Is the question of the divinity of Jesus really that important--important enough to cause Bible-believing Christians to reject any all doctrines that do not teach that Christ was God in the flesh? If a person follows the teachings of Jesus, what difference does it make if he or she does not believe that Christ was divine? Why not simply focus on encouraging people to follow the Son of God without putting so much emphasis on whether or not a person believes in the divinity of Jesus? The Bible answers those questions for us.
We read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (KJV, St. John 1:1, 14). We have just read that the scriptures say that the Word is God; and that the Word was made flesh. In other words, God was made flesh. In verse 15 of the same chapter of St. John we read that, "John (the Baptist) bare witness of him...." Of whom did John the Baptist bare witness? He witnessed Jesus. So, the Word was God. The Word was made flesh, which means that God was made flesh. And, that Word is revealed as Jesus in the very same chapter of St. John, which means that John witnessed the divinity of Jesus.
This is only one of numerous biblical passages that affirm that God came in the flesh. But, again, why can't a person simply follow the teachings of Christ regardless of his or her belief in, or rejection of the divinity of Jesus? Because it is IMPOSSIBLE to follow Christ without believing that he is God and was God in the flesh. This is not opinion. This is what scripture says.
The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Anti-Christ
Keeping in mind that Jesus is the Word, which is God, which was made flesh, let's read 1 John 4:2-3, which says, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of ANTICHRIST, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
Remember that man, though he has a physical body, is also a spiritual being (1 Thessalonians 5:23). And man can confess (Romans 10:9). This is one of a number of biblical scriptures that emphasize the divinity of Jesus.
To deny that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh and that he is God is the work of the spirit of anti-Christ. "Anti" means to be against. Therefore, the spirit of anti-Christ is the spirit of being against the Christ of God. Such a spirit is not of God, according to the scripture. Obviously, God is not against God. The very denial of the divinity of Jesus is anti-Christ, which is extremely serious.
So, we have our answer. No, a person cannot simply follow the teachings of the Jesus mentioned in the scriptures while denying that Jesus was God in the flesh. We cannot be for and against Christ at the same time. We are one or the other. We are either for Christ or we are against him. If we deny the divinity of Jesus, scripture has already said that such a denial is the spirit of anti-Christ. In other words, it is the spirit of being AGAINST Christ. We cannot be against Christ and expect to follow him. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is AGAINST me..." (Matthew 12:30).
Again, the scripture of 1 John 4:2-3 reveals that to deny the divinity of Jesus, which is to deny that he was God who came in the flesh, is anti-Christ, or AGAINST Christ.