Scripture: 1 John 1: 5-9

⁵ This is the message we heard from Jesus^[c] and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. ⁶ So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. ⁷ But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

Scripture Commentary: God sees a lying heart.

“Mirror on the wall, can I truly lie to you at all?” Yes, you can but you know you are lying. So, if you cannot lie to yourself, how can you lie to God? You can’t.

When God asks you a question, He already knows the answer. 1 John 1 is saying that if you are a Christian on the outside but are living a sinful life, you are not practicing the truth.

We aren’t perfect and never will be; however, we must try to follow Christ as best we can and not be hypocrites. Anything we do in the dark should we should also be able to do in the light.

Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that what you are doing is OK when the Holy Spirit says no. We can’t love God and court sin. Christ exposes and judges such deceit.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

1 John 1

Read Other Commentary from 1 John:

Do Not Believe Everything You Hear

Jesus Is the Christ, Born of God

Scripture: John 15: 1-2, 5

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 

Scripture Commentary: We are all branches that belong to the vine of Jesus.

Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. God is the gardener who cares for us. God sent Jesus to show us the way to His kingdom. You are a fruitful disciple of our Lord by following Christ and spreading the gospel.

Go into the world and take His message. Don’t just go to church and do nothing else. If you are the latter, you are unproductive. Don’t become the branch that is cut off from the vine and thrown away. Be the branch that is pruned so it can bear much fruit.

The harvest is great; the workers are few.

Those who won’t bear fruit for God or who try to block the growth of God’s followers will be cut off from His life-giving love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. The harvest is great; the workers are few.

Are you in God’s vineyard, harvesting for Him, or are you just there looking around with your hands in your pockets?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John 15

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John:

Do You Know the Way to Heaven?

Jesus Is the Living Water

Scripture: Psalm 100

¹ Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! ² Worship the Lord with gladness.    Come before him, singing with joy. ³ Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his.^[a] We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Scripture Commentary: God made us in His image.

Church, the building, is the structure made by human hands where we go to worship God. God made us. The true church is our body, which is the temple God created. Are you honoring His creation by caring for it or are you neglecting His house?

God is our Creator; we did not create ourselves.

Many people live as though they are the creator and center of their own little world. This mindset is earthly. When you realize this body – this life – is a gift from God, you should want to give to others as God has given to you.

God alone is worthy to be worshipped.

Do you get up in the morning praising and thanking God for watching over you during the night and for giving you this day? Psalm 100 tells us to “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!  Worship the Lord with gladness.    Come before him, singing with joy.” How are you starting your day? With or without God?

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Psalms:

Take Shelter in the Lord for Every Storm

Praise Ye the Lord, Place Your Trust in Him

You Are My God; Earnestly I Seek You

Search Me, God, And Know Me