Subtle Leavens

In the Full Ministry of Christ class today, I was so much enlightened by a brother's' speaking concerning leavens.  What impressed me most were four out of the nine points in how the enemy Satan corrupts the church by leavening the church.

Hypocrisy: Acts 5 : 1-11 records the hypocritical act of Ananias and Sapphira in trying to imitate the work of the Holy Spirit by actually lying to the Holy Spirit. Often, on witnessing what the Lord has done in others may cause jealousy and envy, and the pride of not being worked upon by the Holy Spirit, is tempting to duplicate the Holy Spirit's work by false consecration, and not being absolute to God. But faking it as though the Lord really does His work, is a real hypocrisy and in fact, a blasphemous sin. These sounds "good and spiritual" work, but actually is a lying to the Holy Spirit. This is a subtle leaven. Ascetism: Religiosity coupled with superstition always leads to ascetism. This is very common in India and among religious people including Christians. It is very common when one commits sins and is convicted by the Holy Spirit. In stead of exercising the spirit to follow the Lord's leading, it is easy to fall into the trap of Satan by trying to punish oneself as though for "atonement" of one's sins. This act of punishing oneself for one's sins may fall into various category. Example, of barring oneself from the Lord's table meeting, or avoiding the bread and wine served, or willfully undergoing self-imposed punishment of not attending any meeting or not meeting any one including the saints and the likes. These are quite common even among believers. This is how the enemy traps the believers in ascetism. And this is a heinous leaven that leavens the church life. Be aware of this subtlety. Nationalism: Though in the church one may proclaim and profess the one new man by mouthing out loud that we are for Christ and the church and that in the church there is no room for anything except Christ. Yet when faced with a situation of coordination in the work of the Lord or the church life, of different nationality or race or social status, this leaven was easily exposed. In my experience it has been expressed subtly in marriage proposal among believers in the church-life of different nationality and race. In the light of the Lord, this is a leaven, and this has damaged the believers in the Body of Christ and has caused a lot of division already, based on nationality, race, culture, social status etc.,. 

Good natural man : Yet even more subtle leaven is when a brother or sister with natural talent and gifts displays their naturalness in immaturity as wolves in sheep's clothing. Just because they are naturally talented, can even give "good messages" with correct Biblical teachings and very profound too in the presentation of the truth. But all in the natural man. This is the "good flesh" which is very subtle and difficult to identify because of its "goodness". Only spiritual maturity and discernment can identify such subtlety. This also is a leaven. Of course, the gift of being gifted is good, but it all must be dealt with by the cross through the Spirit that all the gifts may be useful in resurrection for the building up of the Body of Christ.

These subtle leavens are real revelations to me today. In fact, they are in me and I take them before the Lord to be dealt with, that the Lord may have mercy on me and save me from such leavens. 

Lord, purge all the leavens in me, purify and sanctify me! Thank you for Your speaking today in a fresh way. Preserve me and save me!