Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,389
“Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (1 Peter 4:15-19 NASB1995)
What is a “Christian”? A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, who follows (obeys) the teachings of Christ. And to be a follower of Christ means to be his disciple. And a disciple of Christ is a believer, a supporter, a devotee, and an adherent of Christ and of his teachings. They are those who obey, uphold, defend, and advocate for Christ, for who he was and is, for what he did for us on that cross, and for his teachings, and who aim to be more like him. A Christian is not someone who merely professes to believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said this: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30 NASB1995)
For to hear his voice is not just to audibly hear him, but it is to listen to him. And to listen to him means that we pay close attention to his words to hear them and to obey them. An example of this should be understood by anyone who has ever been a parent of a small child. You talk to the child, but it is like your words are going nowhere, and so you say to the child, “Are you listening to me?” What is meant by the parent is, “Are you paying attention to my words, to take them into your mind, and then to do what they say?”
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
But there are many people in this world calling themselves “Christians,” who do so for many different reasons. Some do so for nefarious purposes, either because they are trying to gain support from the Christian community, and/or because they are wolves in sheep’s clothing who have entered the sheepfold by another way, and for the express purpose to deceive and to teach them lies in hope that they will now follow and believe the lies, and that they will reject Jesus’s teachings. And they’ve been very successful.
Many have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ, believing all their sins are now forgiven, and that heaven is secured them for eternity, but who are not listening to the Lord, for they are not his true sheep, for they are not following him in obedience to his commands, but they are still living to please the flesh and are continuing to do what is evil in the sight of God. They may call themselves “Christians,” but biblically speaking they are not Christians, for they are not disciples of Christ, for they go their own way.
So, the passage of Scripture here is definitely making a division between those who suffer as murderers, thieves, and as evildoers, and those who suffer because they are Christians, as the Bible defines “Christian,” and not as the world does. So if you profess faith in Jesus Christ, but sin is still your practice, and not obedience to God, but you suffer, it is not because you are a Christian, even if you profess to be one. You could be suffering for all sorts of reasons, and even because you are living in sin while professing Christ.
So if the judgment of God first begins with us who believe in Jesus Christ, what does that mean, in context? Well, the context is the testing of our faith via trials and tribulations which come to us to test us to see if our faith is genuine, or to strengthen us in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord, to teach us to rely on God and not on ourselves, and to cut out of our lives any weak areas. The trials either grow us or they destroy us, depending upon how we respond to them. But let them grow you, and not destroy you.
What they have done for me is to make me stronger and more determined to search out the truth, to stand by the truth, strong against the lies, to refute the lies of the enemy, and to continue boldly, in the strength of the Lord, to keep speaking the truth of the gospel, and to not give way to the enemy of my soul or to any human being who would try to convince me to back down and to “lighten up” and to not take life so seriously. And this is why I am who I am doing what God has called me to do for his glory.
[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]
His Tender Mercies
An Original Work / January 26, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Fear not! I’m with you.
Be not dismayed!
God watches o’er you.
Trust Him today.
He’ll lead and guide you;
Give you His aid.
He’ll love and keep you
With Him always.
Walk in His footsteps.
He’ll lead the way.
Trust in His love;
Believe that He cares.
He will not leave you.
Faithful He’ll be.
His tender mercies
Now you will see.
Fellowship with Him
Throughout the day.
Tell Him your heartaches.
He’ll heal always.
Rest in His comfort.
He is your friend.
Your faith He’ll strengthen,
True to the end.
According to The Will of God
An Original Work / November 1, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
What is a “Christian”? A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, who follows (obeys) the teachings of Christ. And to be a follower of Christ means to be his disciple. And a disciple of Christ is a believer, a supporter, a devotee, and an adherent of Christ and of his teachings. They are those who obey, uphold, defend, and advocate for Christ, for who he was and is, for what he did for us on that cross, and for his teachings, and who aim to be more like him. A Christian is not someone who merely professes to believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said this: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30 NASB1995)
For to hear his voice is not just to audibly hear him, but it is to listen to him. And to listen to him means that we pay close attention to his words to hear them and to obey them. An example of this should be understood by anyone who has ever been a parent of a small child. You talk to the child, but it is like your words are going nowhere, and so you say to the child, “Are you listening to me?” What is meant by the parent is, “Are you paying attention to my words, to take them into your mind, and then to do what they say?”
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
But there are many people in this world calling themselves “Christians,” who do so for many different reasons. Some do so for nefarious purposes, either because they are trying to gain support from the Christian community, and/or because they are wolves in sheep’s clothing who have entered the sheepfold by another way, and for the express purpose to deceive and to teach them lies in hope that they will now follow and believe the lies, and that they will reject Jesus’s teachings. And they’ve been very successful.
Many have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ, believing all their sins are now forgiven, and that heaven is secured them for eternity, but who are not listening to the Lord, for they are not his true sheep, for they are not following him in obedience to his commands, but they are still living to please the flesh and are continuing to do what is evil in the sight of God. They may call themselves “Christians,” but biblically speaking they are not Christians, for they are not disciples of Christ, for they go their own way.
So, the passage of Scripture here is definitely making a division between those who suffer as murderers, thieves, and as evildoers, and those who suffer because they are Christians, as the Bible defines “Christian,” and not as the world does. So if you profess faith in Jesus Christ, but sin is still your practice, and not obedience to God, but you suffer, it is not because you are a Christian, even if you profess to be one. You could be suffering for all sorts of reasons, and even because you are living in sin while professing Christ.
So if the judgment of God first begins with us who believe in Jesus Christ, what does that mean, in context? Well, the context is the testing of our faith via trials and tribulations which come to us to test us to see if our faith is genuine, or to strengthen us in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord, to teach us to rely on God and not on ourselves, and to cut out of our lives any weak areas. The trials either grow us or they destroy us, depending upon how we respond to them. But let them grow you, and not destroy you.
What they have done for me is to make me stronger and more determined to search out the truth, to stand by the truth, strong against the lies, to refute the lies of the enemy, and to continue boldly, in the strength of the Lord, to keep speaking the truth of the gospel, and to not give way to the enemy of my soul or to any human being who would try to convince me to back down and to “lighten up” and to not take life so seriously. And this is why I am who I am doing what God has called me to do for his glory.
[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]
His Tender Mercies
An Original Work / January 26, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Fear not! I’m with you.
Be not dismayed!
God watches o’er you.
Trust Him today.
He’ll lead and guide you;
Give you His aid.
He’ll love and keep you
With Him always.
Walk in His footsteps.
He’ll lead the way.
Trust in His love;
Believe that He cares.
He will not leave you.
Faithful He’ll be.
His tender mercies
Now you will see.
Fellowship with Him
Throughout the day.
Tell Him your heartaches.
He’ll heal always.
Rest in His comfort.
He is your friend.
Your faith He’ll strengthen,
True to the end.
According to The Will of God
An Original Work / November 1, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
