Re: What's the difference between believing "in" and believing "on"?
To be saved one must esxceed the righteousness of the Pharisees and even the belief level of demons.
James 2:19 (KJV) [SUP]19 [/SUP] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
So they believe there is one God. Muslims believe that way too. But we must understand what God has in mind about believing.
Next level: Mark 3:11-12 (KJV)
[SUP]11 [/SUP] And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
[SUP]12 [/SUP] And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
Believing there is one God is good. Believing Jesus is the Son of God isn't enough to save demons.
Mark 5:7-9 (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
[SUP]9 [/SUP] And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
Being face to face with Jesus, conversing with Jesus, will not save anyone. Remember Judas Iscariot, and others the apostles told of ruining their faith.
So what level of belief saves? Both upon and into by faith.
John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Greek transliteration is eis. It's used by far most often in the KJV as "into". It's a preposition meant "to be in", as in
'he jumped into the lake'. He didn't just believe there was a lake. "That store has a good purpose." might involved believing it is there, and you might go to it, but not enter into it and take part in its purpose.
The concept around which that famous verse is structured is in the preceding verse.
John 3:14 (KJV) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
That refers to the event of
Numbers 21:8-9 (KJV)
[SUP]8 [/SUP] And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
[SUP]9 [/SUP] And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Just believing that serpent pole existed wasn't enough to be healed. Victims had to behold it, believing the promise of beholding it enough to go behold it. It was vital to spread the word about it so many could be saved.
Next: Romans 10:11 (KJV)
[SUP]11 [/SUP] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
and Acts 16:27-34 (KJV)
[SUP]27 [/SUP] And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
[SUP]28 [/SUP] But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
[SUP]29 [/SUP] Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
[SUP]30 [/SUP] And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
[SUP]31 [/SUP] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
[SUP]32 [/SUP] And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
[SUP]33 [/SUP] And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
[SUP]34 [/SUP] And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
The jailer didn't simply believe "about" Jesus, but believed into Jesus. The Greek transliterated epi in both passages means to superimpose oneself ino Crist. The best explanation of that is Romans 10:9-11 (KJV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
[SUP]10 [/SUP] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
[SUP]11 [/SUP] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
BTW, that says believing in the resurrection of Jesus from the grave is a requirement of salvation. Many believe in a historical Jesus, but far fewer believe properly.
