I believe there's a distinct difference between believing in Jesus and actually following him.
Man-made religion was not his intention when he came to this earth, and the churches humans have built are not the true "Church". The real church is the body of believers that God is building. I placed this topic in the "controversial" forum, as it might cause offence to those Christians who disagree. Please take a moment to watch the attached video and the supporting scriptures. Do you think following Jesus is to follow his example from the bible? Or are we meant to be led by the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our lives? I believe it's the latter.
Feel free to share your thoughts.
John 10:25-30
Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God
25Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.d No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-23
God’s Temple and God’s Wisdom
16Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells inb you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”c 20And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”d
21Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephase or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Christ Our Foundation
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Christ Our Cornerstone
19Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.
1 Peter 2:4-5
Living Stones for God’s House
4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests.a Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
Revelation 21:18-20
The New Jerusalem
18The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones:e the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
Man-made religion was not his intention when he came to this earth, and the churches humans have built are not the true "Church". The real church is the body of believers that God is building. I placed this topic in the "controversial" forum, as it might cause offence to those Christians who disagree. Please take a moment to watch the attached video and the supporting scriptures. Do you think following Jesus is to follow his example from the bible? Or are we meant to be led by the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our lives? I believe it's the latter.
Feel free to share your thoughts.
John 10:25-30
Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God
25Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.d No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-23
God’s Temple and God’s Wisdom
16Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells inb you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”c 20And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”d
21Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephase or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Christ Our Foundation
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.
Ephesians 2:19-22
Christ Our Cornerstone
19Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.
1 Peter 2:4-5
Living Stones for God’s House
4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests.a Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
Revelation 21:18-20
The New Jerusalem
18The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones:e the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.