It Profits Me Nothing

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NKJV

 

“1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

 

But Have Not Love

 

The word for love here in the Greek is agapé, and it means “to prefer,” especially with regard to preferring what God prefers. And what God prefers is all that is holy, just, upright, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to him and to his commands. So this is love which centers in moral preference which is not dependent on our feelings (our emotions). We love others whether our emotions are feeling it or not. For we are to love others even when we are mistreated, hated, betrayed, and slandered by them.

 

Therefore, if we have not love, it would be the opposite of this, would it not? It would mean to not prefer what God prefers, i.e. to not make godliness, holiness, righteousness, moral purity, honesty, faithfulness, and obedience to God’s commands our personal preference, i.e. what we desire most of all above all else. So that would indicate that something else was what we preferred, instead. It would indicate that our primary desires are of the flesh, and not of God, and that they are self-serving, in place of God.

 

So, what would that look like if we “have not love,” even though we appear to be operating in the gifts of the Spirit? It would mean that we are making all the appearance of being of God, and of being led by the Spirit, and of being full of knowledge and giftedness, of the Spirit of God, but we are still selfish and self-centered in nature, and we do not regard the needs of others of value, and we do not grieve over sin and rebellion, and so we don’t reach out to people in love to help them to become free from their bondage to sin.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV

 

“4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

 

Love’s Character Traits

 

These are the characteristic traits of agape love, i.e. what this love looks like in daily practice, in how we treat others, and in how we relate to them. And the first mentioned here is long suffering, which is patience and endurance, refusing to retaliate with anger when we are mistreated by others, or when they promise and do not deliver on their promises, but do the opposite. But patience is not tolerance and acceptance of sin. And kindness is not lying to people to make them feel good. If we are kind, we speak the truth in love.

 

And if we are not envious of others we are not jealous of them because they have something we don’t have. We are happy for them if what they possess is something good, and we do not resent them having it and us not having it. And if we are not arrogant we do not think too highly of ourselves and we are not braggarts who always try to make ourselves look better than what we actually are. We are not show offs just wanting attention. But we do what we do out of obedience to our Lord and out of love for our fellow humans.

 

We are also not those who behave in an improper manner, but we are those who make it our practice to behave in a godly manner, in holiness and in righteousness, and in moral purity and honesty and integrity. Our minds are not set on what is evil and immoral and on what is contrary to the will of God, but on what is pure and upright and righteous and obedient to God. We are not those who rejoice when we see evil being done, but we rejoice with the truth and with what is good and is of God, for we love and obey God.

 

Bears, Believes, Hopes, and Endures

 

Now, when this says that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,” we must be careful that we interpret this in light of the teachings throughout the Scriptures. For we are not to bear with sinful practices going on within the church. And we are not to believe the lies which are being spread within the gatherings of the church, either. And we are not to put our hope in things which are of the flesh and not of God, and we are not to tolerate what is wicked, immoral, and against our Lord.

 

This is just providing a concluding remark to sum up all that was said previously. We bear up against being treated badly, and we walk by faith in our Lord, and not by sight. We are people of hope and not of despair who endure all kinds of mistreatments, sufferings, and persecutions for the glory of God. We believe God’s word and what it teaches us, and our hope in our Lord is based on truth and righteousness and not on the lies so many are telling. For our minds are set on the Lord and on the truth of his Word.

 

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

Love Never Fails

 

Based off 1 Corinthians 13 NIV

An Original Work / August 20, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

If I speak with tongues of men and angels,

But do not have love, my speech is but noise;

It sounds like thunder from above.

If I have the gift of preaching,

Knowledge, faith and prophecy,

But I do not love my brothers, oh, what vanity!

If I give all I possess to help a neighbor who’s in need,

But I do not love my sisters, I gain not a thing.

 

Love is patient; love is kind; it does not envy;

Is not proud. It is not rude; not self-seeking;

Selflessly gives out. Love does not delight in evil,

But rejoices with the truth; Protects always;

Hopes and trusts, and always perseveres.

Love is not easily angered; keeps no record of the wrongs.

It forgives when wrong’s intended; returns hate with love.

 

Love will never fail when it is God’s love

Reaching out through us, selfless in its care for others;

Yielding to the cross. Prophecies and tongues

And knowledge, wisdom, teaching, miracles,

Gifts of healing, helping others – these will all be stilled.

When perfection comes the imperfect will surely disappear.

Faith and hope and love remain; the greatest of these, love.

 

https://vimeo.com/118621887

 

It Profits Me Nothing

An Original Work / June 14, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Is Shorter Better?

 

The Members of The Body

1 Corinthians 12:18-26 NKJV

 

“18..God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

 

21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, 24whereas our presentable parts have no such need.

 

“But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

 

The Body of Christ

 

The Body of Christ is the church, the only church. Now there is the church in the USA and the church in Africa or Asia or Europe or South America, etc., but we are all still one church, one body of Christ, just in different locations. And the church is not to be divided by denominations or by preference for one specific leader or preacher, for we are all one body, with Christ Jesus as our only head. And the church is not these institutions partnered with the world and incorporated under the state, but we, the body of Christ only.

 

All of us are to be those who, by biblical faith in Jesus Christ, have denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as servants of our Lord Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands. All of us should be committed to following our Lord wherever he leads us in doing whatever he requires of us as his followers. And we should be gathering together with one another daily for mutual encouragement in our walks of faith in Christ.

 

Now, “the church” has largely come to be recognized as these institutions which are incorporated under the state in partnership with the world and with the government, which God forbids. And so many of their gatherings are geared toward marketing “the church” to the people of the world. Thus, many of them have altered the gospel to make it less offensive to the ungodly, which God also forbids. These are not true representations of the church which is of God, which is the body of Christ of believers in Christ.

 

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

 

Our Body Parts

 

With regard to the church, the body of Christ, our body parts have nothing to do with our physical bodies, but they have to do with our individual and specific roles within the body, as a whole, to which God has called each of us individually. All of us who are following Jesus Christ with our lives, in walks of surrender to his will, in obedience to his commands, have specific callings of God, our body parts, which we are to function in as members of the body of Christ. For we are all needed to function rightly. And we are all necessary.

 

Sadly, at least in my nation, so much of what is called “the church” are these institutions of human origin which are operating as businesses of man being marketed to the people of the world, and so they are not truly operating as the biblical body of Christ, as God designed for his church to operate. So many of their gatherings are too large in numbers for the members of the body to be able to do their parts, and so the gatherings become more like stage productions, and the body is left to be largely spectators only.

 

So none of us are to treat the other members, who are true followers of Christ, as though they are not necessary to the proper working of the body. Nor should any of us convince ourselves that we are not necessary to the proper working of the body. None of us should content ourselves with going once a week to a building called “church” where we largely sit as spectators and then we go home and resume life as normal until the next week. We should all be active parts of the body on a daily basis, wherever we are.

 

How To Operate

 

We, as the body of Christ, are instructed in the Scriptures that we need to care about one another, but not just on a physical level, but on a spiritual level. We need to care about whether or not our fellow Christians are walking with Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands and in surrender to his will. We need to be concerned about those who are or who might be dabbling in sinful practices while putting on an outward appearance of righteousness. And we need to speak the truth in love to one another.

 

We need to tell them the truth of what the Scriptures teach because so many of them are being led astray by the lies of other humans who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who, by craftiness and deceitful schemes, are leading them to follow after what is false, and what is of the devil, and what is not of God. We need to be teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, exhorting one another every day so that none of us might be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, for this is the will of God for our lives.

 

And if we see a brother or a sister in Christ being led astray by the lies of the “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” we need to expose the lies for what they are, and we need to share with them how they can be restored to a right relationship with Jesus Christ, and work with them, too, if they will let us, and if they will cooperate in being restored. And we are to be those who are stirring up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, but encouraging one another to walk faithfully to our God.

 

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; John 4:31-38; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Acts 26:18; Romans 10:14-15; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:11-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20; 1 Peter 2:9,21; 1 John 2:6]

 

To Be Like Him 

 

Based off Scripture

An Original Work / March 16, 2014 

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

 

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

 

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

 

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

 

https://vimeo.com/89237609

 

The Members of The Body

An Original Work / June 13, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Discerning The Spirits

1 Corinthians 12:1-3 NKJV

 

“1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

 

So Much Fakery

 

In our world today, among so much of what is being called “Christian,” there is so much fakery, lies, false gospels, false gifts of “The Spirit,” and false teachers of “The Word.” So many people are creating their own “God” in their own minds for their own purposes. So many of them are adding on to or they are taking away from the Scriptures in order to justify their own lifestyles. And so many are falsely attributing to The Spirit of God what is not of The Spirit at all, but that which is of the flesh, and/or which is of Satan.

 

So we have a lot that is being done in the name of God, and in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the name of the Holy Spirit which is of the flesh and/or of the devil. So we need to know the gifts of the Spirit and how they are to be used, and we need to know the fruit of the Spirit, which includes “self-control.” So if you are being led to do something that makes you or your body do something over which you have no control, that is not of the Holy Spirit. And if what you do is contrary to the will of God, it is not of God.

 

But here we have another issue. Since so many people are abusing the “gifts of the Spirit” or they are creating their own “gifts,” claiming that they are of the Spirit of God, when clearly they are not, we have a group of people who are denying some of the primary gifts of the Spirit, teaching that they no longer exist. And they use some Scripture references out of context to try to prove their point, but it is not valid. For in the last days God’s daughters and sons will prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions. But we must test them.

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV

 

“4There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

 

Discerning The Gifts

 

“Spiritual gifts” is clearly a controversial topic, for things which are of the Spirit of God are not always easily discerned. And so many of the gifts are being abused and misused. And I believe that is one of the reasons why a certain group of people at some point in time decided that certain gifts no longer exist, because they are not things which they can control or easily explain or discern. So many, thus, have stayed with ones which they can control, like gifts of teaching, giving, mercy, serving, and leading others.

 

But we read in the Scriptures: “19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies. 21Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NKJV)

 

So, we are neither to deny all which are being called “gifts of the Spirit,” nor are we to embrace everything being called “gifts of the Spirit” or “prophecy.” But honestly, I believe many people stay away from such things as these because it is so much work to test everything, to take the time to search the Scriptures to see if something is or is not of God, and to see if it contradicts the Scriptures or if it supports the teachings of God. So they “play it safe,” by just ignoring what they regard as just “too hard” to understand.

 

Applying This to Today

 

Now, what was written here in the Scriptures was during a time in history when people did not have television, radio, and the internet, like we do. So, what was written to them was to be applied to them and to the people who were in their inner circle, i.e. in their Christian fellowships. So this is not saying that we have to try to discern every “prophecy” we hear people speak in the name of Jesus if they are on television, radio, or on the internet, and if they are not in our inner circle, unless they are influencing our inner circle.

 

But if there is someone who is very popular among the people of my nation or in the world, and if the masses appear to be following after them and what they are teaching, and if the Lord leads me to do so, I will take the time to search out what they are teaching, and to compare it to what the Scriptures are teaching, and then to share what the Lord has taught me in the hope that it will keep at least some people from being deceived and from following after the lies, lies which might send them to hell, especially.

 

But please do not deny the gifts of the Spirit just because a group of people are denying them or are abusing them. The Lord gave us these gifts for a reason, that we might help one another to grow to maturity in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. In what I write each day, I am exercising, in the power of The Holy Spirit who lives within me, the gifts of God within me which I am to use for the salvation of human souls from hell and for the encouragement of the body of Christ, his church.

 

Gifts, Ministries, body life, Ministers of the Gospel Scriptures:

 

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; John 4:31-38; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Romans 10:14-15; Romans 12:1-8; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:11-27; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:9,21; 1 John 2:6] 

 

Love Never Fails

 

Based off 1 Corinthians 13 NIV

An Original Work / August 20, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

If I speak with tongues of men and angels,

But do not have love, my speech is but noise;

It sounds like thunder from above.

If I have the gift of preaching,

Knowledge, faith and prophecy,

But I do not love my brothers, oh, what vanity!

If I give all I possess to help a neighbor who’s in need,

But I do not love my sisters, I gain not a thing.

 

Love is patient; love is kind; it does not envy;

Is not proud. It is not rude; not self-seeking;

Selflessly gives out. Love does not delight in evil,

But rejoices with the truth; Protects always;

Hopes and trusts, and always perseveres.

Love is not easily angered; keeps no record of the wrongs.

It forgives when wrong’s intended; returns hate with love.

 

Love will never fail when it is God’s love

Reaching out through us, selfless in its care for others;

Yielding to the cross. Prophecies and tongues

And knowledge, wisdom, teaching, miracles,

Gifts of healing, helping others – these will all be stilled.

When perfection comes the imperfect will surely disappear.

Faith and hope and love remain; the greatest of these, love.

 

https://vimeo.com/118621887

 

Discerning The Spirits

An Original Work / June 13, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

In an Unworthy Manner

1 Corinthians 11:23-29 NKJV

 

23For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

 

Taking Communion

 

What this is talking about here is what is commonly referred to as “taking communion.” Different gatherings of what are called “churches” do this in different ways. And for some gatherings, and for some people, this is just another religious exercise that they go through routinely, and not all of them are following the same exact schedule or the same exact routines and traditions. But what often gets lost is the real reason for this, and what purpose it serves in the lives of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

 

For this isn’t just about remembering that Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on a cross to die for our sins, and that he was resurrected from the dead so that we could live through him and have eternal life in him. This is about us, by faith in Jesus Christ, participating with Christ in his death and in his resurrection by us dying with him to sin and us being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in walks of obedience to God’s commands.

 

And the purpose is not just to proclaim the Lord’s death, but also his resurrection, and the purpose for them both. We are to be those who are sharing with the people that Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to put our sins to death with him in order to free us from the control of sin over lives. And he was resurrected from the dead that we might now live through him in walks of surrender to him in obedience to his commands in holy living, by God’s grace, in the power of God, and for the glory of God.

 

Examine Yourselves

 

Now, as far as I can remember, I have most always taken this seriously. When I participated in taking communion, I took that time to examine my own heart and life before God, to pray to the Lord to show me any areas of my life which needed to be changed, and I repented of any known sins, if I knew of any. I took that time to pray and to meditate on what this means, not just on what it meant for Jesus to give his life up for us to free us from our sins, but what that change in my life should look like in daily practice.

 

And I believe that is really the purpose of it all, to get us to examine our own hearts, to think on what Jesus did for us and what that means for us and what change that should bring about in our lives because of what he did, and because he brought us to faith in him. This is a time for prayer and self-examination and reflection on Jesus’ sacrifice for us on that cross in order to deliver us out of addiction to sin so we would now serve him with our lives in doing whatever he has for us to do, as his followers.

 

But eating the bread and drinking the cup in an “unworthy manner” is not just about taking communion when you know you are holding on to sin in your life. This is about any acts we do where we might go through religious exercises, and where we might give the impression that we are true followers of Christ, but where we might be holding on to sin and not living for the Lord. Those who do this are regarded by God as guilty of the body and blood of Christ who eat and drink judgment upon themselves.

 

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

Live For Jesus

 

So, live for the Lord. Do all that he says for you to do. Deny self. Die to sin. And walk (in conduct) with God in obedience to his commands, and let righteousness and godly living be what you now practice. And be real! Do not fake it! Don’t just go through the rituals. Be who God created you to be. Follow Jesus wherever he leads you. And be one who shares the good news of the gospel of Christ with the people of this world, and with the worldly church, too. For many profess him, but the minority truly follow HIM.

 

Lord, Move Me 

 

An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,

Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.

Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.

Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.

Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,

And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

 

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.

Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.

Teach me to love You; adore You always.

Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.

Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.

Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

 

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,

So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.

I love to hear You speak Your words to me.

I am so grateful that You set me free.

Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,

And I will live with You for eternity.

 

https://vimeo.com/125966625

 

In an Unworthy Manner

An Original Work / June 13, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Idolatry and Demons

1 Corinthians 10:14-22 NKJV

 

“14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

 

“18Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”

 

What is Idolatry?

 

What is idolatry? It is worship of what is not God. It is obsession with something craved, admired, and/or dreamed about and hoped for which is contrary to the will and purpose of God for our lives, or which takes the place of God in our lives. It is anything which consumes our minds and hearts which leads us in the wrong direction, or which leads us to sin against God and/or against other humans. So this can include sinful addictions to anything which moves us away from God and which gratifies selfish desires.

 

The concern here is regarding those who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips, but whose love and devotion is given to “another god.” And this god can be anything or anyone worshipped in place of or far above God. This god can even be oneself, and so the goal is to give pleasure to oneself in place of living to please God. And so this person, although giving an outward appearance of being of God, is still living for self and for selfish and for sinful desires, because pleasing self is what they want above all else.

 

Therefore, this could be someone who lives in a fantasy world, who pretends that they are living in a world which they imagine in their own minds, perhaps due to movies they watch, or stories they read or listen to, or songs that they hear sung. And so they put themselves in the position of those characters and they imagine that they are living out the stories themselves. And this can include sexual fantasies, or having romantic affairs with someone imagined or craved, even someone from the past, perhaps.

 

The Cup of Demons

 

Now, this passage of Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:1-13) gives us some examples of the kinds of sins which fall under the heading of idolatry. Mostly it was under the general category of lusting after evil things, but which included drunkenness, revelry, sexual immorality, putting Christ to the test, and grumbling against God. For the Israelites this also included grumbling against Moses who was called of God to lead the people to follow God in obedience to his commands, and to forsake their sinful practices.

 

And the concern here was that the Christians of Paul’s day were taking communion, i.e. they were participating in the remembrance of Christ’s death on that cross, and the shedding of his blood for our deliverance out of addiction to sin so that we can now serve God with our lives in obedience to his commands, but some (or many) of them were still living in idolatry. So he was letting them know that they could not participate with Christ in his sacrifice for our sins if they are still making sin their idol, their god.

 

That is the same concern today. We have many people giving lip service to God, professing faith in Jesus Christ, claiming him as their Lord, going through the motions of religious practice, but whose hearts are far from God. For they are still making sin their practice. They are still living in idolatry in worship of what is not God and which is against God. But we cannot be “in Christ,” and be saved from our sins and on our way to heaven, if sin is what we practice, and not death to sin and obeying our Lord God.

 

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

Living Sacrifices 

 

Based off Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:11-14 NIV

An Original Work / September 14, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,

In view of God’s mercy,

To give yourselves to God in love

As living offerings,

Pleasing to God, holy in love.

This is your true worship.

Do not conform to worldly lives.

Let God transform you today.

Then you’ll be able to

Test and approve of what

God’s will is – His pleasing

And perfect will. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Offer yourselves unto God.

 

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Do not be conceited.

Humble yourselves before your God.

Do not be self-righteous.

The strength you have to live in love

Comes from your Lord God, so

Live your new lives in pow’r of God.

Be changed in heart, mind and will.

Do this because of what

Christ did for you when

He died on the cross to save

The world from sin. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Humble yourselves before God.

 

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Count yourselves dead to sin,

But be alive to God in Christ.

Do not let sin reign in

Your earthly lives so you

Obey its evil desires.

Offer yourselves unto your God

As those who’ve been born again.

For sin shall no longer be

Your lord and master.

Give of yourselves to God

For righteousness. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Be alive to God in Christ.

 

https://vimeo.com/118480946

 

Idolatry and Demons

An Original Work / June 12, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

If You Think You're Standing

1 Corinthians 10:1-11 NKJV

 

1Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

 

6Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

 

For Our Instruction

 

A lot of people have this idea that they can make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all their sins are forgiven, and heaven is guaranteed them for when they die, or for when Jesus returns for his faithful bride – end of the story. But that is not what the Scriptures teach us, which we will learn if we study them in their correct biblical context. And God gave us this example of what happened to so many of his people in the wilderness as examples to us so that we won’t do as they did, with the same results.

 

With most of them God was not well pleased, and as a result their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Why? Because the majority of them lusted after (craved, desired) evil things. Some of them became idolaters, revelers, and drunkards. Others were those who made a practice of sexual immorality. Some put Christ to the test, to try his patience, to see how much he would endure of their wickedness. And others complained against the Lord and his messenger Moses. All of them died and did not enter God’s eternal rest.

 

And all of these things took place as examples to us, and they were written down for our instruction to keep us from craving evil things as they did, so that we will not suffer the same consequences of eternal separation from God (see also Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13). For, according to the Scriptures, faith in Jesus Christ must result in us dying to sin and obeying our Lord’s commands. And disobedience to God, in practice, is regarded by God as unbelief, regardless of what faith we profess with our lips.

 

So Many are Ignoring This

 

Why are so many professing Christians today ignoring this and feeling like this does not apply to them? Well, for one, we live in a day and age when lies and liars abound pretty much everywhere you look. They are preachers and teachers of the Scriptures. And they are heads of governments of nations. And they are the news media and social media and AI videos which are made to look real, but they are not real. So much is being faked, and so many people are following after the lies while they are ignoring the truth.

 

Why? Because the lies make them feel good. The lies tell them they are okay, and that God does not judge them, and that heaven is secured them regardless of the fact that so many of them are living just like the majority of the Israelites did who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The lies tell them that a profession of faith in Jesus means that they are now “in Christ” and so their “identity” is in Christ, and so his grace covers all their sins, and so their sins no longer matter to God. But that is a big fat lie!

 

Does God’s grace promise us forgiveness of all sins? Yes, if we deny self, die to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands, as a matter of life practice, although not necessarily in absolute perfection. But God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return (see Titus 2:11-14). So, if we disobey God, and if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, in practice, we don’t know God.

 

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV

 

“12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

 

So Many Excuses

 

I have heard so many excuses from people living in sexual idolatry and adultery and immorality for why they cannot get victory over their deliberate and habitual sin. But there is no excuse! Pride is standing in the way of many of them gaining victory over sin, for they get over confident, thinking  either that they can conquer this all on their own, and/or that they have already defeated it, and so it is no longer an issue. Or pride keeps them from admitting that they continue to fail, and so they try to cover it up.

 

And since they take a “my do it” approach to conquering their addiction to sin, and so they get over confident, then they go right back to the same old routines. They fall right back into the same old traps. And they keep returning to their vomit. And then sometimes they will make up excuses for why they cannot get victory over their sin. Or they will take the broad road approach that tells them that since they “prayed the prayer” that their sins no longer matter to God, and so heaven is still their eternal destiny.

 

But the Scriptures teach us that God has made the way through Jesus’ death on that cross, and through his resurrection from the dead, that we can be delivered out of our slavery (addiction) to sin if we will just surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus, die with him to sin, and now follow him in obedience to his commands – all in his power and strength, and not in our own strength. A “my do it” approach will not work. For that is the flesh trying to conquer flesh. We have to let go and let God, and do what he says to do.

 

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

A People Divided

 

An Original Work / July 4, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant / Sue J Love

 

Flick’ring torches; hatred; violence;

Crashing windows; guns of men;

We are a people divided

By our love of pow’r and fame.

 

Idols marching; they’re in chorus;

Their goal to destroy the church,

Tempting us to follow them in

Pure devotion; them we search.

 

Leave your idols. Follow your God.

Make Him your Lord God and King.

Be a living witness for Him,

And your off’rings to Him bring.

 

Repent of your sins and worship Him.

A living sacrifice,

Put your all upon His altar.

Leave your old life way behind.

 

Flick’ring torches; hatred; violence;

Crashing windows; guns of men;

We are a people divided

By our love of pow’r and fame.

 

https://vimeo.com/126494411

 

If You Think You’re Standing

An Original Work / June 12, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love