John 8:24 - You Will Die in Your Sins

It is often claimed that if one does not accept the trinity, that the Bible says that he will die in his sins. Matt Slick claims that Jesus claimed to "God" in John 8:24.

Actually, what did Jesus did say to the Jewish religious leaders who opposed him?

John 8:21 - Jesus said therefore again to them, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and will die in your sins. Where I go, you can't come."

John 8:24 - I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins."

Jesus was certainly declaring that if they did not accept him as who he claimed to be, they would die in their sins. Who was he claiming to be? Jesus certainly did not say he is God in John 8:24; indeed, the word "God" is not to found anywhere in that verse. Nor does he claim his name to be EHJEH of Exodus 3:14. Jesus certainly was not claiming to be his Father who sent him from above. (John 8:16,19,23) Trinitarians, of course, do not claim that Jesus is his Father, but oneness believers do make such a claim.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Isaiah 61:2 to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. -- American Standard Version.

In the context of John 8:24, rather than claiming to be God, Jesus was claiming to have been sent by his Father, and he differentiates himself from his God and Father, the God of Israel. (John 8:18,40,42,54) Jesus identified his Father as being the only true God who had sent him. (John 17:1,3) This means that he was claiming to be the one whom the Lord Jehovah sent from above, as recorded in Isaiah 61:1, hence, the promised Messiah. In Isaiah 61:2, the Messiah is depicted as joining with Israel in referring to Jehovah as "our God [Elohim]". Nothing in any of this means that he was claiming to be his Father, nor that he was a person of the "one God" from whom are the all. -- 1 Corinthians 8:6.

Why do non-believers die in their sins? As Paul later explains, all mankind have been made sinners as a result of Adam's sin; all are condemned in the disobedience of one man, so that only one obedient man would be needed to deliver mankind out of the condemnation in Adam. (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6) By this means, God's justice is satisfied, and thus he can remain just, while still justifying the sinner through Jesus' sacrifice. (Romans 3:26) In this age, the only way one can be reckoned as justified, and thus, without sin, is through faith in Jesus, the one whom the only true God sent, based on the sacrifice he gave for sin. (John 14:6; 17:1,3; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:21-26; 4:5; 5:1,9,12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Hebrews 10:10) All others remain condemned in Adam, and will have to face judgment in the last day. -- Matthew 10:15; 11:22-24; 12:36; Mark 6:11; John 3:18,36; 12:47,48; 1 John 2:2; 2 Peter 2:9.

To not accept Jesus as being the promised one "from above" (John 8:23) -- the one sent from above by the only true God (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; John 6:29; 8:15,42; 10:36;17:1,3; 16:27; Acts 3:13-26; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:9,10,54; Hebrews 10:5) -- would mean that such a person is not reckoned as justified in the blood of Christ, and thus that such a person is counted as remaining in his sins, remaining under the wrath of God in the condemnation of death through Adam of which he has already been condemned. Thus, that one remains in his sins, not having been justified through the one who God sent to die for our sins. -- John 3:18,36; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:3,21,22; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 4:10.

There is nothing, however, in John 8:24, that means that Jesus was saying that if one does not accept the triune God and himself as being a person of that triune God, they one would die in their sins. Indeed, Jesus said nothing about himself as being "God" at all. Any such idea has to be formulated beyond what is stated, and then added to, and read into, what is stated. In John 8:24 all Jesus was saying is he was the one sent by his Father from above as the light of the world (John 8:12) -- the Son of God -- the Messiah. (John 8:12,14,16,18,23) Unless one believes in him as the one he claimed to be, one will not be justified and will thus die in his sins, and will therefore be raised in the resurrection of the unjust rather than the resurrection of the just. -- Acts 24:15.

Please note that the phrase often transliterated as EGO EIMI in John 8:12 is not referring to eternal existence from eternal past to eternal future (or to existence outside of time, etc), nor is there any thought that Jesus used EGO EIMI as the name EHJEH, as found in Exodus 3:14. This verse is referring to Jesus' claims regarding himself, much of which is related to while he in days of his flesh, while was in the world that did not recognize him. (John 1:10; 9:5; Hebrews 5:7) There is definitely nothing in John 8:24 that presents the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as being more than one person, or that Jesus is a person of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

For related studies, see our page: Ehjeh and "I am".