The Unleavened Bread of Sincerity & Truth

Ann Coulter landed in Greenville several weeks ago and made her way up to Furman University for an evening speaking engagement. She came equipped with the usual - the long blond hair, the long legs barely covered by a mini-skirt, and probably a few packs of cigarettes. One thing she definitely brought with her was her most vital asset - that sharp, rapier-like tongue that slices and dices all of her foes. Newspaper reports indicate that there was a raucous crowd present for the event. There is no doubt that the words dripping from her mouth whipped the faithful followers into a frenzy. Her detractors were likely infuriated and incensed. Many people love listening to Ann Coulter and other commentators like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Neal Boortz. A lot of devoted listeners like them because they believe they are telling the real truth. On the other hand, former Vice-President Al Gore has his followers. They believe in “an inconvenient truth.”

We in the Church of God believe the truth – but it is not the same as what Al Gore and Ann Coulter advocate as truth. Interestingly, the apostle Paul wrote about truth in association with the observance of the seven days of Unleavened Bread.

1 Corinthians 5:8
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.

This scripture shows us that truth is important in keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread. But it is not just any old thought or idea dressed up as truth. Paul here uses the word sincerity in connection with truth. Strong’s Concordance gives these definitions of the Greek word translated “sincerity”: “pure,… clear,… tested as genuine.” Vines’ Lexicon adds: “unmixed,… not contaminated,… not corrupt.” Truth mixed with impurities, falsehoods, and contaminated ideas is no longer truth – it is a lie.

One of the lessons of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is that we must daily partake of uncorrupted truth; truth pure and clear; truth that is not distorted or twisted or spun; truth that has stood the test and is real and genuine. The truth God wants us to feed on has no contaminants and is not the mixture of truth and error that Adam and Eve fed on in the Garden of Eden. And it does not consist of the philosophies and ideas promoted by political pundits on talk radio and TV. If we feed on their truth, the fruit that will be produced in our lives will be constant wranglings, arguments, and debate. We will be constantly engaged in strife to no profit.

What is Truth?

But what is truth? Pilate asked Christ that question (John 18:38). Many today are confused and mixed up and have no clue what the truth is. Some believe there is no such thing as “the truth.” We do not have to guess or be mixed up. God inspired David to record the clear answer to the question of “What is truth?” in Psalm 119.

“… Your law is truth.” (Psalms 119:142)

“…all Your commandments are truth.” (Psalms 119:151)

“The entirety of Your word is truth...” (Psalms 119:160)

How Important is Truth to God?

David wrote in his psalm of repentance, “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts…” (Psalms 51:6). God wants truth written on our hearts and minds. It must be the basis of our thoughts and our actions. Further, Christ said that belief in the truth is what distinguishes the true worshipers of God from the false.

John 4:23-24
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

The truth is key to the right worship of God. Believing false teachings keeps us from fully worshipping God. Christ further explained the importance of truth in John 17:17.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

The truth sanctifies us. It sets us a part. It identifies real Christians.

A Process

We eat unleavened bread for seven days to teach us that our salvation and our growing in truth is a whole life process. Before these days started, we removed the physical leaven. We examined ourselves spiritually and identified the wrong and harmful that needed to be removed. We saw what was impure and corrupt in our lives. After remembering Christ’s sacrifice for our corrupt ways, we began these days. These Days of Unleavened Bread impress upon us the reality that we must feed on what is pure and not distorted – or the old man, the way of corruption, will grow right back.

To become a complete Christian as pictured by these days, our lives must be dedicated to acquiring the truth. Scripture backs this up. We must know the truth, believe the truth, and do the truth.

1 Timothy 2:3-4
… God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
… God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,

1 Peter 1:22
… you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit

Truth is foundational. Truth is what God uses to build us and form us. Partaking of truth into the inward parts helps us build the new man; it nourishes the Spirit within. As we partake of uncorrupted truth for seven days during the Days of Unleavened Bread, we demonstrate that we want to live our lives based on that truth. We picture that we will live our entire lives from spiritual begettal to our last breath in pursuit of being filled up with the truth.

And what will be the end result of our abiding in the Word of God (John 8:31-32) and feeding on His truth?

Ephesians 4:13-16
¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ —

These Days of Unleavened Bread picture the process of spiritual maturing that we go through. As we grow in truth, we grow up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We take on the very nature of the One who sacrificed Himself for us. We become perfect and complete.

The Days of Unleavened Bread teach us to feed on truth daily – not the truth on the internet, talk radio, or in gossip and rumor.

Ephesians 4:20-24
²⁰ But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Let’s always keep the feast - and live our lives - with sincerity and truth!