But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. – Mark 11:25 (NLT)
Day 29 “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more...
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”
– 1 Peter 1:15
Psalm 119:9-16 (AMPC)
9 How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed and keeping watch {on himself} according to Your word {conforming his life to it}.
10 With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; Oh, let me not wander or step aside {either in ignorance or willfully} from Your commandments.
11 Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared and recounted all the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts and have respect to Your ways {the paths of life marked out by Your law}.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
1 John 1:5-10 (AMPC)
5 And this is the message {the message of promise} which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all {no, not in any way}.
6 {So} if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are {both} speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth {which the Gospel presents}.
7 But if we {really} are living and walking in the Light, as He {Himself} is in the Light, we have {true, unbroken} fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt {keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations}.
8 If we say we have no sin {refusing to admit that we are sinners}, we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth {which the Gospel presents} is not in us {does not dwell in our hearts}.
9 If we {freely} admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins {dismiss our lawlessness} and {continuously} cleanse us from all unrighteousness {everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action}.
10 If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us {the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts}.
Do you remember when you were little, how you’d be getting ready to go somewhere and your parents would give you reminders to behave yourself? Maybe they told you not to touch anything or not to run around. Maybe they’d remind you to say, “please” and “thank you.” Your parents did that because they knew that’s the right way to behave. Your parents love you and they wanted to be sure that you were doing what was right. It’s also because they knew that if you didn’t behave, people would think that your parents didn’t know how to teach you what’s right. Your behavior is not just a reflection of you. It can also be a reflection of your parents.
In this verse, Peter was telling those who follow Jesus, “Behave yourselves! God has called you to be His children. As God’s child, you should act like your Father and He is holy.” Holy means to be pure and right. If we are God’s children, the things we do and say should be a reflection of God our Father. How do we make sure that our behavior is pure and right? By spending time in God’s Word. God’s Word will teach us how we should live, and it will strengthen us so that we will want to choose to live in a way that is pure and right.
If there is an area of your life where you know you are not doing what’s right, and you want to change, be sure you are spending time in God’s Word every day. Seek out someone who will pray with you and encourage you to do what’s right.
As Pastor Paul has said, “it’s easier to uproot an acorn than an oak tree.” Don’t give sin a chance to grow. Instead, spend time in God’s Word daily and you will grow in the things that reflect the nature and character of your Heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” We have a wonderful Father in Heaven! When we live our lives in a way that is pure and right, we give Him the glory He deserves.
Confession for today: “Father God, thank You for loving me. Thank You for accepting me as Your child. I want to do what is pure and right. Show me the areas in my life that are not pleasing to You. Help me to grow and change so that I live in a way that reflects who You are and gives You the glory You deserve.”
