“Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you then you will be without yeast, which is what you really are.”
— 1 Corinthians 5:6-7a NLT
I love to bake.
Though – or shall I say dough – I don’t do it often; I love to bake bread.
There’s nothing more satisfying to me than watching a lump of dough transform into this magnificent and delicious loaf of bread. I know I’m weird, but I’m proud to be a lil baking nerd.
If you’ve never made bread before, I’ll give you a quick rundown of the process for a regular loaf. ↓
Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and lukewarm water. After a dough begins to form, it’s time for you to knead, or work, the dough with your hands. In this step, you must tap into some supernatural strength because it’s quite the workout!
When the dough is adequately kneaded, place it in a bowl, cover it, and leave it to rise in a warm place. During this stage, the yeast begins eating the sugar and releases carbon dioxide. Then, the dough starts to rise as the gluten traps the gas.
This process typically takes between one and three hours – and that’s just the first proof!
Bread-making is quite the process, but it’s fascinating how quickly the yeast spreads and makes the bread rise.
In a way, yeast is a perfect example of how positivity or negativity spreads – both can spread like wildfire when brought to the right environment.
Usually, if you’re breeding positivity, it will have a domino effect and with it spreads hope, joy, and love. But on the opposite end, if you’re generating negativity, it will spread while anxiety, fear, and hopelessness spread with it.
Just like positivity and negativity, yeast can be good or bad. If the yeast is fresh, then it will create a delicious loaf. However, if the yeast is old, stale, or off in measurement, the loaf will not bake properly or taste right.
Paul talked about the same thing in 1 Corinthians 5. He compares yeast to sin and how easily it can spread through the church if not corrected.
You see, the believers in Corinth allowed a person in their congregation to continue to sin – they even boasted about it at one point (5:6a). This is why Paul wrote the verses we are focusing on today.
Paul knew that if the believers in Corinth continued to allow sin among them, it would eventually be just like yeast – spreading to every crack and crevice.
If you read different translations of these verses, the word Paul uses is leaven.
What is leaven? Leaven is a rising agent added to the dough (or batter) to help it rise – yeast is an example of a leavening agent, as well as baking soda and baking powder.
Since bakers couldn’t just make a quick trip after work to the grocery store and purchase a package of instant yeast, they would preserve a small portion of the risen leavened dough and mix it into the next batch – this would allow the leaven, or yeast, to spread through the entirety of the dough and rise correctly.
If leaven was rancid and still used, bacteria would rapidly spread throughout the new dough and ruin the entire batch, making it unedible.
Just like leaven going bad, if sin goes unaddressed, it will spread, and the final result will not be desirable.
Why is Sin Harmful?
Let’s be honest; we all sin. We all struggle and fall short – it’s the human condition.
Does that mean we can continue to openly and proudly sin? The answer may hurt or offend some of you, but no.
Sin is a sensitive topic for a lot of people. And unfortunately, it seems as if most people today reject Christianity because of the idea of sin.
Why is this the case? Because for some people, the idea of “getting rid” of their sins means they lose their freedom and things that bring them happiness – well, temporary happiness.
Sin can take many different shapes and forms, but some common ones today are jealousy, anger, pride, greed, addiction, and sexual immorality. Not to mention, people make idols out of all the wrong things – money, social media, physical appearance, success, and famous people, to name a few.
You may be asking why all of that is bad. I guess bad is the wrong word, but in the end, these things will only bring you brief happiness, whereas following Jesus brings joy that lasts for eternity.
More times than not, the sins listed will eventually lead to hurt, whether it’s to yourself, loved ones, or even strangers.
Think about jealousy. We know we shouldn’t be jealous, but why shouldn’t we be? Well, it doesn’t benefit anyone and can quickly make us bitter and unhappy.
Jealousy being wrong is easy for most people to understand, so let’s take a more controversial topic: addiction.
Many people struggle with addiction today – and I’m not just talking about the addiction that sends you to a rehab center.
Let’s look at the actual definition of addiction. Mirriam-Webster defines it as:
"a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence".
I know plenty of people who rely on sugar or alcohol or drugs to make them happy or have a good time. Slowly but surely, eating sweets, drinking, or smoking becomes a habit in their lives, and the more they feel the (temporary) high that they bring, they continue to crave more.
That, my friend, is addiction.
And sadly, I personally know how it feels all too well.
I used to be the girl who needed alcohol to have fun – and lots of it. What started as peer pressure turned into the need to feel accepted, quickly becoming a need to drink to be happy, enjoy myself, or “let loose.”
If you ask anyone who knew me in college, I was a wreck, especially when it came to my drinking problem. Alcohol was supposed to help me have a good time. Instead, it cost me multiple friendships and the ability to experience joy.
It took me a long time to overcome my drinking problem, but thankfully, seeking out Jesus has helped me in ways I could never imagine.
I feel freer than I ever did while drinking, partying with my friends, or making stupid decisions. I’m genuinely happier now than I’ve ever been before.
If it’s possible for me, I firmly believe it’s possible for everyone under the sun.
Helping Others
Wow, that got deep fast, huh? How about we get back to our yeast analogy?
If I’m baking bread and notice that the yeast measurement is incorrect, I can correct the amount by adding more or starting over. In the same way, I believe that if someone is openly and proudly sinning, the best first step is to talk about it with that person and try to help correct it.
When I say correct, some people are immediately going to think about a parent yelling or wagging a finger at their child, telling them they’re wrong, and in a way, shaming them. This is NOT the correcting I’m talking about.
You can correct someone in a loving, gentle, and kind way that speaks through the darkness the person may be facing. Who knows, maybe you’re the person God uses to guide them back to Him.
Like Ephesians 4:15 says, we are to speak the truth in love and build each other up as the body of Christ. Just like every part of our body has a specific role, especially when supporting the rest of the body, the same is true for Christians. We are supposed to build each other up rather than shame and tear each other down.
Also, we all know what it feels like to be in a dark place looking for the light. We can use the feelings, temptations, and wrong decisions we’ve experienced to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes and show them the compassion we have been given or wish a friend had shown us.
As much as you want to help them, some people are content with their life and reject your correction.
Don’t be discouraged!
For all you know, you could’ve planted a seed that allows God the chance to continue to grow and strengthen their roots in Him and His Word.
Does this mean we should continue to hang out with these people and be the bestest of friends, though? Unfortunately, no.
When faced with someone, or multiple people, consistently and proudly choosing worldly happiness and satisfaction, the best thing to do is to leave the relationship or environment.
Getting out of a relationship or environment can be extremely difficult. And if the person is someone you love and care for deeply, it can be painful.
Think back to the beginning of this devotional when I talked about yeast spreading. The same thing will happen if you remain in a relationship or environment keeping you from God and the joy He wants you to experience.
Hanging out with that person once a week or maybe even once a month may not seem like a big deal, but slowly their worldly desires will sway your faith-driven ones. Even if they don’t mean to, that person will start to plant seeds of temptation and doubt that can lead you away from God.
Their encouragement for you to have one drink and loosen up can turn into one too many drinks.
Advice from them gives you the invitation to be petty and angry rather than choose forgiveness.
And if you’re anything like me, you’ll slowly start to compare yourself with their “exciting” and “fun” life.
Sticking around isn’t worth it.
Do you know what is worth it, though? Surround yourself with kind, loving, and encouraging faith-based individuals – that’s worth it.
Trust God Through the Process
Whether you feel the need to lovingly confront a fellow believer or need to withdraw from a friendship kindly, trust God.
He is working for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Have faith that God is not only working through you but also working in that other person’s life.
And when it’s hard to have faith that your loved one, friend, or fellow believer in your church will ever seek God on their own, remember that He’s the shepherd who leaves the 99 to chase after the 1.
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever been around someone doing something you know is wrong? How did it make you feel to be around them? Did their decisions influence you?
- Is there currently a fellow believer in your life participating in something you know is wrong? If so, what are practical ways to help lead them to Jesus?
- If one of your good friends negatively influenced you, would you be willing to separate yourself from them? Why or why not?
Prayer
Jesus, Thank You for rescuing me from my sinful desires time and time again. I pray for those around me who are following their temptations rather than following You. Please give me the wisdom to help them or the courage to let them go. Whichever one You choose for me, continue to work in their heart and lead them closer to You. In Your Name, Amen.
References:
https://www.kitchenaid.com/pinch-of-help/stand-mixers/four-types-of-bread-leavening-agents.html
