(Deleavening) Spiritual Murder and Adultery

Brethren, the Lord's Passover is around the corner. You know, you just look around, you know, it's only about a month ago. And one action we all do in God's Church is to the 11th before the Passover. Now, I like to focus on the leavening, but particularly in the spiritual leavening.

Yes, the physical leavening is important. There are lessons to it. But I like to focus on the spiritual, the leavening, that we all have to do. And so today, brethren, we want to look at two spiritual, the leavening areas. It's like two rooms to clean up in your leavening activity. And to start that, I would like to ask you to turn to 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians 11, the eye is Paul talking to the Corinthians about the Passover.

And starting in verse 23, 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23, he says, For I received from the Lord that which I delivered to you. So this is what Paul himself personally got from the Lord. It's not ESI, it's not somebody else told him, he got it from Jesus Christ himself.

And surely, he's not ad libbing yet. So he says he got it from the Lord himself. And that is what I've delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night, in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he brokered and said, Take it, this is my body which is broken for you.

Do this in remembrance of me. And in the same manner, or in the same manner, he also took the cup of the supper. Yes, this was after the meal, after the Old Covenant Passover had been completed. So it was after Sunday. So he also took the cup, saying, This is the cup of the New Covenant. That's why I like to talk about the Passover of the New Covenant. I prefer that, rather than talking about the Passover of the New Testament. Because really, it is of the New Covenant.

And so, it says, This is the cup of the New Covenant in my blood. Do this, do as often as you drink it. And often we drink the Passover once a year. So as often as you have the Passover, which is on the anniversary of the Lord's Passover, and that's what he did, do it in remembrance of me.

For as often as you eat the spread and drink the cup, which is an annual memorial, you proclaim the Lord's death. Therefore, whoever eats the spread or drinks the cup of the Lord, in an unworthy manner. Now, it's not saying that you and I must be worthy. Because none of us is worthy. It's rather in an unworthy manner. We'll be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself. So we need to examine ourselves.

That's what delivering is about. That's what spiritual delivering is about, is the self, personal self-examination. And so, let him eat. Now, I've come across some people that says, well, I've examined myself. I'm not worthy, and therefore I'm not taking the Passover. Well, that's not what it says here. It says he's, number one, none of us is worthy.

So it's an unworthy manner. And number two says, examine so that you eat. It doesn't say examine, so you don't eat. So examine yourselves, and therefore eat. So let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner. So it's the manner, it's the way you about it, and therefore we've got to examine ourselves, eat and drink's judgment to itself.

Why? Because, in other words, not discerning the Lord's body. So we've got to examine ourselves to discern the Lord's body. Now, the Lord's body has got duality in you, right? It's physical and spiritual. We discern the Lord's body, Christ's physical sacrifice, and what he went through for us, and what it all means, and the meaning of that, of him giving up life for us, being prepared to die for us, and all that goes with it.

But that's physical. But spiritual, what is the Lord's body? It's the Church. So we need to discern also God's Church.

And that's why, then, he says, for this reason many are weak, and many are weak, and many are weak among you, and many are weak, many have died. Because we have treated people in the Church not in the right way. And people got sick, people left the Church, people got ill, some of our hearts attack. I know people, personally, that got heart attack and died because of problems in the Church. And therefore, we need to discern the Lord's body. Which, yes, it's Christ's physical body and the sacrifice, and all that it means behind that. So I'm not minimizing that, but I'm just expanding it to also make us fully comprehend and realize that it means we need to discern the other members of the Church of Christ's body and make sure that we treat one another in a loving, kind, respectful, godly way.

And if you read a little bit further in verse 31, for if we judge ourselves, you know what's if we analyze ourselves, if we discern ourselves, if we self-examine ourselves and say, hey, George, I'll put your name there, I need to get better at this, I need to do this better, I need to do that better, I need to look at it better. If we do that to ourselves, then God does not have to do it to us. Right? That's what he's saying. If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. That's what he means, because we are analyzing and discerning and saying, God, how can I do it better? And then God is well pleased with that, and then we check. And that's why it's a good thing to always fast, individual, personal, fast, to self-examine yourselves before the past oven. It's not commanded, but it's a good thing to do.

So that's personal, individual, fast. So that's something that you may want to consider. One of the ways that we can examine ourselves is to look at Christ. Right? We can't compare ourselves with other people, can we? Because, you know, we all frail, weak human beings. So what is the standard? The standard is Christ. And so, we look at his life, but we obviously look at his teachings.

And look at an example here in John 666.

John 666.

This is a situation where Christ, if you read a little bit before them, told the people that he was the bread of life. Symbolizing the 11 bread that we take during the Passover, but also symbolizing the 11 bread that we also are supposed to eat every day during the days of 11 bread, because it represents Christ in us, the bread of life. Symbolical. Symbolical. And so, after he explains that, and he says, if you don't eat of this bread, and the people got all offended, and you can see in 666, he says, from that time, many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more. They got offended, and they just said, no, I'm not going to follow this guy anymore.

And then continue reading. And then Jesus said to the 12. What about you guys? Are you also going to go? But Simon Peter says in verse 68, he said, Lord, to whom shall we go? Where will we go? Because you, Christ, have the words of eternal life. And so Christ's teachings, Christ's standards, as we analyze ourselves, as Mr. Cubic wrote in his little note that pointed to you earlier on today in the announcements, as we analyze ourselves, as we look at Christ as our standard, that's where we need to look for what to deliver ourselves spiritually. And so part of the Bible study, stroke sermons that I've been doing over the last few months, extracting teachings from the book of Matthew. Today I want to continue with that, but I want to look at two and just two specific areas, and that is in Matthew chapter 5. And those two areas are from verse 21 through to verse 32. Now, in this section of Scripture, in this section here, there are actually six, let's call it, areas that Christ emphasized. One is regarding murder, another one is adultery, another one is false swearing, another one is love with your neighbor, another one is related to permissions that they had given as far as divorce, and another one is for the distribution of eye for an eye. So there are six areas that Christ gives specifics. But today we're going to look only at two. Now, it is important that we understand the context of why Christ highlighted these six areas. Because, you know, that he's just finished reading or stating, we read a month ago, but from verse 17 to verse 20, saying, don't think that I've come to destroy the law or the prophets. In other words, don't think that I'm coming to do away with it.

And now he's going to give six specific examples of areas of where he's not doing that.

Secondly, when we look at these six areas, of which we look at two today, but when we look at these six areas, they all appear to be quotations from Moses.

Appear to be. For instance, look at verse 43. Look at verse 43. It says, you have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Now, tell me, where does it say in the Bible, love your neighbor and hate your enemy? It's not there. It says, love your neighbor as yourself. So it appears to be quoting scripture.

Look at also at verse 21. It says, you have heard that it was said, to those of all, you shall not murder, and whoever saw murders will be in danger of judgment. It appears to be a quote. But you see, their understanding was, murder is when there is actually a dead body, a physical dead body.

And therefore, you shall be in danger of judgment. So, for their murder, was only if there was an actual killing.

So those are three points I've mentioned. Christ came to fulfill not to destroy. Sorry, I mentioned to appear to be quotations from Moses. But now let's dig a little deeper. If you go back a chapter to chapter 4, you can see when Christ was fighting Satan.

And in those, let's call it temptations, he said, it is written. Right? You remember that? It is written. He didn't say, it is there to hold. He said, it is written. But you are in the section, and this is the fourth point about this section. The first one is, Christ said, he came to fulfill. The second one appeared to be quotations. The third one is, when Christ spoke, fighting Satan, he said, it's written. But the fourth point is that now he says, it is said, or he uses words like, you have heard, but I say to you, heard, not written. In other words, he's talking about the Jewish oral tradition. He is negating the oral instruction that the Jews had, and they have, which they claimed to be, quote, the law given to Moses, that is, Mount Sinai, unquote. But it was not, it was oral tradition. The oral law, as stated in rabbinical literature, defined as what they call, laws given to Moses as Mount Sinai, is a number of laws which the Jews claimed to possess, Biblical authority. In other words, the Jews thought that oral law was the same as scripture, but these laws are neither stated in scripture nor are they derived by hermeneutical principles. Hermanutical means drawing from the scripture.

And so, what was the problem of the oral law?

The oral law was lustling and time, making it easier, liberating it, relaxing God's instructions.

And so, Jesus Christ is restoring God's intended meaning of the law, the intended meaning from the heart. So, let's look at what Christ is saying, because he addresses certain areas where they were minimizing the commandments of God, or they were making, they were making permissions to do certain things. So, we're going to look at these two ones from verse 21 to 32, as I mentioned, but let's start reading in verse 21 and 22. He says, you have heard that it was said of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment. But I say to you, now, yeah, is somebody talking with authority?

I mean, he's not saying, oh, well, somebody else said, quote-unquote, says, I am telling you, it's the authority of Jesus Christ. And he says, I tell you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raka, shall be in danger of the council, but whoever says you fool shall be in danger of hell fire.

Now, this is very strong. You see, the intent behind the commandment was not only to say, well, if there is a dead body, there's going to be judgment. The intent behind the commandment was about the heart. And any type of hatred starts in the heart. And so he starts here, and he mentions three items or three progressive stages. The first one he says, but I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother without a cause, when you're angry without a cause, that is the very first indication that there's trouble in your relationship. Yes, we know it says, be you angry and sin not, because if you're angry and sinning, you have unrighteous anger. See, once you get angry at somebody, you can get angry at the situation, at things, but be careful, don't get angry at people. But what Jesus Christ is saying, young, he says, shall be in danger of judgment. Who's judgment? Because if you're angry with somebody, you may be angry, and you may close your mouth and zip it and don't say, and nobody knows. He can still be without a cause, but you can be angry, and you shut your mouth. It's boiling inside. Angry without a cause, he says, shall be in danger of the judgment. Who's judgment? God's judgment, because God sees the heart. God sees the heart.

God's judgment begins when one is angry with his brother without a cause. And that judgment could lead to eternal death, if it's under a pentagon, because you're in danger of judgment, God's judgment. And this is the progressive, because the next one he says, and whoever says to his brother, Raka, shall be in danger of the castle. Now, it's talking about says. So now, it comes out of the mouth. So it's no more internal, but now it's external. And because it's external, it can be heard. And the word Raka means empty-headed. It's like insulting talk. But in other words, it's disrespect. Disrespect for the other person. Disrespect for whatever other people, the way they do or act or think, you show in disrespect. You stupid person! He says, in danger of the council. It was in danger of man's judgment, because that's where man's judgment begins. That begins in the other one. If you read in Old Testament, for instance, in the Autonomy 16, 18-20, and also in 2 Chronicles 19, 4-7, you can see that in the law, they were to set up judges in every town, in every city. They were to set up judges, and those judges were to judge righteously. And then in Chronicles, he gives an example of Jeotsephath setting up these councils of judges in every city according to the law. So they had judges, but today we have courts. I see we have courts all over. In every town you got a court, and if you are being disrespectful in some way, it could take you to a situation of getting to court. But that's where man's judgment starts. But God's judgment already started when you were angry in your heart. And then he gets to the third stage. He says, but whoever says, you fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. If you say to somebody, and the word for fool is morals, it's like you moron, you know, you foolish, you are impious, ungodly person, you are actually showing utter contempt for the other person, for their character. You useless, wicked person. You shouldn't comprehend.

And he says, whoever says that, shall be in danger of hell fire, of Gehenna fire, of the second death. It's interesting, what it does not say. It does not say, whoever says, you fool, and hell being baptized, shall be in danger of the second death. It doesn't say that. Right? So, there's a strong implication here, that people are going to be careful how they handle themselves, because you could be in danger of the second death. That's what it says. Baptized or not? That's why I don't like to get involved in politics, because you can just watch politics today. You see anger, anger, you see disrespect, and in many times, you see utter contempt for people. And if you and I get involved into it, we can be drawn into those disputes and start taking sides. So, let us be careful.

You see, we're talking here about a progressive situation from bad to worse, from anger to disrespect to contempt. And this can happen with friends. You have a friend, and next thing, you get angry with him, or without cause. Without cause. And then, that gets worse. Next thing you do is respectful, and that gets worse, and then you're showing utter contempt. We've got to be careful, brethren. Now, this is the sort of leaven that we've got to look at ourselves and say, hey, am I angry with somebody else without cause? Because this is really looking for the leaven in our lives. It doesn't look corners in our lives. Look for those prams. This can happen in a family. Spouse, husband and wife. Spouse starts flying, and then there is contempt, and next thing, there's divorce.

The path to divorce begins with anger, and then they become better enemies. So, the first step is anger. That's where God's judgment starts. Then, man's judgment starts on the second stage, which is more like a disrespectful stage, but then it can get so bad that it gets to content. And that could lead to the second death. So, Jesus Christ is actually telling us here to deal with anger quickly before you get into the other two steps. Stop the process early before you get into the path that's going to lead you to the second death. Kill it right there. Take that root of bitterness out.

And then it goes on to two illustrations. It was two practical, let's call it, examples with solutions. The first one is verse 23 and 24, and the second one is 25 and 26. The first illustration that is quite GI is 23 and 24, which is basically talking about a principle of grace.

It's talking about relationships with your brother, and it's talking about reconciliation. So let's read verse 23 and 24. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, in other words, if you are praying to God at home, that's where you bring your gift to the altar. That's where it is, in your prayers. You're going to the altar there, and you're bringing your gift to God, which is your prayers. And then you remember that your brother is something against you.

Leave your gift there before the altar, and go and make peace.

Source it out. Don't let it breed or brood and get worse and worse and worse. Go your way. First, be reconciled with your brother. Work on reconciliation. And then, come to God.

What it's actually saying is, if you don't do that, I'm not going to listen to your prayer. Isn't it? That's what it says, isn't it? If you don't reconcile, I'm not going to listen to your prayer. So you're wasting your time praying, just go and sort it out first, and then continue with your prayer, then I'll listen to you. Isn't that one of the things about fasting, when you're reading Isaiah about fasting? Go and loosen those things that whatever, sell that you at peace with God, and God answers them, and makes you well, and all the other things.

Now, can you see a possible example of when that could have happened?

I don't know what to say, but that is definitely an answer to this scripture that I'm going to read now. But it's a very good possible answer. And that's in Genesis 4, right at the beginning. What happens in Genesis 4? Two brothers had an argument. Genesis 4. And when you start reading there, there's two brothers. One was Abel, and then was Cain.

And in the process of time, it says, it came to pass that Cain, brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. So in the process of time, think about it in modern terms, Cain went and prayed to God, brought a gift. I'm not saying this is exactly what happened, but it's a possibility.

And Abel also brought of the first fruit of his flock and of the fat. And so Abel also brought an offering. And if you read offerings, both are possible offerings. One is a peace offering, the other one is a sacrificial offering, but they both are in the verticals, the first few chapters, possible offerings that people could bring. So many people have asked why one was accepted, the other one was not accepted. And I'm not saying that what I'm saying next is for sure why, but it's a possibility. And the possibility is that Cain was angry with his brother without a cause, and God did not accept his offering.

I'm not saying that's for sure, but could be. Right?

Because he was not reconciled with his brother. And that's why we read, Christ said, if you have a problem with your brother, go and be reconciled first and then come and give the offering.

And so, it says, he did not respect Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry. Oh, there's the anger. And his countenance fell. You see, that's the first stage. He was that anger. And that became and blew out and came out. And the Lord said to Cain, why are you angry? In other words, without a cause. Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. So if you do well, I'll accept your offering. But if you're not doing well, you're doing something wrong. May be anger without a cause and sin lies at the door. And this, and each desire is for you. But you should rule over it. You see, when you're angry and you get this thing that's always in your mind, and it becomes an intense desire of revenge or whatever it is, and that rules over you, and you're not controlling, you're not self-controlling it, and allows it, and it boils out, and it becomes the suspect, and then it becomes contempt.

But you should rule over it. Now verse 8. Now Cain talked with Abel, his brother, and it came to pass when he went in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. This blew and exploded beyond anger and disrespect and became murder. That's what Christ's talking about right there in the section of murder.

Look at 1 John chapter 3 verse 10. 1 John chapter 3 verse 10. 1 John chapter 3 verse 10.

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice righteous, righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.

And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother is righteous.

And why do people hate? True Christians. Because we are righteous. You see, if you and I are going to be aided for our righteousness sake, for God's righteousness sake, for them it's without a cause.

It's without a cause. He says, Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. Without a cause. He just tries to say, It hated me, it will hate you too.

Look at verse 14. We know that we passed from death to life. We were going on a way to death, but now on a way to life, because we love the brethren. He does not love his brother by his own death. Whoever hates his brother, he's a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Basically saying, hate is that form of contempt which leads to eternal death, which is the second death.

So, going back to Matthew 5, the first example that Christ gave Yah in verse 23 and 24 was about exercising graciousness, kindness, and being one that goes out and does whatever you can to reconcile.

The second example now deals with judgment. He says, Agree with your adversary quickly while, that's verse 25, while you're on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge and the judge end you to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. It was punished. But surely, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the lost penny.

So, basically he's talking about Yah, about judgment, and basically make peace as well. So, the moral of the lesson Yah that Christ is giving us is that if you and I are at fault, or if we are thought to be at fault, take urgent action to reconcile. The brethren, whether it's in the church or with your adversary, take an initiative to reconcile. Go and be reconciled, as we read in verse 24. We must do our best that we can to be at peace with everyone. In Proverbs 16 verse 7 it says, even your enemies will be at peace with you. In Romans 12, 18 says, if possible be at peace with every man.

And so, that is one area of spiritual delavening, which we can look at ourselves. But now we move on to the next one, the second area of spiritual delavening, which starts in verse 27 and ends in verse 32. You have heard that it was said to thou of all, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, whoever looks to a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. To the Jews, adultery was purely treated in a physical way as a matter of theft. You are stealing my woman.

Jesus looks now at a woman, not the wife, because he says a woman, a maiden. It's not just a wife, but he's looking at purity that refuses to lust.

The next intention. And so he elevates the commandment to incorporate the tenth commandment, which is thou shalt not cut it. And obviously that's got many other further implications.

Now, there's a thing very interesting, which is in the expository's commentary, which I looked at on volume 8, page 151, which is very interesting, which reads, says, the second her. So when it says, yeah, looks at a woman to lust for her, that's the first her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. It says in the Greek, there's no need of saying the second her. And then he says, but this is explainable. And then he's got the actual Greek words there that says, if we understand that to mean with a view, so to get her to lust.

In other words, what he's saying is that when you look at her, a man looks at the woman in a way to entice her to lust as well. So it's actually a more, let's call it, deeper understanding there, because that's why it says he's committing adultery with her. She's guilty too. And you know how many women kind of want to be looked at the way they dress or whatever. So there is that two-way street there. And so what these people were doing, the Jews, were trying to weaken God's intended commandments, that adultery is only the physical act, and that thinking is still around today. Many people say, oh well, I'll just sit around the coffee, particularly in Mediterranean countries, you know, like in Italy, and in France, you've got those cafes on the corner on the street, and to watch the girls go by as they say. You know? And people could say, well, you can't go to jail for your thoughts. But you can, because God's judgment starts in heart.

And so people ignore the 10th commandment, which says, thou shalt not covet. And look at verse 28 here, it says, whoever looks, so it actually starts with the eyes. And it says, as Corret committed adultery with her, in his heart. It connects the eyes to the heart.

I want you to turn to Job, chapter 31, and I'm going to read verse 1 through 12. Job 31, Job 31, verse 12, 1 through 12.

Now, I'm going to read it from the new international version.

And so you can follow it in your own version, but I'm going to read it from the new international version. Now, the interesting point is, Job was probably written well before Moses.

So, probably it is in the sense, the oldest before the law. And look at what Job knew already. And what he's saying is basically what Jesus Christ is saying. Look at Job, chapter 31, and I'm starting to read from verse 1 using the new international version. I made a covenant with my eyes, not to look lustfully at the young woman. For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those in Rome? Does he not see my ways and count my every step? If I have walked with falsehood, or my foot has hurried after deceit, let God weigh me in honest scales, and he will know that I'm blameless. If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.

If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I've lurked... How do you look with your eyes, right? If I've lurked at my neighbor's door, then may my wife grind an other man's grain, and may other man sleep with her.

For that would have been wicked as thin to be judged. Just look at it. It is a fire that burns to destruction. Now, the word destruction is abaddon in Hebrew, which is a place of destruction, which basically means the second death. So, it is a fire that burns to destruction. It would have uprooted my office. Brethren, Job saw adultery in the mind, starting with the eyes, as a major offense to God. And it is. The law says that very clearly. Adultery? Look at Deuteronomy 22. 22. Deuteronomy 22. 22.

Deuteronomy 22. 22.

If a man has sinned... I beg for it. If a man has committed a sin... I beg for it now. 22. 22. 22. 22. 22. If a man is found lying with a woman, married to a husband, then both of them shall die. The man that lay with a woman and a woman, so shall put away the evil from the job. It is a death penalty. God hasn't changed. A death penalty is the second death. Look at Proverbs 6.

Proverbs 6. Powerful Proverbs. I'm just going to read it. Verse 23 to 29. For the And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes into his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.

And look a bit further, in Proverbs 7, verse 1. My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commandments and live in my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers, right them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, you are my sister, and call them a standing on your esteem, that they may keep you from the immortal woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words.

For at the window of my house I looked through my letters, and I saw among the symbol, I perceived among the youth, a young man devoid of understanding, passing along the street near a corner, and he took the path of her house, in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. And then a woman met in, with the attire of a hobbit, and a crafty heart, and she was loud and rebellious, her feet would not stay at home.

At times she was outside, at times in open square, lurking at every corner. And look, let's jump a little bit further to verse 21. She said, with her enticing speech she caused them to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. He immediately went after her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Till an arrow struck his liver, as a bird hastens to the snake, he did not know it would cost his life. Brethren, this is what the Bible talks about, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, those sins that are there, that you read that in 1 John 2, verse 15 and 17.

And last is not just verse, but it covers so many other things, desires that people have, which they claim they are needs, or wants. You've got to be careful, Brethren. So, continuing here in Matthew chapter 5, and we go now on verse 29, we're going to look at those practical applications that Jesus gives us.

Now, what Christ is talking about here is not personal mutilation, ruthless personal mutilation, but he's talking about ruthless self-denial, control your thoughts and your mind and your eyes. So, that's what is the lesson here. And then in verse 31-32, he gives a second practical example, which says, "... protecting the center of society. Only God and those led by His Holy Spirit can overcome some of the weaknesses and frailties of lust that affect us all." And so, turn with me to Luke chapter 9.

Luke chapter 9, verse 23-25. Then He said to them all, if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. You see, that's what Christ is talking about, He's talking about self-denial. And take up His cross daily and follow Me daily. For whatsoever, for whoever desires to save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life, for My sake will save it. For what drop it is into a man if he gains the whole world and himself is destroyed or lost. So, any things that are wrong, materials that don't belong to us, illicit materials, illicit places, illicit opportunities, illicit lusts, whatever they may be, for men or women, behave as if you have no eyes, no hands, no feet, and control it.

That is the leaven that we have to look at ourselves before the Passover and look at ourselves in our little corners and ask God because it says, Lead Me not into temptation.

It's not that Christ is leading us or God is leading us to temptation, but we are asking, lead Me not into temptation. Our carnal minds, our thoughts lead us to the wrong things. So we ask God through the power of His Spirit to lead us not into the way of our minds which is temptation. So that's what we need to ask for Him. So, only God and those that are led by His Holy Spirit will be in the Kingdom of God which has no lust.

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 5. 1 Corinthians 5.

And now we have a situation that there was a problem in the Church.

Starting in verse 1, it is actually reported that you have sexually morality among you in the Church. And the Church was saying, well, with such loving and caring and kind and compassionate people, we are so merciful that we are allowing that person to be with us. Because we are just so merciful. We are just forgiving Him. And what Paul says, he says, listen, a rotten apple in the basket rotons all the other apples. Take that rotten apple out!

Now, it is hard for the minister to have to say that to somebody. But in loving care, we have to do it for the good of the Church. And that's what Paul is saying. That's what Paul is saying. And then we'll continue reading there in 1 Corinthians 5 and start reading in verse 6. Your glory is not good. It was your boasting saying, you're such a loving, kind, merciful, caring Church, it's not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lamb? Do you not know that one rotten apple rotons all the apples in a basket? That's what he's saying. Therefore, purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lamb. Since you are truly a leaven, because yes, it was a day's leavened bread, but spiritually speaking, we should be a leaven every day.

For indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast not of the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness. Malice, that is the wrong thinking, and wickedness, which is the wrong doing.

But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. We need to look at our hearts, brethren. And so Christ instructed us to obey God's commandments in the heart. And part of our analysis for unleavened bread and Passover, which should be throughout the year as well, we should be always analyzing ourselves. But particularly during this season of the year, we need to analyze ourselves. Do we have any anger that is kind of leading to this respect or contempt? Let's take urgent action to reconcile with whoever it is. Brethren, adversaries, colleagues at work, whatever it is. And let's make a covenant with our eyes that there will be no desires, no lasts, no extra things and more things, or whatever it is. Whatever last it is that is affecting us, remember that only God and those led by His Holy Spirit. And that the guidance of our High Priest will be in the Kingdom of God, which has no last. Next week, brethren, we'll analyze the further teachings of Jesus Christ in this section by looking at the remaining four components of this instruction in our Matthew 5.