In Galatians 3:5 we are told that “a little leaven leavens the whole loaf.”  The context of the Apostle Paul’s statement is negative.  Scripturally, leaven is never presented in a positive light.  Leaven is always depicted as a wild, uncontrollable “growth,” cancer being a prime example.  If left in place, cancer spreads outward in all directions.  The only sure cure for such a growth is total removal from the host.  If only a tiny bit of cancer is left inside the body it will grow and spread until the host body is infected.

Social leaven is no different.  If left inside a society it will eventually dominate that entity.  For example, transgendered females (males who present themselves as females) have recently begun to compete in female athletic events.  Because males are physically superior to females, female competitors have no chance against them.  It began with one male competing as a female in an athletic event.  In the name of “wokeness” the trans was allowed to compete again, then again and again.  Soon the leaven was spreading into other areas of female competition.  If not excised totally and permanently, it will come to dominate the female sports world completely.

Fortunately, thinking people have begun to step up.  At present, the movement is being checked, and in some types of competition it has been disallowed.  Some states have put an end to the movement in all sports.  Hopefully, all states, along with all national and international sports organizations, will eventually remove the leaven before it does irreparable damage to the world of female sports competition.

But the mother of, and the most deadly of all leaven affliction is found in the religious world.  Unlike the physical world, the religious world is embracing leaven as if it was a gift from on high, which some churches and religious leaders are proclaiming that it is.  Such is the case concerning abortion.  There are some churches that are decrying the recent United States Supreme Court’s ruling that declared the murder of unborn children unconstitutional.  Satan’s “It’s not a human”  leaven is deadly, not only to the unwanted children that have been offered on the alter of convenience, but to the religious institutions that claim that the slaughter of 63,000,000 innocent babies created in God’s image has His blessing.  Thousands of people, many of them wearing crosses and proclaiming to have God’s backing, are filling the streets in protest over the repeal of Roe v Wade.  These people are a perfect example of how a little religious leaven, usually one person, if not removed, defiles an entire church as Satan’s mind-set gradually takes over and turns the church into an enclave of sinners.  This has been going on for generations relative to all manner of sin as this website has repeatedly proven.

Concerning abortion, the list of churches and church leaders who are coming out in favor of fetal murder is growing by the hour.  We are hearing an ever-louder call for “compassion,” “understanding” and “inclusiveness” coming from religious leaders and laity alike relative to the abortion issue.

Then there is the sexual deviant issue that is sweeping the nation and the world, including the church world.  I will not attempt to list the various categories and sub-categories that have become part of public discourse over the past couple of years.  At first the movement was confined to the social realm.  Of late, however, deviants have been pressuring church bodies, and eventually state and national religious organizations, to not merely accept them, but to exalt them and to accept them as “normal.”  And the deviants are succeeding as the church becomes ever more “woke.”  Now, we are being told, God is leading the “woke” movement.  The leaven is rapidly leavening the loaf.  As has been the case with all other types of sin, the church has allowed sexual deviants to join her local bodies as they are and allowed to remain in their anti-God, anti-Bible condition in the name of diversity and inclusion.  This is inevitably followed by a churchwide feeling of religious superiority and pride in that the congregation/organization is showing the world how compassionate and loving they are.

In a recent posting I highlighted the Apostle Paul’s reaction to such a scenario that was taking place in the church at Corinth.  The congregation had displayed its compassion, understanding, inclusiveness etc. toward an adulterer in their midst.  As Paul pointed out, their attitude had turned from tolerance of the sin to totally embracing the guilty party and what he was doing.  The leaven had leavened the loaf.  The people, Paul said, were “puffed up” (proud) over their “wokeness.”  They were proud of their open-mindedness toward what God calls sin.  This is a classic case of a little leaven (one man) infecting an entire church.  Notice Paul’s reaction.  He chastised the people for not having already put the man out of the church.  Because of this, he (Paul) would turn the man over to Satan for the destruction of his body in hopes that, before he died he might turn to the Lord in repentance and obedience (1 Cor. 5:1-7).  Not only did the church have to “purge out from among you the old leaven,” they had to “become a new loaf” by removing the problem, repenting of having allowed it, then living in obedience to God.

But this is not happening in the churches that are welcoming fresh new types of leaven into their midst.  There is absolutely no mention of sinners receiving deliverance from their sin, turning from it and walking with the Lord.  What we hear is: “Come as you are; stay as you are.”  You will not hear a preacher tell a sinner that he/she must abandon his/her sin and live according to the Lord’s Words.  To accept sin is to become sin.  This is why Paul told the Corinthian church to get rid of the leaven.  They themselves had already become leavened, making themselves as guilty as the adulterer in the eyes of God.  The entire church had to be cleansed of leaven and had to remain cleansed.  If not, Paul’s command to those who would follow God was to leave the church and have nothing more to do with her (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).  Only then would God be their God and they would be His people.

I have heard preachers telling us that we must embrace sinners and show them how much God loves them.  This is fine and Biblical.  However, we must also tell them that without deliverance from and cleansing of sin, followed by conversion and holy living, he/she will not be allowed into the church.  If I was pastoring a church, a sexual deviant, abortionist, liar, thief, etc. would not be allowed to join the congregation until I was satisfied that he/she had recognized his/her sinful condition, had asked for and received forgiveness, been converted (reversal of life’s walk) and was ready to begin walking in obedience to God’s Word.  Then and only then would he/she be allowed to enter God’s house and be introduced to the Body of Christ.

But you will not hear anything like this coming from the false church.  Their god does not require conversion (reversal of life) in order to be “saved.”  One need only “love Jesus and take Him as your personal Savior.”  What we are watching take place as an expression of love and inclusion is ALL IN VAIN because the sinner is not required to die to sin and live to righteousness.  Instead, the sinner is accepted as is and allowed to remain in his/her sinful condition.  God’s view of this scenario is found in Romans 6:1-13 which the reader should study carefully.  Paul tells us in Romans 5:21 and 6:22 that eternal life comes only after one is freed from sin, then walks in righteousness and holiness throughout the remainder of one’s life.  As Paul tells us, THE END RESULT OF WALKING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS IS SALVATION (Rom. 5:21; 6:22/ Mat. 10:22). L.J.