Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Church is not a building but the people, and Jesus wanted believers to be with other believers, so to choose to do otherwise you go against the will of God. God uses the church to advance the Gospel, and together people are more effective in spreading it.
1 Corinthians 12:14–20 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
okay... God is a mystery to some... and there are some things that we just don't know about him... aspects of Him that our minds may not be able to comprehend. But that does not mean that God is a mystery to those who seek him.
And Julian... I never said i understand God 100%. I wonder if you were directing that at me... but i assume you were since you are responding to my post... however, assumptions are dangerous.
And then again, our view of eternal life may be just as it is. this is where we get into circular debates... they are useless.
Again... i'm wondering if your last paragraph is coming from... Did i sound selfish? If i did... then forgive me. but if I did, please point out my error in doing so.
I'll just go ahead and say it. It is not a sin to want to go to Heaven. I wanna go even if i'm the only one that'll be there (i know it won't be that way, incidentally). but you get my meaning. some people make you feel like it is a sin to want to go to Heaven. I seek Christ so i can be with Him in the afterwhile.
My post was not directed at you. And I find no fault with your viewpoint. i simply wanted to get my opinion to other members that are reading the thread.
We all want to live forever, that is natural, but at some metaphysical level it is a selfish thought. Not all selfish thoughts are bad.
Last edited by Julian658; 02-07-2012 at 05:44 PM..
I agree. It is strange to see people actually encorage others to stay away from the body of Christ.
Yes, I agree that the Body of Christ is absolutely integral to God's purposes. I can understand where some people have felt that the "church", so-called, has drifted into error, and so there is a feeling of needing to stay away.... I don't think it is the solution, although I can feel for where they are coming from.
Random thought.... do you think Jesus' parable about the devil sowing tares among the wheat in the kingdom is about the church and what is happening in the "church" these days?
Someone mentioned it on this thread earlier, and I read the parable today and was thinking more about it.
Let's use Steph's term . . . the Body of Christ . . so as not to confuse things with brick and mortar facilities and specific denominations.
It is the same thing, and that is what 1 Cor 12 explains, but it it true that when people hear the word "church", they think about a building. The building where the body of Christ meets, but of course there are other places to meet, even the Internet.
It is the same thing, and that is what 1 Cor 12 explains, but it it true that when people hear the word "church", they think about a building. The building where the body of Christ meets, but of course there are other places to meet, even the Internet.
How do you hold a friend's hand over the internet?
Yes, I agree that the Body of Christ is absolutely integral to God's purposes. I can understand where some people have felt that the "church", so-called, has drifted into error, and so there is a feeling of needing to stay away.... I don't think it is the solution, although I can feel for where they are coming from.
True, but this is a ridiculous statement:
Quote:
...a building...not important at all....the pastor's/preachers/deacons/bishops/priests teach a false gospel...99.9999999999% of them do anyway. If they do not teach to keep the commandments..INCLUDING the 4th one...to REMEMBER to keep the Sabbath holy unto God...RUN ! for you very life! If they teach that once you are born of God, that you can continue to commit willfull sin and still receive eternal life...RUN ! for your very life!
How do you hold a friend's hand over the internet?
A carnal question based in the physical world . . . not spiritual at all.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It is all summed up in "Love God and each other."
