But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to those who are lost,
whose unbelieving minds the god of this world hath blinded,
lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord,
and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:3-7
We were formed from dust.
We are not gods.
We are mere mortals.
Our bodies are a temple for God if we have chosen to follow Jesus.
That does not make us special in and of ourselves.
That is special that the Lord dwells in us
and allows us to be vessels for His glory.
We are still just flesh and nothing without Him.
We have nothing to hang out hat on.
We have not arrived.
We are to remain humble and carry our crosses through thick and thin.
There is no scripture, in my opinion,
that better expresses what God is looking for
and to whom He looks toward and is pleased with, than Isaiah 66:2
For all those things hath Mine hand made,
and all those things have been, saith the Lord:
but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembleth at my word.
Our Savior is the One and only, Jesus Christ, the Messiah,
who hung on a tree and shed His blood for the world and rose the third day.
If you know this, you are blessed.
If you find this foolishness, you are condemned
and would do well to seek the Lord to teach you the truth.
Jesus is the only way to the Father, He is the only One who can open our eyes.
Jesus is no respecter of persons.
All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me;
and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37
He loves each and every human and created each one of us.
Hell was never made for man, but for Satan and his angels.
Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand,
Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels: Matthew 25:41
People choose whom they choose to serve.
Some choose God, that is few, very few.
Many choose themselves,
which is the same as choosing an idol or a being from the dark side,
such as Satan himself. 2 Corinthians 11:14:
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Meaning, he can appear as a godly thing or person
and deceive someone into believing they are serving God.
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate
and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and there are many who go in by it. Matthew 7:13
There is no other way to get inside.
Jesus is the only way:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. John 14:6
We are branches.
If you think of yourself as your own tree, without a need for Jesus,
you are in danger of Hell’s fire.
We are a part of Jesus.
We are not our own island.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without Me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
God created us to worship Him and love Him and love and serve each other.
God forbid we go off on our own or follow another leader
or ourselves as our own leader.
Jesus at the center, as the preeminence, as our God.
And He is the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18
With humility that we are earthen vessels and reliance on Jesus,
we can finish the race.