Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:6–7)

The Corinthian church was a mess, perhaps in more ways than we will ever understand. It’s not surprising that any church faces doctrinal errors or that it’s even guilty of malpractice in areas of leadership, spiritual gifts, and organization — all things which Paul addresses throughout. But it is an entirely different beast to entertain blatant, perverse sin within the body of Christ. That kind of beast doesn’t stop preying until its fangs are sunk into every jugular within reach.

Paul’s words, therefore, come in hot against the Corinthian church for allowing such radical sexual immorality to be tolerated and unchecked within the church (see verse 1). Where are the pastors? Where are the shepherds? Where are the good brothers and sisters in Christ to hold such a one accountable? In fact, if you can believe it, the church was even glorying in their liberty to accept this immorality under the banner of Christ (see verse 2)! Paul is saddened for the church should have mourned over this sin, rather than embraced it. To this, Paul commands that such an unrepentant, perverse person was to be cast out of the church in order that they may understand the gravity of their debauchery, and mourn in repentance. For a little leaven leavens the whole lump.

This principle applies not only to the church as a gathering, but it must also apply to us individually as well. We must be quick to identify and cast out the old leaven of sin in our lives. As soon as we learn to tolerate sin, rather than mourn over it, we have lost our ability to serve God with a good conscience.

The Apostle Paul tells us that those who cannot serve the Lord in good conscience are running the risk of plunging their own faith into the bottom of the ocean of destruction.

“Wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck…” (1 Timothy 1:19)

Rather, we must

“hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.” (1 Timothy 3:9)

Beloved, is there perverse sin in your life? Have you come to tolerate it and left it unchecked at the door? Have you lost your sorrow over it? Or worse, have you come to justify its presence in your life? Don’t be fooled, that sin is a poison to your spirit like deadly, fast-spreading cancer is to the body. That sin is your declared enemy, which may taste sweet for a moment but is bitterness to your soul.

Forsake it like you would a deadly plague. Severe it off like you would a limb with gangrene (see Mark 9:47). Let godly sorrow produce repentance in your life (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).

Let confession wash away your guilt and shame (see 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16). Trust the Word of God by faith that you are dead to such sin, for it no longer has dominion over you, and the Spirit will give you life (see Romans 6:14). Cast out the old leaven of sin, and become a new lump for God’s glory.

“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8)

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:12–14)