Question on Salvation
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Out of the many references to Jesus as God you find His I Am statements, Lord of the Sabbath, For the Father and I are one, or most plain John 1:1-14. This is who Jesus is, and to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior means to accept all of who Jesus is. It would be like me accepting God as a loving God without accepting God as a judge also. This is theologically deep but still simple in the truth that Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity or Godhead. Good evangelism should prepare people for the truth of who Jesus is. He was not a mere man, not just a wise teacher, not even just a prophet, but God incarnate or in the flesh. It is in God alone who can forgive sins, which is exactly what he did in His ministry. Some called Him of the Devil or Satan himself. But Jesus not only forgave sins, but He had all the evidence to do so as in miracles, fulfilled prophecy, and the very act that no angel, demon, or man could do was to defeat both sin and death. That is only something God could do and God alone.
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I had posted this on another thread, but it fully addresses your question:
Let's take one example, which is the words of Christ Himself In John 8:24: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM [he], ye shall die in your sins. [Note: "he" is in italics because it is not in the Greek]
So what all is implied here?
1. Christ was addressing Torah observant Jews who were familiar with the book of Exodus. Therefore they would have know the contents of Exodus 3.
2. In Exodus 3 Jesus (the pre-incarnate Word, known as the Angel of the LORD) declared to Moses that He was I AM THAT I AM or I AM.
3. He also declared that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in that chapter.
4. So Jesus was taking the Jews back to that chapter and telling them that He was their God, and if they did not believe that Jesus is God, they would die in their sins.
5. The KJV translators failed to capitalize "I AM" and then added "he" gratuitously to obfuscate the meaning of what Christ was saying. So what was implied by Christ is that unless a person believes wholeheartedly that Jesus is God, he or she cannot be saved, and will not be saved. This is a warning to all the Unitarian cultists.
Let's take one example, which is the words of Christ Himself In John 8:24: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM [he], ye shall die in your sins. [Note: "he" is in italics because it is not in the Greek]
So what all is implied here?
1. Christ was addressing Torah observant Jews who were familiar with the book of Exodus. Therefore they would have know the contents of Exodus 3.
2. In Exodus 3 Jesus (the pre-incarnate Word, known as the Angel of the LORD) declared to Moses that He was I AM THAT I AM or I AM.
3. He also declared that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in that chapter.
4. So Jesus was taking the Jews back to that chapter and telling them that He was their God, and if they did not believe that Jesus is God, they would die in their sins.
5. The KJV translators failed to capitalize "I AM" and then added "he" gratuitously to obfuscate the meaning of what Christ was saying. So what was implied by Christ is that unless a person believes wholeheartedly that Jesus is God, he or she cannot be saved, and will not be saved. This is a warning to all the Unitarian cultists.
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I do believe that Jesus is God. I believe in the Godhead. The Trinity I’m not sure on and think perhaps I will know in heaven. I can see though if one believes that only God forgives sins then it would not appear logical to ask Jesus to forgive your sins if one didn’t believe in his divine nature. Jesus clearly claimed his Deity in forgiving sins.
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I think we start to find the answer in Psalm 49:
Psalm 49:7 - Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,
So no man can be a ransom for another man, but then it gives us the good news that:
Psalm 49:15 - .... God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.
So only God himself can be a ransom for sinful mankind. It was Jesus being fully human and fully God who died on the the cross who became our 'substitutionary atonement' (Gen 22; Exodus 12; Eph 5:2; Heb 9:14) A mere man could not do this.
Jesus being the God-man (1 Tim 2:5) is the only way man can be saved from his sin (Eccl 7:20; 1 Jon 2:2). You also need to recognize that you are a sinner or else Jesus did nothing for you. And if he wasn't God he did not nothing for you as well.
So even with just these two verses we can show why it is necessary to believe Jesus is God. The Psalmist would have had in the back of his mind the atonement (Ex 12).
Jesus is the lamb without blemish - He lived a perfect life. If Jesus had been sinful there would be nothing to substitute.. His perfect life for ours (Rom 5:19; Heb 7:26).
In Jesus being the God-man both ideas find their fulfilment - that is, man deserves to die for his sins, Jesus accomplished this and living the perfect life which only God could do having no sin in himself (2 Cor 5:21).
So I would say that someone would need to believe that Jesus is God to be saved.
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Psalm 49:7 - Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,
So no man can be a ransom for another man, but then it gives us the good news that:
Psalm 49:15 - .... God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.
So only God himself can be a ransom for sinful mankind. It was Jesus being fully human and fully God who died on the the cross who became our 'substitutionary atonement' (Gen 22; Exodus 12; Eph 5:2; Heb 9:14) A mere man could not do this.
Jesus being the God-man (1 Tim 2:5) is the only way man can be saved from his sin (Eccl 7:20; 1 Jon 2:2). You also need to recognize that you are a sinner or else Jesus did nothing for you. And if he wasn't God he did not nothing for you as well.
So even with just these two verses we can show why it is necessary to believe Jesus is God. The Psalmist would have had in the back of his mind the atonement (Ex 12).
Jesus is the lamb without blemish - He lived a perfect life. If Jesus had been sinful there would be nothing to substitute.. His perfect life for ours (Rom 5:19; Heb 7:26).
In Jesus being the God-man both ideas find their fulfilment - that is, man deserves to die for his sins, Jesus accomplished this and living the perfect life which only God could do having no sin in himself (2 Cor 5:21).
So I would say that someone would need to believe that Jesus is God to be saved.
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To answer your question, yes. I do believe it is necessary to recognize Jesus as God to be saved.
John 1:1
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1 John 5:7
7For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
John 1:1
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1 John 5:7
7For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
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Having been sent off to bible school from our trailer, my sister and I learned from songs that Jesus loves us Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. We are weak but He is strong. Yes Jesus loves me....... etc.
Althou at that age about 3, I did not formulate any doctrines other than Jesus loves me. Perhaps this was my religion until about 21 years later when the Holy Spirit entered into me confirming my faith in the Father, then to the Son.
Jesus loves me was and is a good, perhaps perfect, denomination, were there such things.
Althou at that age about 3, I did not formulate any doctrines other than Jesus loves me. Perhaps this was my religion until about 21 years later when the Holy Spirit entered into me confirming my faith in the Father, then to the Son.
Jesus loves me was and is a good, perhaps perfect, denomination, were there such things.
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It's a good question. My brother in law was raised a Jehovah's Witness. They do not accept that Jesus is God. My sister got born again and he was impressed enough to accept Christ some time later. He had great trouble believing that Jesus is God. Eventually he was convicted to rid his home of every JW book, magazine and the JW mistranslation of the bible. It was like a cloud lifted, so he told me, and he believed. Was he saved beforehand? I'd say yes, even though he did not understand the true nature of Christ. I also believe that, sooner or later, a born again believer will come to know that Jesus is God as well as man.
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Here is definitive proof of the Trinity:
Matthew 3:16-17
New King James Version
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Here is all 3 Members of the Godhead Present at the same place, at the same time.
Matthew 3:16-17
New King James Version
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Here is all 3 Members of the Godhead Present at the same place, at the same time.
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It IS essential to believe Jesus is God. Here is one of THE passages that succinctly present THE GOSPEL. Lord here is representative of God.
Romans 10:9-10
New International Version
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:9-10
New International Version
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
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