Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I. LEAVEN CORRUPTS: evil corrupts. II. LEAVEN INFECTS: evil infects. III. LEAVES IS SUBTLE AND SECRET IN ITS MOVEMENTS: So is evil. It is a virus whose antecedents and consequents it is impossible to trace. IV. LEAVEN IS NOT RESTRICTED TO ONE MODE of reaching the mass upon which it superinduces its own chemical conditions. It may be inserted by the hand of another, or it may be wafted by a breeze, and fall by its own gravity. So evil works — 1. Through systems and organizations. (1) In our Lord's time by the Pharisaic, Sadducean, and Herodian systems. (2) In Paul's day by the Judaizing emissaries.So now there is the leaven of — (1) Religious superficiality; (2) scepticism; (3) formalism. 2. Through the Zeit-Geist, the spirit of the age. IV. THE RESULTANT DUTIES. 1. Indignation. To prevent fermentation, the chemist passes the air which contains the sporules through a hot platinum tube, which destroys the germs. A mild apologetic mood will not do for evil. 2. Separation. Living organisms will not grow energetically until brought in contact with substances having an affinity with them. So evil must be "cut off" by caution. V. THE CHIEF INSTRUMENT IN THE WAR AGAINST EVIL IS THE CROSS OF CHRIST. (J. Clifford, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. |
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