Is it important to believe Jesus is God?

Question

I have been reading a Greek Literal translation of the Bible. Look at how they translate John 8:24. What do you think? Does this say if you do not believe Jesus is God then you will die in your sins?

John 8:24 Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.

If you would like to check out this Bible go to:
http://www.kconline.com/paul/litv/litv.htm

pgd - NT makes it clear it is only through our belief in Jesus we are saved.

jeff b - Actually Jesus claimed to be God many times. The Jews wanted to stone Him several times for claiming it.

Answer 1

The very foundation of repentance comes from the belief that Jesus is God, and that through Jesus sins are forgiven. You cannot be forgiven sins without first believing that Jesus is Lord and died on the cross for the atonement of all sins. There are a few scriptures that show a plurality of God without actually mentioning Jesus. "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, "(Gen. 1:26). Also another scripture in Genesis "Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil"(Gen. 3:22). Other scriptures clarify perhaps what Genesis means by this description of plurality such as this one in John. "In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God"(John 1:1) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory"(John 1:14) Basically it can be difficult to understand that God is plural in nature, He is One yet many. Jesus was the Word of God, there are also descriptions of the Seven Spirits of God, and also the Father (who is often described as the Will of God). If you are confused about how to understand this, you must pray that God will reveal the truth to you more clearly. Remember that we are merely human beings, the ways of God are not always clear to us, as we live on Earth and are bound by what we see, Faith is believing in what we do not see and what we may sometimes not understand.
Also I would like to address the answer that was written before my own. In your saying that Jesus sinned and using Mark 1:13 as description is incorrect. The scripture reads "And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan," (note the word tempted as Jesus was Human he could be tempted but he did not sin at any point) Matthew gives us more insight into what happened while in the wilderness in this scripture "And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. But he answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."(Matthew 4:2-3) You can read about the rest of temptation from satan continuing with those verses.

Answer 2

of course. Jehovah is the Almighty, the main intense, the only real God. (Ex. 6:3; playstation . eighty 3:18; John 17:3) At John 14:28, Jesus suggested: "the daddy is larger than i'm." At a million Cor. 11:3, it says that "the pinnacle of Christ is God." At John 4:23, Jesus suggested that God develop right into a spirit that ought to be worshiped with spirit and reality. i'm not saying that we ought to constantly not have self assurance in Jesus, yet would not that inform you that Jehovah is greater important than Jesus? BTW, who can we pray to? Jesus or his Father? See Matt. 6:9

Answer 3

Its like a package. Jesus died. He rose. He's alive and well, seated at the right hand of God. He's not the I WAS, or the I WILL BE, but the I AM (present tense). UM, how old is the Bible-I mean, to be the I AM then and now, has to mean he is more than son of man. He was God, {{in the flesh}}. Jesus lives, God lives.

You will die in your sins (b/c Jesus makes us acceptable to God), if you do not believe that Jesus, being Son of Man and also Son of God, died and rose to Heaven for just you.

Bottom line, to believe Jesus died for your sins. Just the last 5 words.

The complicated stuff is for more mature Christians, not new Babes in Christ.
Jesus is also the Author and Finisher of our faith. He's got it, np.

Answer 4

Very interesting, especially since "I AM" is repeated in 8:59.

Personally, I think a person has to believe that Jesus is the one sent by the Father, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the messiah. Whether or not we come to realize that he is God, or part of the trinity, does not really speak of our rebellion, but perhaps our lack of understanding. Many follow after Jesus, and love him, without completely understanding the trinity. In Psalms it says a broken and contrite heart, O Lord, thou will not despise.

Answer 5

Jesus was claiming He was the one, the Messiah. The one that prophesy had foretold about. Jesus was talking to the pharisees and told them they are from below, that of Satan. Jesus was from above. Jesus said in John 10:30 I and my father are one.

If you read Isaiah 7:14 also it says Jesus is the light and Sovereign and Lord. this means that Jesus is absolute authority and fully God. See the NIV study version.

Answer 6

Well think about it.

People sin, period.

People need forgiveness.

God sent Jesus to forgive.

Jesus offers forgiveness.

Ok, so how can you receive forgiveness from Christ if you don't believe he is God?

Think about this.

The person you offend is the person who can forgive you.
Jesus claiming to forgive sins is a claim of being one with God, because if you sin, you sin against God.
And only God can forgive you.

So by forgiving sins, Jesus claimed to be God.

How then can you seperate one from the other, think about it.
You would be then receiving forgiveness from a man if you dindt believe Jesus was God.

It's kinda like you wanting to receive forgiveness from me, when you owe a debt from someone else.

Answer 7

Jesus is the only way of salvation because He is the only One who can pay our sin penalty (Romans 6:23).
Jesus had to be God so that He could pay our debt. Jesus had to be man so He could die. Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ! “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Answer 8

First, congratulations on reading the Greek. What is says is what it says. Jesus is God; to deny him is to deny God. I would therefore say it is very important to believe that Jesus is God. I am sure you are going to get some great responses to this ? Good Luck and keep studying Greek.

Answer 9

What most people fail to understand it that Before He was Jesus the Son Of God He was God the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:1, Gen 1:1 (God in Hebrew is Elohim-plural)

Answer 10

The transforming power of the Gospel lies in the revelation to the soul that God Himself suffered in our stead so we might be reconciled to Him.

It destroys the Lie of Satan, first introduced in the Garden of Eden, that God is essentially self-serving.
He is in fact the most unselfish and gracious Being in the Universe - and beyond the Universe.