Jesus clearly tells us that unless we believe He is He, meaning that He is who He really is, that we will perish in our sins. We know from Revelation this means eternal separation from Jesus, and enduring the second death, which is the lake of fire where the smoke of our torment rises "day and night, forever and ever". Hardly a minor detail.
This morning in worship my heart was settling on the One whom I was worshipping, and it rested soundly on this truth...
Jesus did not become God after being man, but rather was God in all His glory BEFORE becoming man, and was simply returned to His glory after being resurrected. Jesus, the eternal God, laid His life down for me.
...who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:6-8 NKJV
And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 17:5 NKJV
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:3 NKJV
