“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (I Corinthians 5:7-8)
Last week I mentioned the “pack rat” mentality I have concerning papers and notes, and how I am in the beginning of the process of trying to “weed out” the mountainous pile of things I have accumulated over the years. It is very painful for me, and a slow process. If you were to look in my office today as opposed to last week, you would see very little progress. But there is a little. Believe it or not, there are actually less papers in my office than there were a week ago. At the rate I am going, I will be down to a manageable level about 20 years into the Millennium. I need to pick up the pace!
Many believers accumulate things in their personal lives that are not always sinful and bad, but often don’t fit into the grand scheme of things. Especially here in the good ol’ US of A, we have learned how to gather the most incredible amount of non-essential junk of any people in the history of the world. Jesus said, “…a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). My, how we ignore that truth! But it is not only the physical stuff we hoard that is the subject of this blog post, but the accumulation of other interests that can entangle our lives and rob us of our spiritual vitality. The verses above tell us that Jesus was our passover sacrifice. He “uncluttered” his life to focus on giving it for our sins. He left the glories and provisions of the Father’s throne to dwell on this dirt ball because he knew we needed his sacrifice to gain a home in heaven. If you have trusted him as your Saviour, he now asks you to devote your life to his service and his kingdom. Some things can get in the way of that. I am not suggesting we live in a cardboard box and eat roots and berries. But too many entanglements will get in the way of our service. Paul said those who serve Christ should not be “entangled with the affairs of this life” (II Timothy 2:4). How many hundreds of times we hear, “I would like to get involved, but…” Activities, bills, relationships, and other interests get in the way. Sometimes we need to do a thorough “spring cleaning” of our lives to be the best we can be for our Lord.
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:1-2) A fruit tree bears the biggest and sweetest fruit when it is regularly cleaned out and purged of its dead branches. God expects us to do a little purging at times so we can be more fruitful for him. If we don’t, sometimes he does the purging for us. A few years ago, we had a fall snowstorm that dumped about 8 inches of wet, heavy snow on trees that had not yet lost their leaves. The weight of the snow snapped most of the weaker branches and stripped many of the trees pretty bare. Clean up was a difficult and painstaking time. But a couple of years later, the trees that had solid roots and a sure foundation blossomed even more beautiful than before the storm. The next time a “storm” appears in your life, stop to consider the possibility that God may be trying to prosper your life and make it even sweeter with him. In the meantime, look at the commitments and involvements we have and see if there are some things that just don’t fill the same need and purpose they once did. Clearly, God wants us to purge sin from our lives. But often, there are other things that are not sinful in and of themselves, but that could be laid aside for the greater good of your service to Jesus Christ. “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.” (II Timothy 2:21) Are you the best you can be for your Lord?
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