[Jesus warned the crowds,] "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."
The crucial phrase in Scripture, somewhat disguised by our translations, is:
"Unless you believe that I AM, then you will indeed die in your sins." As John so often does, he grabs a simple phrase, fills it full to the brim with meaning, and leads us to see Jesus in a dramatically fresh way. Jesus is I AM (
Exodus 3:13-14 - See
Jesus' seven "I AM" statements in John's gospel.) Jesus is God with us in human flesh (
John 1:14-18;
Hebrews 1:1-3). How could God love us so much and come to us as Immanuel, God with us? (
Matthew 1:23) We can't fully grasp the depth of God's love, but we can surely believe, be humbled, rejoice, and choose to live to bring I AM, the
Lord, the glory due him (
Philippians 2:6-11).
Holy and Righteous God, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for all that Jesus is, all he did while on earth, and all he will do when he comes in his glory. I praise you and thank you for giving me confidence that because of Jesus, I will not die in my sins. I believe Jesus is "I AM" who inhabited human flesh. Even more, dear Father, thank you for the assurance that I will live with you forever when I die. All praise to the great I AM! Amen.
![Illustration of John 8:24 — [Jesus warned the crowds,] "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."](https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/creations/2677.jpg "Illustration of John 8:24 — [Jesus warned the crowds,] \"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.\"")
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