Bruce’s Bible
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The Importance of Believing That Jesus is God
The Importance of Believing That Jesus is God
Whether or not you believe Jesus is God, it is important to understand the implications of His deity. The Bible is full of evidence that He is God, including fulfilled prophecy, miracles, and the record of Jesus’ resurrection. He also lived a sinless life, something only God can do.
Despite these amazing acts, many people struggle to believe that He is indeed God. Some have doubts because they think the Bible is a collection of myths, legends, and fairy tales. Those who struggle with this issue may need to reconsider their view of the authenticity of the Gospel accounts of Christ’s life and ministry. The fact that these accounts were written down by eyewitnesses, and are historically accurate in most respects, gives them a strong basis. The accounts also tell us a lot about the person who wrote them.
The most convincing proof that Jesus is God comes from the New Testament, which records the words and deeds of Jesus. There are several instances where Jesus affirms or does not deny that He is divine, and in some cases, He is referred to as “God” by His enemies.
For example, in John 8, a group of Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy when He claimed that He had the power to grant eternal life. Their argument was that only God has the authority to give eternal life, and since no man had ever been granted this gift, it could not be true. Jesus countered this claim by asserting that He existed before Abraham did (John 8:58).
Other examples include the statements that He created the world and all that is in it (Colossians 1:16-17) and that He is superior to angels (Luke 2:46-47). He is also omnipotent, which means He has infinite power, and He can perform supernatural acts like healing the sick and raising the dead (Mark 16:17-18).
Another reason why it is necessary for Jesus to be God is because of the sinful nature of mankind. Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, which brought death and suffering into the world. In order to overcome this sin, a payment or sacrifice was needed. This is why Jesus had to be both human and divine—He was the perfect sacrifice that was able to pay the debt of all mankind.
If Jesus was not God, He would have had no reason to lay down His life for humans, and His death on the cross would not have been sufficient to overcome sin and death. But because He is God, He was able to take on our sins and die and rise from the dead, demonstrating His victory over sin and death. It is because He did this that we can be saved from our sins and have the hope of eternity with Him.