You Must Cleanse Yourself to Eat the Passover

You Must Cleanse Yourself to Eat the Passover

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Cor. 5:7-8.

Christ is our Passover Lamb and He says, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” John 6:53. The flesh of Christ is the Word of God translated into action. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14.

We need to cleanse ourselves so we can receive food from the Word of God. We can see a type of this in the old covenant. No leaven was to be found in the house at the time of the Passover. Whoever ate leavened bread during those days was to be cut off from Israel; also no uncircumcised person was to eat of the Passover lamb. Ex. 12:15-48.

You will read your Bible in vain to receive food and revelations of the Spirit if you have any old leaven—something that weighs on your conscience—or if you are not circumcised (have not forsaken everything). Now we can understand why believers show so little interest in God’s Word. They read a little bit in the Bible because they are supposed to be Christians, not because they have any interest in it or because they get anything out of it. What interests them is religious novels and biographies, even things written by worldly authors, and worldly magazines. It is no wonder that there are so few who have a Word of God when they come to the meetings.

Look at the religious magazines. They have extremely little of the Word of God. You can read travelogues, reports of their work, and announcements. Then there usually is a leading article, a sermon, often accompanied by a photograph of the author. What are the contents of this leading article? The same thing you hear from the pulpits. The author takes a Word as a text, then he begins to describe the circumstances under which the words were said, the one who said them, and to whom they were spoken; and quite often you get a description of the landscape and the scenery as well. This is how he creates a fine setting around the text, and the better he can do it, the more proficient a preacher he is. But what about the Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword, which judges the thoughts and intents of the heart? It was missing; but he spoke well!

The apostles, on the other hand, did not create a setting or paint a picture around the text. They went straight to the point. “He who sins is of the devil.” “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar.” “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.” “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Jas. 1:21.

From the above we can see that if we are to receive the Word for our salvation, we must lay aside all filthiness and remnants of wickedness. The Word is the Passover Lamb, which is most holy. What do I want with it if I love the world—if I have idols or evil intentions? All this must be cleansed away. Then I can keep the feast and eat the Passover Lamb. Lev. 22:3-6.

“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? . . . I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezek. 14:3, 8.

No one makes any progress in the kingdom of God by way of giftedness and clever thoughts. It must be given to us. The Father and the Son will dwell with and reveal themselves to those who have been circumcised in heart and have cleansed out the old leaven and have given themselves to obedience. John 14:23. Then when we read the Bible, it becomes living and the Word becomes food, and we will not come empty-handed to the feast either, because we have something to offer.