Wait…He’s Not What?
I recently read an article over at The Gospel Coalition’s website summarizing the results of the 2022 Ligonier Ministries’ State of Theology survey. Though this article was originally published last September, I only came across it within the past month or so. This survey asked Americans their views on the Christian faith. What the results showed for evangelical Christians somewhat shocked me, and not in a good way.
Though I could probably write a post for each of the points, I want to focus on one particular point as it relates to the entire foundation of the Christian faith. If you would like to read the entire article, including what criteria they used to classify a Christian as evangelical, then click here.
So, what exactly has stunned me to the point I felt the need to address it in a blog post? Here it is: Of the total respondents who claimed to be evangelical, 44% claimed they believed Jesus was a “great teacher,” but not the Son of God.
What?!? I mean, I’ve heard people say they believed Jesus was a great teacher, but they weren’t professing Christians. But, to have almost half of the participants claim they believe He isn’t the Son of God surprises me. Isn’t part of becoming a believer acknowledging that Jesus is LORD (see Romans 10:9)?
To say that Jesus was a great teacher, but not God nullifies His work on the cross. If Jesus were only human, then He would have still been a sinful man, as all people are born sinners. But, because He was also God, He didn’t have the sin nature that we all have. He was and is perfect. That’s why His death on the cross was powerful and victorious. His perfect life made Him the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. He was without blemish. Had He only been human, then even if He lived a good life, He still would be blemished because of the sinful nature. His sacrifice wouldn’t have defeated death and cleansed us sinners. Had he only been human, then He would have been receiving the penalty of death that he deserved, just like the rest of us.
Another issue to consider is that if you say Jesus is not the Son of God, then you are calling Him a liar. If He is a liar then you must ignore everything He says because how can you discern what’s true and what’s false? If He’s a liar, then again, His death on the cross would mean nothing, which means we sinners have no hope for salvation and redemption. C.S Lewis wrote the following in his book Mere Christianity:
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Jesus is who He says He is. He is God. In Luke 1, when the angel visits Mary, he tells her that Jesus would be the “Son of the Most High” and that He would be called “holy – the Son of God,” (Luke 1:32, 35). Jesus Himself tells the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 that He was the foretold Christ, the Messiah (John 4:25-26). In John 5:19-29, Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of God the Father 10 times. In John 8:58, Jesus says “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” This is significant because in Exodus 3:14, God tells Moses to tell the Israelites that I AM sent him. In the verse from John, Jesus is calling Himself “I AM.” Jesus also says in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” These verses specifically lay out the relationship between Jesus and God the Father. These verses specifically say He is the Son of God.
So, if the Bible is pretty clear that Jesus is the Son of God, then why are so many Christians questioning it or even denying it? It’s even more baffling when you consider the criteria the survey used to determine if someone were “evangelical.” Specifically, one criterion they must agree to is “The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.” Hmmm…there seems to be a disconnect. According to this survey, to be considered evangelical, one must believe that the Bible is the highest authority for their beliefs, yet 44% don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God despite the Bible’s testimony that Jesus is the Son of God. Do people even read their Bibles anymore?
Sadly, this shows how many Christians are biblically illiterate. If we don’t know the Word of God, how can we stand on it? When we are faced with temptation or in the middle of some form of tribulation, how can we cling to Him and His Word to help us through those challenging times? Let’s consider when Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness (see Matthew 4:1-11). The devil used and twisted God’s word (as he did in the Garden with Eve) to try and tempt Jesus, but Jesus refuted him by using God’s Word rightly. When faced with difficulties, how are we going to know that “…if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) or that He will “never leave you or forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5)? If we’re not in His Word, how are we going to know that He provides a way out for us when facing temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)? His Word is the weapon we use to fight our enemy (Ephesians 6:17). If we don’t know God’s Word, how are we going to counter our enemy’s twisting of God’s Word?
I know I mention this topic quite a bit, but it’s only because I know what it’s like to live life partially in His Word. My faith was weak. I held many misconceptions about the truth of God because I didn’t study His Word. Once I started studying, not just reading, but studying His Word, truth replaced my misconceptions and I grew closer to the LORD. In fact, He and His Word comforted me and gave me a peace that truly surpassed any understanding on my part this past month and a half as we faced a couple of difficult and trying times. Remember, His Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). So, from one Christian sister to another, please study the Word of God. Meditate on His Word and memorize it. Make sure it is hidden in your heart. Then, you can clearly say you see the Bible as the highest authority and that Jesus is the Son of God, without any disconnect at all.
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
