Sin Spreads
I hope we have all learned something about sin. It spreads, so that it gets worse and worse. This principle applies to us as individuals, and it applies to groups of people, like churches. When we have sin in our lives, it is impossible to keep it from spreading,unless we repent of it and get rid of it completely. The same is true for a church. If sin is allowed to remain, it will spread to other people, unless the sin is removed. Paul gave us this principle as he dealt with a serious sin in the church at Corinth. (I Corinthians 5:6) This is very important for each of us and for our churches.
If we have ever made bread or seen someone make bread, we know that the process includes the introduction of a small amount of yeast into the batch of dough. Then, the whole batch of dough is kneaded and allowed to sit for several hours. The end result is that the yeast or leaven, as it is also called, spreads through the whole batch of dough. This causes a change that enables the dough to rise. The same is true for sin, in that it spreads through the person or the church, but it does not cause things to rise, but to fall. The introduction of sin corrupts us, and the corruption gets worse and worse, if it is not stopped. The only way to stop it is by removing the sin. It cannot be contained, it has to be eliminated. Confession with repentance is the only way to have the sin removed from our lives. If a church member is not willing to confess his or her sin, then, the only way to stop the sin from spreading is to remove the person from the church. This is not done to harm the sinner or the church. It is done in hopes that the one in sin will come to repentance and restoration, and it is done to protect the rest of the body.
#NHBaptistdotorg
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Corinthians 6-9.
If we have ever made bread or seen someone make bread, we know that the process includes the introduction of a small amount of yeast into the batch of dough. Then, the whole batch of dough is kneaded and allowed to sit for several hours. The end result is that the yeast or leaven, as it is also called, spreads through the whole batch of dough. This causes a change that enables the dough to rise. The same is true for sin, in that it spreads through the person or the church, but it does not cause things to rise, but to fall. The introduction of sin corrupts us, and the corruption gets worse and worse, if it is not stopped. The only way to stop it is by removing the sin. It cannot be contained, it has to be eliminated. Confession with repentance is the only way to have the sin removed from our lives. If a church member is not willing to confess his or her sin, then, the only way to stop the sin from spreading is to remove the person from the church. This is not done to harm the sinner or the church. It is done in hopes that the one in sin will come to repentance and restoration, and it is done to protect the rest of the body.
#NHBaptistdotorg
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Corinthians 6-9.