions…good or bad.
Don’t get me wrong....I’m not saying that we should never say that we are “trying to be a Christian”
But rather, it’s the perspective of how we perceive what we are saying…or how someone else perceives what we are saying
By saying that we are trying to be a Christian, It perhaps indicates, that we are trying but we are only human....If it doesn’t work, at least I tried.
Rather than: I am a Christian pertaining rather to a man that has a made up mind. That no matter what comes his way, nothing will hinder him.
Being an overcomer is removing all excuses and considerations of any and all types of Leaven....removing all sin from our lives no matter what form it takes
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The bible teaches beyond a doubt, that we must purge out the old leaven that we may become a new lump…or as in the scripture “A new creature in Christ”
Old things becoming new or rather, Old ways being transformed into new ways
The actual meaning of change is a person doing something in a different way.....otherwise, has change really occured?
We no longer walk in darkness but we walk in the light for we are children of the light.
We not only walked according to the word of God.....but also in understanding of the word of God.......and in the understanding of our enemy!
We must always remember that the bible tells us:
Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed
And that we must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.