Personal Experience of a Very Young Christian Believer :: By Jean-Louis Mondon

Published on: February 7, 2019 by RRadmin7 Category:General Articles
 

I would like to share with you a personal experience I had with the Lord right after my spiritual new birth, which has taught me 4 basic principles that have served to strengthen and sustain my faith. In his goodness and grace, the Lord demonstrated his care and loving-kindness to me by giving me what I call a shot of colostrum in my first steps as a baby Christian, along with the spiritual milk of his word. He was preparing me for the weaning that happens as a natural stage in the baby´s growth and the long walk through the desert that was awaiting me.
These principles are:

• We might be doing a good, spiritual, church-related activity or service, but actually Jesus Christ our head may have something different and better that he wants us to do, that is his will for us at the present time, no matter what the circumstances look like to our human eyes.
• Listen to the inner guiding voice of the Holy Spirit in you. With time you will recognize it just like you are able to recognize the particular tone of voice of your loved ones.
• Do not be ashamed of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
• The Bible is the true revealed word of God. You can trust it as God will speak to you and guide your walk through its pages with the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

Just a few weeks after I was born again – twenty-two years old at the time – I had been going to a Baptist church and joined the choir as people encouraged me to participate in activities. I was giving my testimony on a Christian radio show, enjoyed reading and learning from the Bible, going to church and being fed by My Father´s providential hand.

I had the same exhilarated feeling as when I first put my foot on the US soil just to celebrate my first Christmas with my American sponsor´s family, that of an immigrant who is starting a new life in the land of freedom where nobody knows or cares about your past and where you can look forward to a new exciting life full of opportunities.

One Thursday afternoon as I was walking to the church for choir rehearsal, I felt an inner prompting to turn around and go to the bar in a seedy part of town where I had been drinking a few weeks ago with a friend of mine before I became a believer. This thought left me confused as I stopped in my tracks, not understanding what was happening.

I had barely started reading the New Testament, was not aware of the Holy Spirit as a teacher, a guide and all of his ministry in the believer´s life. I was afraid of being late for practice and went on a few more steps, when the impression got stronger. I thought it strange and a temptation to prevent and sidetrack me from doing my service to my newly found God and Savior. So I walked on until the third prompting was so intensely felt that I just had to turn around and walk back to the bar.
There as I sat on a bar stool and ordered a drink, the man next to me with the imposing physique of a huge football player asked me in a “basso profundo” booming voice, “Who, are, you?”

Who wouldn´t be intimidated? I certainly was. So with my best French accent, I recited my resume, name, birth place and other data that we usually give total strangers when we are introduced. This went on for a while as the man kept repeating the same question and didn´t seem to be satisfied with my adding each time true, factual answers about myself. But inside, my chest was heaving as I sensed God asking me the same question: Who are you Jean-Louis? Are you going to properly identify yourself or are you ashamed of me?

Bear in mind that I had not yet read the verse on Christ being ashamed of us if we are ashamed of Him.

The Lord Jesus in Mark 8:38 declares, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

So finally, unable to resist the pressure of the Spirit, I told the man, OK, let´s go sit down in a quiet corner so we can talk undistracted and I can tell you who I really am.
The man replied, “Well, that´s better,” as if he knew something that escaped me and was setting me up for a strange encounter.

Up to that day, I had been shielded being around Christians and had never had to be in a confrontational situation as this. I proceeded to tell the man that I was a new born-again believer, and shared with him my testimony of how God had brought me miraculously to the US and had changed my heart and my life.

He in turn shared how he had turned his back on God and felt his life was a wreck without any hope of finding his way back to his relationship with Jesus. He had become a hopeless drunk. He even passed me a bad check in exchange for a few dollars so he could buy liquor.

After a long heart-to-heart conversation, I told him about the grace and mercy of God and that if he had done it for me, a wretched sinner, he would do it for him also. All he had to do was to repent of his sins and ask forgiveness, and God would accept him back into the relationship and help him to lead a victorious life.

He was truly touched by my words, and his countenance brightened up. He told me to wait for him and that he was going to bring me back a present to thank me.

A few minutes later, he walks to the table with a big black Bible and hands it to me as a gift for having taken the time to listen to his story and given him a ray of hope.

The following Sunday after church, my sponsor friend who had become my spiritual mother, leading me to the Lord, and I were eating in a restaurant. We were finishing our dessert, and I thought it a propitious moment to show her my newly acquired Bible and shared with her the surrounding events that led to my receiving this precious gift.

While leafing through the first pages containing the personal family information of the owner, she exclaimed, “The name of the owner is the same as the man´s sitting at a table not far from ours; I know that man!” Piqued with curiosity and a little overwhelmed by the strange sequence of fortuitous, incredible events happening in such a short time, I got up and introduced myself. Asking him if he recognized the Bible, his face beamed with surprise mixed with emotional intensity as if he had recognized a long lost friend. He replied, “This Bible belongs to me and my family. We lost it 25 years ago.”

I sat down to explain the amazing story of how it came into my possession. He listened carefully, even more awestruck than I was, as I related to him an outline of my spiritual journey, and the details of my past week´s adventure and God´s providential instruction in leading the way and teaching me in a real and unmistakable manner.

As I told him that I was happy to have found his Bible and handed it to him, he graciously offered me to keep it as a token of God´s loving-kindness and care to all involved. He was obviously touched by this testimony of God´s acting on the behalf of his children.

I leave it up to you to see the hand of God in all this and the resulting blessings in the lives of the ones involved. I am sure every one of us was changed in some way. I am also certain that these encounters were the results of personal questions and doubts about the reality of faith and providence of God and answers to prayers.

What happened to that big black Bible? I don´t know where it is right now or how God used it. I gave it to a friend in college as a witness and encouragement after telling him the wonderful story behind it.
Personally, this experience served to solidify in a very real and concrete way the foundations on which my faith is based and provided a pillar of remembrance for times of discouragement, weakness and doubts. Later on as I became more familiar with the scriptures, I found passages and verses confirming my life experiences of the reality and truth of the revelation of a loving Father to his children. I can trust his word as the eternal, unchanging truth, a sure light guiding me on the way. I can trust the Spirit´s promptings as the voice of my Shepherd because, and when, it aligns and concurs with his written word and is confirmed by several witnesses.

One of those verses is Isaiah 55:10-13: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper; and instead of briers, the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”

I thank and praise God my Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for his mercy, his grace and his enduring loving-kindness to us his children and the abundant blessings that he bestows on us every day without any merit on our part. Bless his Holy Name forever.

Jean-Louis

http://lightnseed.blogspot.com/

As President Trump Approaches his Third Year In Office, Christians Need To Be Reminded Why God Put Him There In The First Place

As President Trump Approaches his Third Year In Office, Christians Need To Be Reminded Why God Put Him There In The First Place: In 2008, God began to judge America for her sins by placing Barack Hussein Obama in office. In 2016, God made Donald Trump president to judge the world.

Preparing the Way for Jesus´ Second Coming

Written and published by Jean-Louis Mondon

Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, Build up the highway! Remove the stones.

Raise a banner for the nations. The Lord has made proclamation To the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your Savior comes! See, His reward is with Him, And His recompense accompanies Him". Isaiah 62:10,11.

John the Baptizer was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, the 1st advent, in the power of Elijah.

  

Now we Christians have to do our part to prepare the way of the Lord for His glorious appearing, the second advent. Matthew 3:3 declares:

 “It’s the voice of a man crying in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for Him”. Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1. John the Baptist is the one who would prepare the way according to his father Zacharia´s prophecy in Luke 1:76-79 (NASB):

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
 
Interestingly enough Elijah performed many miracles, but John performed none.

Ways to follow in John´s footsteps and prepare the way for the Lord’s second coming 
As John was preaching repentance and heralding the first coming of Christ in the flesh, so the main work of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus-Christ through words and deeds in preparation for His second Coming as King and Judge of all the earth.

This is what the LORD says:

 “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. 24But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.…

Jesus said: “Among those born of women there is none greater than John, yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he".

 How is it possible?

 

 Here the Lord is making a connection with the attitude of John "He must increase, but I must decrease" John 3:30 and the attitude that should be the distinct characteristic of the servant of God found in Philippians 2:5-8:  
 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

In the eyes of the Savior, humility and faithfulness in announcing the Gospel of Salvation and knowing and obeying the Lord are more important than being perceived as a great spiritual leader by performing miracles, signs and wonders.
 
Here are some ways to be Christlike from Paul´s exhortation to the Philipians to demonstrate a loving attitude and behavior in their midst that caused him to rejoice through their "fellowship of the spirit, affection and compassion":

• Being of the same mind,
• Maintaining the same love,
• United in spirit,
• Intent on one purpose Philipians 2:1-2

Divine agape love is manifested in attitudes perfectly described also by Paul in I Corinthians and through examples of actions throughout the Epistles. 

Lord Jesus, our love supreme example 
In chapter 13 of John, Jesus shows His disciples how to serve one another after having loved those who belonged to Him in this world by soon showing them His sacrificial love on the cross. Obviously, it is the love of Jesus through the Holy Spirit in the believers, for Jesus said: ” Without me you can do nothing." 

These attitudes and actions are based on the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper. The Lord Jesus will never ask us to do something He didn’t demonstrate to us while He was on this earth. 

In John 15:12-14 Jesus reminds us that: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.… "

Paul uses a superlative when he describes the face of love: “And now. I will show you the most excellent way.” I Corinthians 12:31.

Going back to John, chapter 13, verse 1 states that Jesus: “having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love, or he loved them to the last.” Another superlative!

The following scene while He washes the disciples’ feet shows us the example of love in action, first in the Savior’s attitude of humility and then by the practice of service to His disciples. It is in this service to our brothers and sisters in the church, our spiritual family, whatever their needs might be, that we find the answer to the question: “What would Jesus do?"

How did He demonstrate His love for them?
With the right attitude of a servant:

• Kneeling is a posture of humility, respect and readiness for service. 
• Taking his clothes off shows vulnerability (figuratively)
• Acceptance of others, whoever they may be (not the acceptance of, nor participation in their sins or their sinful life style). Ex: Judas who was not  a true believer was not sent away until before Jesus started the teaching on the Holy Spirit which can be shared only with true believers. He not only allowed Judas to partake of the last supper, but He also washed His feet. 
• Focus on the work at hand: Jesus who knew that Judas was about to betray Him didn’t rebuke him and send him away. He was focused and refused to be distracted by His knowledge of the heart of man and the terrible next few days leading up to His death.

Further down, Jesus tells His disciples: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” and elsewhere “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. It is wonderful to receive instructions from our Lord and to get the understanding from the Holy Spirit, but the blessing comes from applying the teaching of life and truth which results in bearing fruit.

Jesus’ teaching is not only about the spiritual side of life but also about practical preparation. The work of God is done on both levels. Luke 12: 42, 43 tells us that the faithful servant feeds the other workers their portion of food, at the right time. But before that, the table must be set, the floor cleaned, the chairs properly arranged. Is it not the duty of the deacons or the persons in charge in the church to make sure that everything is ready in order for the service to begin and for the pastor to feed the flock with the Word of God?

Old Testament examples of preparing the way for others
When Israel was in the desert, the Angel of the Lord went before the people preparing the way for them. The 12 spies were sent to the land before the Israelites were to go in. The 2 spies went to Jericho before the army marched around and defeated its inhabitants. David prepared the way for Solomon to build the temple by giving to him the instructions and the plans that the Lord had revealed to him.
The prophets prepared the way by proclaiming the word of the Lord before a battle or when instructing the people of Israel.

Examples found in the New Testament as well 
Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare the way for the Lord to have the Passover supper with His disciples. In Acts 19:9 the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him not to fear the Corinthians because He had many people in this city. He was preparing the way for Paul to preach, teach and plant churches. And even now the Lord Himself is preparing the way for us to meet Him one day soon and be with Him eternally. He is preparing us a new tabernacle to dwell in, a new glorified body fit for heaven.

Jesus said: “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s kingdom there are many dwelling places, I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am”. What marvelous words of comfort from the very lips of our Lord and Savior!

The Holy Spirit was sent to us to reveal to us the Lord Jesus, His person, His works in us and through us. 

The people of Israel were to follow the presence of the Lord in the ark of the covenant. Now under the new covenant of the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer guiding him, instructing him what to do, where to go, what to say and how to say it just as the Father did with His son Jesus while He was on this earth. 

We will know where to go and what to do because our Lord Jesus delights in revealing His will to His faithful servants who want to do His will and please Him in everything. 
Joshua 3:4-5 (NIV) Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits^[a] between you and the ark; do not go near it.”⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

The Lord has given His body various positions of leadership and various spiritual gifts to help us grow and do works of service, but it is the responsibility of all the members to be diligent and not only serve others, but prepare the way so each of us might serve more effectively.

Ways in which we can prepare the way to help other people       For example, a husband not only helps his wife by praying for her and with her, but also anticipates her needs, physical and emotional. He can relieve the burden of a hard day, by helping her with the household chores or taking care of the children. This is not only washing her feet and washing with the water of the word, but preparing the path on which she will walk more safely, surely and securely.

Let's remember that we are sheep and we follow, but also shepherds who go in front of whoever the Lord has given us to watch over and to prepare the way for them to follow the great and good Shepherd more closely. We can also warn the people of the many stumbling blocks and traps from the enemy, remove the stones, so to speak and make their paths smoother.

A neighbor can do the same by praying for a neighbor’s salvation and provides some help and fellowship in order to show them the love of Christ and witness to them and invite them to church.

All this can be done to prepare the way for the Lord coming. This is a way to help all parts of the body of Christ, our brothers and sisters to grow into the fullness that the Lord intended for us.

Someone helped us and prepared the way by showing us kindness and talking to us about the Lord Jesus and how to be saved. May each of us do the same and in this way fulfill the commands of our Lord to reproduce and produce good fruits for His kingdom and His glory.

In closing, here is a quote from the New Testament looking forward to the time in which the Lord will bring down the New Jerusalem from Heaven:

In Revelation, we find the same words of promise spoken in Isaiah by the Savior Himself:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me And I will give to everyone According to what he has done… Blessed are those who wash their robes That they may have the right to the tree of life And go through the gates into the city”. Revelation 22:12,14.

Amen, Come Lord Jesus.

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The Poison of False Teachings - Updated and Revised

An International Perspective on Global Spiritual Contamination
 by Jean-Louis Mondon

A few years ago, I was researching for an article I was writing on the subject of  “The Poison of False Teachings”. I found an interesting comment related to the theme posted by a brother on a French site “VoxDei”. The comment might be sufficient to illustrate the main idea of my article since I cannot locate the original French text. See the additional commentary below.

My original article was written in the spring of 2005 when I had just come back from my second trip to Brazil. While shopping in a Christian bookstore, I was surprised and dismayed to see the same books we could find on the racks of most Christian and secular bookstores in the US. They were translated and sold quickly because of their popularity in the US. Needless to say, discernment is absent and sorely lacking from a lot of Central and South American Churches

Back in the US, I was hit with the news that the conservative church I was attending since 2001 had started a Sunday School study program with Warren´s book “Purpose Driven Church”. I was helping the Pastor in the Hispanic mission and after talking to him about the book, he invited me to teach a class on the New Age Movement and false teachings instead of Rick Warren´s book. Our Hispanic brothers were very receptive, the discussions were lively and interesting often expanding on other ramifications of the deceptive nature of other Christian emergent and other "movements" and their misleading doctrines. 

I could sense a real hunger and thirst for knowledge and the need to be equipped to expose the lies when they were witnessing to people in the community. I was greatly helped in my research by Warren B. Smith´s first edition of his book “Deceived on Purpose” that can be purchased at “Lighthouse Trail Research”

While still in the US, I started blogging about the same time as the book “The Shack” by Paul Young was received so openly with great fanfare in the Christian Community since after all it was only fiction and we christians also need to be entertained by writers who are not teaching doctrine, but simply are using their God-given inspiration in relating true experiences so touching and personal that they resonate with the majority of readers. Hoorah for sanctified imagination!

Well, back to the present with a movie based on “The Shack” and the recent release of another book “ Lies we believe about God” which doesn´t leave a lot of wiggle room as to the intent in writing his first book. Find the excellent review by the “Lighthouse Trail Research” where you can also purchase the new booklet “The Shack and its New Age Leaven HERE   http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=12290

              __________________________________________________

The Poison of False Teachings

The ever pressing need for spiritual discernment in today´s church.

The following is an illustration demonstrating the process of contamination. (Based on my own experiences both physical and spiritual as a flower grower and supervisor on a  chrysanthemums flower ranch in S. California.)

Setting the stage

A greenhouse full of flowers and plants.

It´s time to fertilize the plants to help them grow and to become strong and beautiful.

Equipment needed:

A tank for mixing, water, a pump and a hose with a nozzle to carry the water and fertilizer mixture under pressure to spray the plants.

Worker´s equipment:

Waterproof  protective suit, boots, gloves and a protective respirator mask.

Fertilizer: (Percentage not accurate, solely used for the story).

Chemical contents in a paper bag in soluble powder form.

Inert ingredients: 99.5 %

Active ingredients: 0.5 %

Instructions:

Fill the tank, dilute the appropriate dose of fertilizer and start spraying the plants.

Expected results:

Plant growth.

Change of scene

Now let´s imagine a scenario in which instead of fertilizer somebody inadvertently, without paying attention to the warning on the label or perhaps intentionally would mix an insecticide or pesticide to the water.

Everything stays the same, the place, the worker, the plants and flowers, the water, the equipment, even the inert ingredients in equal measure, everything, except the 0.5 percent (more or less) of the lethal amount of poison for the plants.

What would be the effect on the plants?  At least, they would wilt, become yellow, lose their vigor, their beauty and even dies if the insecticide concentration was strong enough.

Now let´s change the scene once again.

Let´s imagine any church building. We see the building, the people, the praise group or choir, the musical instruments, the pulpit and the pastor preaching from the word of God, the Bible. 

Or it could be a Sunday school or a home group meeting in which the leader and participants share their testimonies, stories or illustrations aimed at helping the group understand the lesson.

So you see the parallel with the situation in the greenhouse.

Every time someone (the worker spraying the plants) brings the Word of God and explains it simply, clearly and faithfully the Scriptures under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the listeners (represented by the plants) grow in wisdom, understanding, love, inner strength, etc. and are consoled, encouraged in all the aspects of  Christian living if they practice the lessons of the Scriptures with diligence and obedience to the Lord´s words and his commands.

The stories, illustrations, parables, poems and personal testimonies can be compared to the inert ingredients that help to carry the biblical message to the participants. They are neutral and serve as a framework for the spiritual content.  They can be interesting, fascinating, but what provides the growth in the Christian hearer is the powerful and penetrating Word of God that operates a work of conversion in the sinner, purifying the human heart and spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who through the Word illuminates, establishes and edifies by giving him or her light, strength, peace and consolation. The list of blessings and benefits of the Word of God in the life of the believers is inexhaustible.

The Word of God is so filled with life, power and so efficacious that just one verse of the Bible is enough to change a hard and impenetrable heart, to open the mind and change the  life of a man and to draw him from death to eternal life, from darkness into His marvelous light by the power of the Holy Spirit who applies the Word of Life in the heart of the sinner and operates His invisible and yet manifest work. Jesus said: “my words, they are life and they are spirit”.

New change of scenario.

Here we have the same situation, the same building, the same congregation, the same praise group, instruments, pulpit, the same pastors, The same Bible, everything is similar.

It could happen that some illustrations, poems or stories accompanying the message or the biblical lesson contain doubtful and imperceptible doctrinal elements and false teaching, read from a book or watched and remembered from a radio or a TV program. Or even worse, a deliberate departure, addition to or subtraction, or distortion from the very meaning of the words, verse or context, an action forbidden by God himself  who made this very clear in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

Let´s suppose that the person doing it lacks discernment and speaks with no knowledge of the origin, nature or the impact of what he is relating. It does not matter, the effect can still have devastating consequences in the life of the people who hear, absorb and assimilate the teaching because poison is poison even in small quantities, even coming from a well-intentioned person.  Depending on the vulnerability and lack of discernment of the believer the influence and its effect will be more or less serious.

In the church, our Father God gave us everything we need, the structures, the equipment, the pastors, the teachers, the brothers and sisters participating in the worship. He gave the breath and the voice to praise him, to proclaim his message of love and pardon, our mind and heart to receive, believe and share the good news of the Gospel. This Word, and the practice of good works that the Father entrusts to our responsibility helps us to grow, mature and  to be conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus. His Word is pure and cannot be mixed with anything  else that is impure. 

A teaching that is contrary to the Word of God is poison to our soul. We must not allow our mouth to transmit what is poisonous (venom coming from the  serpent mouth) to others ears.

Pastors and teachers, of course, bear a greater measure of responsibility when it comes down to exercising wisdom and prudence towards preaching and teaching the Word of God. Indeed, every Christian ought to use the Word (written) as a filtration system to judge what is good and true (see Acts 17:11 as Paul talks about the noble Bereans) when spiritual teaching is involved. The Scriptures along with the help of the Holy Spirit help us to discern and to protect our minds from error and we must handle them as offensive weapon to combat the lies and wiles of the adversary.

  

Antidote, protection, discernment of the Spirit and preserving our freedom in Christ.

The best antidote if we inadvertently or willingly swallowed spiritual poison is the truth of Word of God that purifies us (Eph. 5:26-27). Interestingly enough the hope of seeing our Lord and waiting expectantly for his soon return purifies us also. (I John 3:3). 
Confessing our participating in the process is important to be cleansed according to 1 John 1:9:  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Deception by false teachers involves both false teachers and those with itching ears who prop them on a pedestal that will eventually be exposed and fall. Unfortunately, the followers will suffer great harm and suffering when their eyes are finally opened. I am speaking from my own experience. 
Matthew 15:14: "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

The Word of God is compared to bread. Jesus warned us that our bread must be kept from any addition of the yeast of the Pharisees that is hypocrisy when we embrace the position and conduct of those who spread false teachings and add burdens that the Lord himself has not given us. It is interesting to note that the leavening that the baker uses to make the bread rise can only be effective in a lukewarm environment described perfectly in the spiritual condition of the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation.  Yeast cannot survive or thrive in hot or cold temperatures which neutralize its active properties. It is enough to observe the effects to recognize the causes. 

Zeal without knowledge is unprofitable. Prov. 19:2; Romans 19:2.

Knowledge without love puffs up like yeast.

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. I Corinthians 8:1.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?  That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.  “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”  I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. Galatians 5: 6-10.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:12-16.

In conclusion, here is a strong word of exhortation to love and walk in the Spirit in order to preserve the freedom to which we were called and for which Christ died.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.  So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:13-18.

        _____________________________________________________

 Additional commentary on the effects of the spiritual contamination of false teachings.

Philippe, a French blogger shared the following in a comment: (Translation by this blogger)

"I found an article on false doctrines with the following passage with a  good explanation of the mixture with false teachings.

In the Greek text of 1 Thessalonians, the name for the impurity rising to the top through the infiltration of an erroneous teaching is “Akatharsis”. The opposite term in Greek is Katharsis, from which the English name “Catharsis” is derived. This term does not mean impure in the sense of “our sin not being washed”. (In that case, a very different  word  “Absolusio” would be used, where we get the term “Absolution” from.)

It does not mean either “separate the evil and hold on to the good”. The Septuagint translates this from the Hebrew text with the meaning of “take the good from the evil”, using again another Greek word “Ekagageis” found in Jeremiah 15:19. The impurity of "Akatharsis" means that there is a mixture that cannot be washed and for which there exists no efficient process of separation. In "Katharsis", there is a purifying form of some substance. However in Akatharsis, we find something which is a mixture of pure and impure.

This mixing is not simply something superficial that can be washed away. We are dealing with an homogeneous blend that needs to be discarded and totally replaced.

It seems impossible to me once the leaven incorporated to the dough has risen to separate the flour from the leaven.

Therefore, we must leave the churches that spread false doctrines, because it is impossible to change them.

We need to leave them before we become contaminated ourselves."

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For a deeper study of the passage in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, link to 1Thessalonians 5:22—The Sin Sniffer’s Catch-All Verse