John 8:24

“You want to know why I say, ‘You will die in your sins’?” Jesus adds. “It boils down to this: If you do not believe I am who I say I am, you will die in your sins. It’s as simple as that.” John 8:24 EFP 

Jesus does not pull any punches at this point. He knows what is at stake here. He wants to break through and reach the hearts of these people for whom he came to die as the sacrificial Lamb of God. They are at an impasse created by their inability to comprehend or their unwillingness to accept the claims Jesus is making. 

So Jesus has no option but to break it down to its basics. Believe and live. Refuse to believe and die. But that is not all he says. I notice he says, “You will die in your sins.” If dying is the opposite of living. Then dying in your sins is the opposite of what? Living out of your sins? Living without sin? Certainly the religious leaders were acquainted with that concept, since it was their goal. Is Jesus is adding that element to this exchange? Considering John says that anyone that claims they have no sin is in the dark (1 John 1:8), there must be something else he has in mind—something they need to understand and that I need to grasp today as well. Can it be what Jesus is promising me today is a life without sin being my master? I do not need to fear sin, because Jesus has taken my sin onto himself and freed me not only from the penalty of sin, but from the slavery to sin. I will die only if I choose to cling to my sin because I refuse to believe in Jesus as my Savior and my Lord. Once again, it comes down to what and how I chose to believe. Oh, Lord, make it plain!