"What It Means to Believe"
Martin Luther

John 12:44

    “There are two ways to believe. The first way is to believe about God, meaning that we believe what is taught about God is really true. It’s similar to believing that what is taught about the devil or hell is true. This type of belief is more a statement of knowledge than an expression of faith.

    “The second way is to believe in God. This not only includes believing what is taught about God is true but also includes trusting him and daring to be in relationship with him. It means believing without any doubt that he really is who he says he is, and he will do all he says he will do. I wouldn’t believe any person to this same degree, no matter how highly others might praise him. It’s easy to believe that someone is godly, but it’s another matter to completely rely on him.

    “A person who believes in God believes everything written about God in Scripture. He dares to believe this in life and in death. This faith makes a person a true Christian and gives him everything he desires from God. A person with an evil, hypocritical heart can’t have this type of faith, for it’s a living faith, as described in the first commandment: “I am the LORD your God . . . Never have any other god” (Exodus 20:2-3).

    “Therefore, the little word in is well placed and should be carefully noted. We don’t say I believe God the Father, or I believe about God the Father, but I believe in God the Father, in Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Only God can give us this type of faith.”