1 Corinthians 5 Devotional

Discipline That Aims at Rescue

“Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”1 Corinthians 5:7 (BSB)

A man in the church is in a sexual relationship with his father's wife, and instead of grieving, the church is proud of itself (5:1-2). Paul tells them, when they gather in the Lord's name, to remove the man from their fellowship, handing him over to Satan so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord (5:4-5). Even this severe step aims at rescue, not revenge.

Paul explains with an image from Passover. A little leaven spreads through a whole batch of dough, so they must clear out the old leaven and become in practice the new, unleavened people they already are. The reason is that Christ has been sacrificed as their Passover lamb (5:6-7). Purity is not how anyone earns a place among God's people. It is what fits the new life his sacrifice has already given. Because Christ has made you new, sin does not have to be hidden or excused. It can be named honestly and brought to him.

To think about: Is there a sin you have been excusing or hiding, and what would it look like to bring it into the light of Christ's sacrifice?