To Believe Christ vs Believing in Christ

[righteousrepublic]

Do we merely believe in Christ as LDS's, or do we believe Christ? Do we believe he can actually save us, or is he just a figure we think about occasionally?

What is the difference between believing in Christ and believing Christ?
What is the role of Christ? How did he achieve this role?
Why did he suffer so much during the atonement?
Who did he suffer for?
Is he like a lifeguard just sitting on a perch next to a pool and declaring..."oh, there goes another one under" or does he dive in and save them?

[Arenera]

God, Man and the Universe

God, Man, and the Universe is the first in a series of four volumes setting forth the thought and doctrine expressed by the Prophet Joseph Smith. This study is an effort to analyze the total spectrum of Joseph Smith's thought as expressed in his teachings and in the teachings of men who were taught personally by him or who had first- hand information of what he taught. Because of it’s nature as a study of early Latter-day Saint thought, the sources were limited to primarily those which record the teachings of the Prophet and his associates. Such a study has never before been undertaken; and the publication of this series is the climax of years of research and discussion.

[Arenera]

Believing Christ

Another good book on your topic.

[righteousrepublic]

No takers, huh?

Let me put it a different way. What is the difference in meaning between the two statements? Are we to merely believe in Christ? Isn't there more to the equation? What is it?

[ElizaRSkousen]

Very interesting how wording it can change the meaning slightly. I think that believing Christ is harder than believing in him.

Believing in him sounds like just a nice idea that you might hope for, like a far off dream. truly believing him is taking him literally and seriously, and being vulnerable in giving yourself to him.

[righteousrepublic]

Very interesting how wording it can change the meaning slightly. I think that believing Christ is harder than believing in him.

Believing in him sounds like just a nice idea that you might hope for, like a far off dream. truly believing him is taking him literally and seriously, and being vulnerable in giving yourself to him.

And if we take him literally and seriously then do all we can to repent, will he then, in time, perfect us in this life? Put another way, can Christ perfect us while we are still in the flesh? If so, how? What must we do to take him seriously?

[inho]

Do we merely believe in Christ as LDS's, or do we believe Christ?

James 2

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

[righteousrepublic]

Do we merely believe in Christ as LDS's, or do we believe Christ?

James 2

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

And how does one tie in faith and works with the attributes of Christ. When we think about it, we're talking about Believing Christ. What is it about Him that we are to believe? He must have a purpose, a role to fulfill that we are to believe and apply to ourselves.

[inho]

And how does one tie in faith and works with the attributes of Christ. When we think about it, we're talking about Believing Christ. What is it about Him that we are to believe? He must have a purpose, a role to fulfill that we are to believe and apply to ourselves.

Alma 34
15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

• "all those who shall believe on his name" = first believe in Christ
• "this last sacrifice ... bringeth about means unto men" = the atonement gives us power to change
• "they may have faith unto repentance." = through the power of the atonement we may manifest by our works that we are believing Christ and following his teachings so that we may become like him

[righteousrepublic]

And how does one tie in faith and works with the attributes of Christ. When we think about it, we're talking about Believing Christ. What is it about Him that we are to believe? He must have a purpose, a role to fulfill that we are to believe and apply to ourselves.

Alma 34
15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

• "all those who shall believe on his name" = first believe in Christ
• "this last sacrifice ... bringeth about means unto men" = the atonement gives us power to change
• "they may have faith unto repentance." = through the power of the atonement we may manifest by our works that we are believing Christ and following his teachings so that we may become like him

through the power of the atonement we may manifest by our works that we are believing Christ and following his teachings so that we may become like him

Now tie this in with Moroni 10:32,33

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

So the role of Christ is to "perfect us" individually, not collectively that we many be perfect in Christ while we are in the flesh. How many people in the church truly believe that Christ can make them perfect? How many trust him enough to allow this to happen, to become holy and without spot?

Are people that merely believe IN Christ able to be perfected by him?