It is somewhat puzzling as to why those who wish to add to the scriptures that Jesus is his God often quote 1 John 4:3 as proof that Jesus is his God. As best as I can determine, many seem to think that this verse says: "Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ [is God] come in the flesh is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world." (I added what some evidently read into this verse in brackets "[is god]".)
Bible Students certainly do confess and thoroughly believe that Jesus did indeed come in the flesh, for which purpose was to offer that sinless flesh, his sinless humanity, in which was life, in sacrifice to God for the church and the world of mankind. (Matthew 20:28; John 6:51; Luke 22:19; Romans 3:25; 5:8,12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; Ephesians 5:2; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 10:5,10; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2; 4:10) I believe this is why John emphasized that Jesus had come in the flesh, since this is the whole basis of the atonement as set forth in the New Testament.
Usually those who believe that Jesus is his God actually deny the purpose for which he came in to the flesh, for most of them claim that Jesus is still flesh, that he took back his flesh and still has his body that he died with; some even believe that he still has the physical wounds that were physically inflicted upon his body when on the day of his death. There are, however, those who do not believe that Jesus is his God who also believe that Jesus still has his body that he died in. All such would, in effect, deny that Jesus actually came in the flesh in order to give his flesh in sacrifice for the life of the world.
Nevertheless, if one rejects Jesus as who he claimed to be -- "the Son of God" -- then such could be of the class spoken of here. While the trinitarian has come up with some ingenious reasoning to explain how Jesus is the God of whom he is the Son, in reality, the trinity doctrine does reject Jesus as who he claimed to be. Likewise, any who claim that Jesus is his God do likewise.
There were many spirits -- theories, doctrines -- amongst the Christians, even in the first century -- which did indeed deny Jesus -- not necessarily that they denied that they believed in Jesus, but they wished for their Jesus to be other than whom he said he was. Some were claiming that he was God; some were claiming that he was an angel "incarnated" in flesh; others were saying that he was simply a good, yet sinful man, as all others; others were saying that his death did not purchase anyone, etc. All of these theories actually cannot confess the true Jesus, but actually confess another Jesus, and deny the true Jesus as having come in the flesh. -- 2 Corinthians 11:4.
Jesus, as the one whom he claimed to, the Anointed One of Yahweh, the one sent by Yahweh, the Son of Yahweh, the one who came from his God, is the true foundation upon which our faith should be built. "Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, Jesus Christ." -- 1 Corinthians 3:11.
http://godandsonreslight.net/jesusnotyhwh.html Nevertheless, those who wish for Jesus to be God himself build another foundation, the trinity doctrine or similar doctrine; such usually claim their doctrine to be the foundation upon which one should build their faith.
The world does not confess Jesus to be "Lord." and few of the professed Christian systems are ready to confess the true purpose for which Jesus came in flesh.
Many people have believed that Jesus lived, but who have denied his being the Christ -- the Anointed of Yahweh, are of the the same class of anti-christs do today, who, by their claim that Jesus is God, in effect, deny that "Jesus is the Son of God", son of the Most High.
Jesus became flesh (holy, undefiled) in order to pay the price or penalty against us -- death. The affirmation or denial of Messiah's having come in the flesh was and still is a sure test -- the ransom test stated in one of its forms: every doctrine that denies it is an active opponent of the truth.
All who believe that Christ is still a man -- with a body of flesh -- since his resurrection and that he will come a second time as a man, are thereby, in effect, denying the ransom, for this would deny -- in effect -- that there really was a ransom price paid to God. It would deny that Jesus gave his human body as a sacrificial offering to his God (Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 7:27; 9:14) to pay the debt of sin for the church and the human race. -- Luke 22:19; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:24; 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 10:10.
Christian love,
Ronald
