What constitutes believing in the person Jesus? It is belief in him as the light sent by God the Father as light for all the world. It is belief in him as a doorway through which to find God the Father. It is belief in him as singularly this person. It includes belief he lives now, raised from the dead by God to live forever. It is belief in him as the one who has come into the world as the Christ sent by God. It is belief that he is with God as the Son of God. This is not a mental consent to a series of tenets. It is genuine belief in him as this one, and as providing all this. Yet even this is only the beginning of finding his liberation of one’s life from enslaving moral failings. For that liberation, Jesus said to hold to his teachings as one’s personal teacher (see John 8 ). That leads to becoming a true disciple of this Jesus, in whom one believes. He brings his light from God both in miracles God gives him to do, and gives him to enable his disciples to do, but also in his teachings. So to benefit from his light, to be set free by it, it is vital to receive the teachings and sayings he has taught. He can even teach such light-giving things today, and the Holy Spirit teaches them too, in the Lord Jesus Christ’s name. One can believe in him and go on to receive teachings from him, as well as learning his teachings from scriptures. In addition there are things the Holy Spirit passes on from Jesus. It all needs embracing by the one who believes in Jesus. This is discipleship. It leads to eternal life.
