Would a person be considered a Christian if they wanted to follow Christ's teachings, but didn't exactly view him as God, but rather a prophet or messenger of God? Because technically they would be following Christ's path, just not believing that he himself was God or part of a trinity.
Does God say:- " Jesus is to be called God or the Son of God?"
Luke 1:32-35.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 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.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus has revealed God to us.
A lot of people do not study what the disciples actually wrote correctly. The LORD is one God.
He is not many like the worship of Baal which was many gods mainly the male forces nature.
According to the word of God and teachings of the disciples Jesus Christ is a Holy Thing and is to be called the Son of God.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
How can Jesus, if he is God, be stood on the right hand of God?
Jesus was the exact representation of all God is. Except unlike God, the power Jesus had came from God, for God was with him.
Peter said:
"38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
Jesus summing up the whole law and teachings of the Prophets was taught with an added message,
" If, you love me, you will keep my commandments".
The first commandment was to 'Love the LORD thy God with all thine heart' and in doing so Jesus is showing that he kept the commandments and served only God.
With Christ we know following him means doing as he did. He worshipped only the truth God as his temptation shows.
He was fully human but had the nature of God and did not sin. According to the bible we see Jesus never made himself out to be God. He clearly teaches he came to do his Fathers will and not his own will. So his will was to do the WILL of God. Hope it helps when answering the question from the biblical prospective.