John 3,16

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16 For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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At the core of the good news of the gospel is that GOD, our Father in Heaven, wants to reconcile us humans, who are separated from our Creator through sin and condemned to eternal death, to Himself. The Bible does not teach that GOD became a human being or came to earth to redeem humanity through His own death. Instead, it testifies that GOD raised up the Messiah—a human being whom GOD designated as the Savior of all humanity—to carry out His plan through him.

 

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1st Corinthians 15,21

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21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

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The Bible testifies that, just as death itself comes about, the resurrection of the dead does not come through GOD or through a creature with "two natures," but through a human being. Just as GOD foresaw that Adam would sin and fall, so GOD also foresaw that Jesus (the last Adam) would fulfill His will and thus overcome sin and death. Therefore, GOD made Jesus the key figure in His plan of salvation.

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Romans 10,9 f.

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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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The biblical and saving creed is that Jesus is "Lord" and that GOD raised him from the dead. "Lord" is not a synonym for "GOD," but rather expresses that Jesus is the King/Ruler/Leader appointed by GOD, whom all believers serve and follow. At no point does the Bible require confessing Jesus as GOD or believing in his supposed pre-existence; nor does it tie a person's salvation to it. Churches that do this go beyond GOD's Word and may close people's way to the Kingdom of Heaven.

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John 17,3

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3 And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee (the Father) the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.

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1st John 2,3

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3 And hereby we do know that we know him (Jesus), if we keep his commandments.

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Faith is about knowing GOD, the Father, the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ. This brings eternal life. To know Jesus means to have a personal relationship with him and to be united with him. The relationship with Jesus is expressed in faithfulness and obedience to his word and, above all, in love for our fellow human beings, especially to our brothers and sisters; not in worshipping Jesus as GOD. That belongs to the heavenly Father alone. A life in community with Jesus bears a lot of good fruit, which can be seen in a person's actions. The goal of faith is perfect unity with GOD. A confession of Jesus as GOD says nothing whatsoever about a person's relationship with Jesus.

 

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John 14,15 + 21

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15 If you love me, keep my commands. (...) 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.

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John 15,12-14

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12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

 

Those who love Jesus obey his commandments. It is not about what Jesus is, but about what he did as a human being - i.e., his work of redemption on the cross - and what Jesus demands of his disciples, namely keeping his commandments. Because Jesus loved us and gave his life for us even to death, we owe it to ourselves to love one another and to lay down our lives for one another. This is what unites all true believers and what every Christian should focus on. For this is the only way each of us will be judged. Whether Jesus is a higher being or a human being exalted by GOD, whether he pre-existed or not, is irrelevant.

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Genesis 1,27

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27 So GOD created man in His own image (...).

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Colossians 1,15

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15 He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible GOD, the firstborn of every creature.

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Jesus is the image of GOD. This means that as a human being, Jesus embodies what man should be according to GOD's plan of creation. In his way of life and his relationship with GOD the Father, Jesus serves as a model for all of us. Although Jesus is fully human, he holds a preeminent position and, as the firstborn, precedes all other people. GOD gave Jesus wisdom and authority unlike any other before him so that people would recognize him as the promised Savior (not as GOD) and so that Jesus could accomplish GOD's work. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead, his exaltation to the right hand of the Father, and his function as Lord/ruler of the universe and head of GOD's church are the culmination of his obedience and total devotion to humanity.

 

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Romans 8,29

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29 For whom He (GOD) did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

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Even though Jesus is our brother, as our Lord he is superior to us. Therefore, GOD expects us to submit to Jesus in obedience and follow his example. This, in turn, is the base for the unity of the Church; not the dogma of the Trinity, as the traditional church teaches. GOD wants us to become as perfect in character as Jesus. If Jesus were GOD, this claim would remain a utopian dream unattainable for us humans. For there is no human being who is able to do what GOD can. But if we understand Jesus Christ as the perfect human being, we are able to follow him in faith and become like him.

 

 

John 14,6

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6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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Jesus' mission was to reconcile us with GOD the Father, and not with himself. Jesus is not GOD, but the mediator between GOD and us humans. He is the way, or guide, to GOD. When we believe and act like Jesus, by doing the will of the Father, we have fellowship with Jesus and with GOD the Father. This is the core of the gospel and the goal of faith. Therefore, the question of whether Jesus is GOD or not has no influence on our faith or our salvation.

 

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Acts 2,14-35 / Acts 3,12-27 / Acts 4,8-12 / Acts 5,29-33 / Acts 10,34-43 / Acts 13,16-41 / Acts 16,22-31 / Acts 26,1-23 / Rom 2,16 / 1st Cor 2,2 / 1st Cor 15,3 f. / 2nd Tim 2,8

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