“Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:13-16 NASB1995)

1 John 3:13 says, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.” Who hated Jesus the most? Who laid traps (mind traps) for him to fall into on a somewhat regular basis, hoping to trip him up with his words so that they would have cause to accuse him? Who harassed him on a regular basis, falsely accusing him of wrong when he was showing love to the people? Who were they who were jealous of him and of his temporary popularity among the people? And who plotted and had carried out his death on a cross?

They were not the pagans and the unbelieving who made no professions of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But they were God’s people of that time, many of whom were rulers in the temple, and instructors in the Word of God, and people of power and influence within the Jewish community. And they were his own brothers, and perhaps his neighbors. They were people he grew up with, many of whom he probably knew from birth, and that he sat with and talked with in the temple of God of that time.

So, don’t be surprised if it is not so much the people unassociated with “the church” and with worship of the One True God who will hate, persecute, reject, and mistreat you, but it will be others who call themselves “Christians,” and who claim faith in Jesus Christ, and who attend weekly gatherings of the church (or what is falsely referred to as “church”), and even those who serve in positions of leadership as pastors and elders. For many who profess Jesus are rejecting those of mature faith in our Lord.

For we live in a day and time when so much of what is called “the church” is not the universal body of people of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus putting sin to death in their lives and walking in obedience to the Lord, in practice. But “the church” has become these institutions of human origin created in the minds of people, many in their deceitful scheming, who have partnered with the ungodly in order to pattern their gatherings after the world in order to attract the world so that they can grow their numbers.

Thus, they have compromised with the world in order to “win the world” to their gatherings, but mostly not to genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus. For if they literally teach the truth as Jesus taught it, and as his New Testament apostles taught it, in the correct biblical context, it will not draw in large crowds of people from the world into their gatherings. For the true gospel teaches that by faith in our Lord we must deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, as a matter of practice.

Therefore, if we are ones who are spreading the truth of the gospel to the people of the world, we are likely not to be welcome and accepted in many of these gatherings called “church” which are businesses of human origin partnered with the government and with the world in unholy unions. And we may face much persecution and rejection and ridicule from those in positions of authority. But that’s okay, because God is calling us to come out from among them so we don’t share in their sins and in their punishment.

[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]

But love is not the “feel good” “tickle itching ears” approach to Christianity and to faith in Jesus Christ which so many people are marketing to the world today. Biblical love is willing to put our lives on the line by telling people the truth of the gospel so that by faith in Jesus they will deny self, die to sin daily, and follow our Lord in surrender to his will in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. For if we teach lies to the people, it is the same as us signing their death warrant. For we curse them to hell while promising them heaven as their safety net. And that is hate! It is not love! Don’t lie!

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).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Acts 26:18]

My Cry for Mercy

Based off Psalm 86
An Original Work / October 31, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hear my prayer, Lord, I am needy.
Guard my life, for I’m devoted to You.
Save me! I’m Your servant.
You are my God. I trust in You.

O, Lord, have mercy on me,
For I call to You.
Bring joy to me, for to You
I will lift up my soul.

You are giving and forgiving.
You abound in love to all who
Call upon You. Hear my prayer, Lord.
Listen to my cry for mercy.

In days of trouble I call to You,
Knowing that You will
Do marvelous things,
Because You are my God.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.
In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.
A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,
So that I may glorify You.

Turn to me, Lord, and grant
Strength to Your servant.
O, Lord, You are my help,
For You love and You comfort me.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.
In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.
A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,
So that I may glorify You.

Don’t Be Surprised
An Original Work / February 16, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love