Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,516
“Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints), that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.” (1 Corinthians 16:15-16 NASB’95)
This was part of Paul’s final instructions to the church in Corinth in his first letter to them, so this is not specific to the church, the body of Christ, as a whole. But I see here a lesson which we can learn from this. And that is that we should be in subjection to those spiritual leaders among us who have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints, and who help in the work of the ministry of God, and of his gospel, whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to doing his will, and to speaking his truth, and to living in holiness.
So, I looked up the word “subjection” in the interlinear and it says this: “properly under God’s arrangement, i.e. submitting to the Lord (his plan).”
And it is key that we understand this distinction. Why? Because we are not to be in subjection to every man who says he is a pastor, a preacher, and/or an evangelist or missionary, etc. Just because someone graduated from a Bible college or a seminary, who has a college degree and/or religious credentials, it does not mean that person is of God, that he is speaking the truth of the Scriptures, and that he is spiritually qualified to serve the people in such a position as overseer over a congregation of the saints of God.
All throughout the New Testament writings we are warned against false prophets, false witnesses, false christs, false apostles, false brethren, false knowledge, and false words, etc. And we are instructed that we are not to believe every spirit, but that we are to test the spirits to make certain which ones are truly of God, and which ones are teaching the truth of God’s word, IN CONTEXT, and which ones are not. And we do this by testing them and their words against the Scriptures taught in their proper context.
[Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11,24; Mark 13:22; Mark 14:56; Luke 18:20; Acts 6:13; 2 Corinthians 11:13,26; Galatians 2:4; Philippians 3:2; 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Revelation 2:2: Revelation 16:13; etc.]
So, we are not to come under the ministry of anyone whose life and whose teachings do not align with what the Scriptures teach, IN CONTEXT. And I am not saying that everyone must be absolutely perfect in every respect, but that all who teach the Scriptures should be living according to what they are teaching, in practice, and they should not be teaching one thing while living the opposite, deliberately, and habitually. So just because someone has a title of “pastor” it does not mean he is of God and he is teaching truth.
So, I like the distinction that Paul made when he encouraged the saints of God to be in subjection to those in positions of spiritual authority over them who “have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints.” For “the saints” are all who believe in Jesus Christ, who have died with Christ to sin, and who are now living for the Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. They are now different (unlike) the world because they are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, in cooperation with God.
And if someone is devoted for ministry to the saints, he (or she) is someone who is devoted to God and to his word (in context, in truth), who loves the saints, who cares about them genuinely, and/or who serves them as their shepherd, and who sets the example before them as to what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. This leader will help the saints of God to grow closer to the Lord in their walks of faith, and he will equip and train them for ministry, and he will provide ministry opportunities for them within the body.
In other words, his primary focus is going to be in ministering to the needs of the people of God in helping them to grow to maturity in Christ, to show them love and kindness, to teach truth to them, to set the right example before them, and to include them as members of the body of Christ in the work of the ministry in using their gifts in their God-assigned body parts so they also minister to the body of Christ, as a whole. For all of us are to be ministers to one another. That is how the body is supposed to operate.
So, please know that Jesus taught that if we are going to come after 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, put sin to death daily by the Spirit, and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in the power of God, then we have the hope of salvation and of eternal life with God. But please know it is those who put sin to death and who obey God, in practice, who are of God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 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 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
For Our Nation
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
For Ministry to The Saints
An Original Work / April 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
This was part of Paul’s final instructions to the church in Corinth in his first letter to them, so this is not specific to the church, the body of Christ, as a whole. But I see here a lesson which we can learn from this. And that is that we should be in subjection to those spiritual leaders among us who have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints, and who help in the work of the ministry of God, and of his gospel, whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to doing his will, and to speaking his truth, and to living in holiness.
So, I looked up the word “subjection” in the interlinear and it says this: “properly under God’s arrangement, i.e. submitting to the Lord (his plan).”
And it is key that we understand this distinction. Why? Because we are not to be in subjection to every man who says he is a pastor, a preacher, and/or an evangelist or missionary, etc. Just because someone graduated from a Bible college or a seminary, who has a college degree and/or religious credentials, it does not mean that person is of God, that he is speaking the truth of the Scriptures, and that he is spiritually qualified to serve the people in such a position as overseer over a congregation of the saints of God.
All throughout the New Testament writings we are warned against false prophets, false witnesses, false christs, false apostles, false brethren, false knowledge, and false words, etc. And we are instructed that we are not to believe every spirit, but that we are to test the spirits to make certain which ones are truly of God, and which ones are teaching the truth of God’s word, IN CONTEXT, and which ones are not. And we do this by testing them and their words against the Scriptures taught in their proper context.
[Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11,24; Mark 13:22; Mark 14:56; Luke 18:20; Acts 6:13; 2 Corinthians 11:13,26; Galatians 2:4; Philippians 3:2; 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Revelation 2:2: Revelation 16:13; etc.]
So, we are not to come under the ministry of anyone whose life and whose teachings do not align with what the Scriptures teach, IN CONTEXT. And I am not saying that everyone must be absolutely perfect in every respect, but that all who teach the Scriptures should be living according to what they are teaching, in practice, and they should not be teaching one thing while living the opposite, deliberately, and habitually. So just because someone has a title of “pastor” it does not mean he is of God and he is teaching truth.
So, I like the distinction that Paul made when he encouraged the saints of God to be in subjection to those in positions of spiritual authority over them who “have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints.” For “the saints” are all who believe in Jesus Christ, who have died with Christ to sin, and who are now living for the Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. They are now different (unlike) the world because they are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, in cooperation with God.
And if someone is devoted for ministry to the saints, he (or she) is someone who is devoted to God and to his word (in context, in truth), who loves the saints, who cares about them genuinely, and/or who serves them as their shepherd, and who sets the example before them as to what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. This leader will help the saints of God to grow closer to the Lord in their walks of faith, and he will equip and train them for ministry, and he will provide ministry opportunities for them within the body.
In other words, his primary focus is going to be in ministering to the needs of the people of God in helping them to grow to maturity in Christ, to show them love and kindness, to teach truth to them, to set the right example before them, and to include them as members of the body of Christ in the work of the ministry in using their gifts in their God-assigned body parts so they also minister to the body of Christ, as a whole. For all of us are to be ministers to one another. That is how the body is supposed to operate.
So, please know that Jesus taught that if we are going to come after 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, put sin to death daily by the Spirit, and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in the power of God, then we have the hope of salvation and of eternal life with God. But please know it is those who put sin to death and who obey God, in practice, who are of God.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 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 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
For Our Nation
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
For Ministry to The Saints
An Original Work / April 14, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
