Paul asks two piercing questions:
“Do ye not know that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”
— 1 Corinthians 5:6
“Why are ye subject to ordinances?”
— Colossians 2:20
Those questions are not random.
They are pastoral.
They are protective.
They are powerful.
Because grace is not only about what we believe.
Grace teaches us how to live.
1. “A Little Leaven…”
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul confronts sin inside the local assembly.
He warns:
A little leaven
affects the whole lump.
Leaven spreads.
Quietly.
Influentially.
Completely.
Under grace, we are not casual about sin.
Not because we fear losing salvation.
But because we understand identity.
We are the Body of Christ.
We are indwelt by the Spirit.
We are called to walk worthy.
Grace does not excuse corruption.
Grace confronts it.
Lovingly.
Firmly.
Clearly.
2. “Why Are Ye Subject to Ordinances?”
In Colossians 2, Paul addresses something different.
Not immorality.
But legalism.
“Touch not; taste not; handle not…” (Col. 2:21)
Rules.
Regulations.
Religious restrictions.
Paul asks:
Why are you submitting to that system?
You are dead with Christ.
You are risen with Christ.
You are complete in Him (Col. 2:10).
Why return to shadows
when you have the substance?
Right division matters here.
We are not Israel under Sinai.
We are not under feast days.
We are not under ceremonial law.
We are under grace.
3. Grace Guards Both Extremes
Notice the balance.
Grace protects from:
• Moral compromise (1 Cor. 5)
• Religious bondage (Col. 2)
Grace says:
Don’t tolerate sin.
Don’t submit to legalism.
Stand in liberty.
Walk in holiness.
Both matter.
Because grace teaches.
“The grace of God… teaching us…” (Titus 2:11–12)
Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness.
Grace teaches us to live soberly.
Grace teaches us to rest in Christ — not rituals.
4. What This Means for Us
We do not:
• Excuse sin in the name of grace
• Add law in the name of holiness
We do:
• Walk by the Spirit
• Live from identity
• Guard the purity of the assembly
• Reject man-made ordinances
Grace is not passive.
Grace is transformative.
It changes what we believe.
It changes how we live.
So let Paul’s questions search your heart:
Is there leaven that needs addressing?
Are there ordinances you’ve allowed to bind you?
Grace has already given you:
Freedom from sin’s dominion.
Freedom from religious bondage.
Live in that freedom.
Stand fast in that liberty.
And let grace do what Law never could —
Teach you how to live.
