This bible study shows where God the Father is and where Christ's spirit lives, not in a church, but rather, God the Father is in heaven, when Jesus Christ His Son who is also God died on the cross and rose again. Jesus left His Holy Spirit to live inside us. The church is to be the Bride of Christ. Even the Apostle Paul clearly states that the Lord does not live in temples made by hands. Jesus threw people out of the temple for buying and selling merchandise and said His house, the house of God should be a house of prayer. God is not in the church building, just hanging out waiting for people to show up. When you get saved He is in your heart, mind, body, & soul. Many people ask us where is the building where they can attend church at so we can be with God. We do not have a church building. We believe that our bodies are the church of God. We do not believe that sitting in a pew being bored or entertained for an hour every week will bring anyone to the Lord. The church should be a house of prayer. The "saved" people are sitting in the church building when they should be out winning souls for Christ. Jesus did not come to save the saved He came to save the lost. However, there are several benefits to fellowship with other believers. Meeting with other believers fills our need for fellowship with other believers, it gives us a place to learn what we should be telling people when we are testifying for the Lord, we should gather together to make plans to do the Lord's will by reaching out to people (saved and unsaved), other churches and Christian businesses to help one another. Making plans, such as, where to teach God's word and where will it reach the most lost souls focusing on how to reach the unreachable, the unsaved and the unlearned-the lost souls in this world. Our mission is to reach the "lost" of this world not the saved. Once the saved people learn the word of God it is their duty to go out into the world and teach it to other's, that's the deal we make when we get saved. The deal we made with God when we believed and accepted Jesus Christ as his Son and accepted His Holy Spirit inside of us. However, we are also to teach our new saved souls so that they to can go spread His word. Many people who go to church are more worried about what to wear at church or who they might see there. Oftentimes, they are judge others just as the pharisee judged the publican, either by the clothes someone wears or by the way they act or speak. This is not Godly behavior and many times it is the very reason non-believer's turn away from God's word because they have met hypocrites right in the church or worse because they see you outside of church and your mannerisms and behaviors do not reflect the love of God. If your church or minister is teaching things not in line with the word of God it is a certainty that God is not in that church. How will you know? Study your Bible, study the word of God, pray for a spirit of discernment. Your body is a temple The Holy Spirit (Ghost) lives inside you, so it stands to reason God does not live in the church but rather, He resides inside the people who go to the church which are saved. You are the temple of God because His Spirit lives inside you.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? I Cor. 3:16 If you defile (sully, mar, spoil, desecrate, or violate the chastity of) your body, God will destroy you because God's temple is a holy place and when He lives inside you. You are holy.
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are. I Cor. 3:17 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? I Cor. 6:19 KJV We were bought with a price. The price was paid by Jesus Christ when He died on the cross He became the blood sacrifice so we could be forgiven of our sins.
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. I Cor. 6:20 KJV Paul stood on Mars' hill and told the men of Athens, they were too superstitious because they worshipped a god known only as the "The unknown god" For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an alter with the inscription, To the Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you .Acts 17:23
Paul told the men of Athens that the Lord does not live in temples made by people. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Acts 17: 24 Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; Acts 17:25 Jesus got upset and threw everyone that was buying and selling in the temple of God telling the people they had turned the temple into a den of thieves. Jesus called the church a house of prayer. Jesus also performed healings in the temple. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, Matt. 21:12 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matt. 21:13 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. Matt. 21:14 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, Matt. 21:15 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Matt. 21:16 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Matt. 21:17