Pictured during the Days of Unleavened Bread is the desire of putting sin out of our lives. Leaven is pictured as sin which if not dealt with can cause us to lose out on salvation. So it is a very important thing for us to remove sin from our lives and keep it out!
Since a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:9), and leaven is likened to sin, it’s crucial for us to remove it from our lives. Leaven, as sin, is similar to a rotten apple on the top of a barrel of good apples. If it is not removed in time the bad apple will rot all the good ones.
The importance of putting sin out is crucial for maintaining a good relationship with God, since sin acts as a barrier and a resistance in our communication with God. It impedes our prayers and God tells us that He does not hear sinners, that is, those who are practicing sin and are making no effort to remove it from their lives.
John 9:31 states: “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears Him.”
Someone doing the will of God is someone who is obeying God and keeping the commandments. We, as God’s people, fall short of the mark on occasion and sin. However, upon repentance we are forgiven. We also need to seek the spiritual help from God to keep sin out of our lives—which the Days of Unleavened Bread picture. Seven is often pictured as the number of completion; therefore, we need to work towards keeping sin completely out of our lives during the seven days of this Feast.
These days and the days prior to Passover are like a stop sign—an opportunity to examine ourselves, to slow down from our hectic lifestyles and reflect on just where we are.
We all live busy lives but there is a time to reflect on our progress in keeping sin out and make a real examination of ourselves. It takes this reflection to at times flush out sins that we may be overlooking and which are impeding our prayers and relationship with God.
God is so merciful and ready to forgive upon real repentance, and He is willing for a renewed relationship with us if we have fallen a little short of the mark.
Let’s remember that neglect of prayer will weaken our connection with God. On many occasions Christ went to a private place to pray, to strengthen and maintain His connection with His Father. He knew that God always heard His prayers, since He was sinless and there were no obstacles in the way for His prayers not to be heard.
Putting sin out and keeping it out is not a one-time occurrence, but a continual walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who set us a perfect example of living and maintaining a relationship with God. So let’s ensure that we are staying on the narrow path which leads to eternal life.
