Articles
Unbelief: The Consequences
John 8:13-30 results from Jesus’ statement, “I am the light of the world” (8:12). This text reflects the conflict of the light of revelation and the darkness of prejudice produced by ignorance and sin. The Pharisees challenge of Jesus was made on legal grounds (13) because no man on trial in a Jewish court was allowed to testify on his own behalf. Jesus’ argument is that He, as the son of the Father, was better able to bear witness concerning Himself than anyone else. In these verses Jesus pronounces a sober judgment on His enemy’s inability to discern His true identity; which judgment remains true today.
Jesus issues a warning concerning the consequences of their unbelief: “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” The Bible teaches there are two ways to die. You may “die in the Lord” (Rev. 14:13) or you may die in your sins. To die in your sins means to die with the burden of your sins upon you. The result of dying in your sins is that we must bear the burden of sin, which is spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. To die in sin is to be forever separated from Jesus, “…Where I go you cannot come” (21b) and this is the most sobering consequence of all.
