07/09/2026
SIN GROWS BEST IN THE DARK
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:1–8
“Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?”
1 Corinthians 5:6
Quote
“Walking in the light is the willingness to know and be known.”
East African Revival tradition
Devotion
The most frightening thing in Corinth was not that sin had entered the Church. Sin has always tried to enter the Church because sinners are the people Christ came to save. The tragedy was that sin had entered, settled down and found people willing to defend its presence.
Paul says, “And you are proud!”
They had mistaken silence for grace. They thought refusing to confront sin made them enlightened. Yet the grace of God does not teach us how to accommodate what is destroying us. It brings forgiveness, then leads us into freedom.
Paul compares sin to yeast. Only a little is needed. Once hidden inside the dough, it quietly works through the whole lump. That is how habitual sin grows. It begins with an act, survives through secrecy and finally builds a home within us. What could have been confessed becomes concealed; what is concealed becomes repeated; and what is repeated eventually begins to rule us.
Our fathers and mothers in the East African Revival understood this danger. In the Tukutendereza fellowships, they called confession “walking in the light.” A believer struggling with sin did not remain alone behind a respectable Christian appearance. They confessed before trusted brethren, sought prayer, made restitution where another person had been wronged and remained accountable until the grip of that sin was broken. Confession was not entertainment, and people were not encouraged to broadcast intimate details carelessly. It was the deliberate refusal to give sin somewhere dark to hide. This practice of confession, restitution and accountable fellowship became one of the defining marks of the Revival.
Perhaps this is what many Christians have lost. We confess generally enough to remain comfortable: “Lord, forgive all my sins.” But healing often begins when the sin is given its proper name. Pride. Bitterness. Adultery. Dishonesty. Jealousy. Addiction. Unforgiveness. What remains unnamed can easily remain unchallenged.
Paul then brings us to the source of our hope: “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” The blood of Christ does not merely cover yesterday’s guilt; it opens the door into a different life. We can step into the light because the One waiting there is the Lamb who was slain for us.
The question, therefore, is not whether we have something to hide. The question is whether we are still determined to hide it.
Sin grows best in the dark. Freedom begins when we walk in the light.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb, give me courage to walk in the light. Show me what I have concealed, excused or refused to confront. Lead me to true confession, sincere repentance and, where necessary, restitution. Give me trustworthy brethren who will pray with me, speak truth to me and help me remain faithful. By Your precious blood, break every habit of sin and restore to me the joy of a clean heart. Amen.
Benediction
May the light of Christ expose every work of darkness; may His precious blood cleanse you from all sin; and may the Holy Spirit keep you in sincerity, truth and faithful fellowship, now and always. Amen.
