Jesus said, "I say therefore unto you (The Pharisees) that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins" John 8:24.
Jesus was trying to convince the Pharisees that he was God, they didn't believe that he was. They said, "Is this not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brothers James, Joses. and Simon, and Judas? and his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then has this man all of these things? Matthew 13:55-56.
In spite of all the miracles that Jesus did they could not believe that he was God. After Jesus raised Lazurus from the dead they decided that the only thing that they could do was to kill him.
There are many professing Christians that do not believe that Jesus is God. They are unbelievers. No one will be saved that does not believe that Jesus has atoned for their sins and the sins of the whole world. Only God can atone for the sins of the whole world. Jesus claims to be the savior of the whole world, John 3:17.
To not believe that Jesus is God causes many to turn to religion. Religion is man's effort to try and save himself by the works of the law. Paul said, "Therefore by the deeds of the law (what we do) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20. The purpose of the law is to judge and condemn, not save or justify, yet there are multitudes that believe that they must keep the law and the commandments, or they will not be saved. It is just the opposite.
I believe that Religion is an indication of the absence of faith. They don't believe that Jesus has saved them, so they turn to religion to save themselves.
Jesus was trying to convince the Pharisees that he was God, they didn't believe that he was. They said, "Is this not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brothers James, Joses. and Simon, and Judas? and his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then has this man all of these things? Matthew 13:55-56.
In spite of all the miracles that Jesus did they could not believe that he was God. After Jesus raised Lazurus from the dead they decided that the only thing that they could do was to kill him.
There are many professing Christians that do not believe that Jesus is God. They are unbelievers. No one will be saved that does not believe that Jesus has atoned for their sins and the sins of the whole world. Only God can atone for the sins of the whole world. Jesus claims to be the savior of the whole world, John 3:17.
To not believe that Jesus is God causes many to turn to religion. Religion is man's effort to try and save himself by the works of the law. Paul said, "Therefore by the deeds of the law (what we do) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20. The purpose of the law is to judge and condemn, not save or justify, yet there are multitudes that believe that they must keep the law and the commandments, or they will not be saved. It is just the opposite.
I believe that Religion is an indication of the absence of faith. They don't believe that Jesus has saved them, so they turn to religion to save themselves.