Jesus Must Be God to be Our Savior

On Atonement in the Church Age

1. Only God can redeem us – on the basis of His authority and eternal self-existence

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  NKJV

If Christ were simply a created being, His payment would not be acceptable. Why? If Christ is “created”, His sacrifice is simply another of the Father’s creation, and not a payment. Payment for our redemption must come from a party outside of creation.

2. Only God can justify us - We are required to profess Christ’s divinity to receive salvation

Romans 10:9 …if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  HSCB

Why would we be asked to lie about this? If Jesus were not perfect, we could not be saved because the punishment Christ endured would have been deserved, and there would be no righteousness to impute to us. It is on Christ’s works that we are saved.

3, Only Christ as an equal with God can be our Mediator

1 Timothy 2:3-6 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.  HSCB

If Jesus were only a created being, he would have no standing with the Father to mediate between us, and therefore would be powerless to reconcile us for eternity. However, Jesus declared He was the only way to the Father. If Jesus is not “the way” then He is not the “truth” or the “life” either, or we are still under condemnation.

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Scripture citations are from:  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) © 2009 Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville TN or New King James Version®. (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson