Love is not Puffed Up
Preached by Apostle Aje Pelser, Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town, 20/06/99; Aug. 2026
1st Corinthians 13:4 – “love is not puffed up.”
Strongs #5448 – “blowing to inflate; to make proud; haughty; make arrogant.”
1st Corinthians 8:1 “Knowledge puffs up but love edifies (builds up.)”
The Problem
In the Corinthian church, Apostle Paul was dealing with sexual immorality cases. When he rebuked them for their misdeeds, the right response would have been that they mourned and then the deed and its consequences would have been removed through the process of repentance.
1 John 1:7-9
Instead, their wrong action was that they became puffed up with the result that the apostle had to deliver the culprits over to Satan so that they would wake up and eventually repent and gert saved.
The Lesson:
Glorying in sinful actions is not good for anyone.
A little leaven, or yeast, which refers to sin and haughtiness in this case, can infect the whole lump of dough. Paul did not want this one culprit to become a rotten apple that affects the the whole bunch.
“Leaven speaks of fermentation, the corrupting power of evil yeast of sin that can spread if unchecked.” Donald Pickering, Life Bible College, California. NKJV Commentary.
Purge the old leaven – create a new lump not infected or puffed up by sin.
During the Passover Feast, Jesus broke unleavened bread with his disciples and said take eat this is my body that broken for you.
Paul reiterates, we who are many, are one body for we all partake of one bread.
Communion is a wonderful opportunity to purge leaven from our church and families.
Christ has become our Passover and sacrifice for our sin and He has removed the leaven of pride and sin. Jesus warned against the leaven of the Pharisees.
We are also encouraged to keep the feast of Jesus with sincerity and truth, not with leaven, nor with malice.
The Antidote of Leaven and being Puffed Up:
Sincerity and truth.
Romans 12 – don’t think more highly of yourself, but think soberly accordingly to your measure of faith.
We are one body but many members with different functions. Gravitate to the orbit of function that you are drawn to in the body of believers.
2 Corinthains 10: Learn to cast down thoughts that puff you up and bring them into captivity to Christ.
Operate in love that rather builds up people and the situations you are in, versus breaking people down with your words and operating in puffed up pride that causes us to fall and miss the mark of God for our lives.
Philippians 2
Pray for the mind of Christ to be in us and learn to esteem others higher than self.
Three Actionable Points
- Purge the old leaven. Do not glory in sinful actions or haughtiness; respond to correction with mourning, repentance, sincerity and truth so the whole body is not infected.
- Think soberly and stay in your measure of faith. Do not think more highly of yourself, but gravitate to the orbit of function God has given you in the body of believers.
- Operate in love that builds up. Cast down puffed-up thoughts, bring them into captivity to Christ, esteem others higher than self, and use words that build people and situations rather than break them down.