Sermonette: Three Aspects of Faith

Faith's Place in Becoming Like Christ
#700s
John W. Ritenbaugh
Given 08-Jan-05; 18 minutes

description: The English prepositions "in," "on," or "into" (or "unto"), as in "believing in Christ," "believing on Christ," and "believing unto Christ" (derived from the single Greek preposition eis) reflect significant stages in the maturation of faith. Believing in (rudimentary acceptance) is only the first rung on the ladder of faith, placing us on par with the demons who believe and tremble, but don't do anything about it. Believing on (trusting or depending on the Messenger enough to commence upon a life of good works) is the next level of faith or belief. Believing into or unto reflects the ultimate stage of mature faith, consisting of taking on the very personality, character, and nature of Christ—our goal.

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