John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.” The Greek word rendered into here is the preposition eis, which means “into” or “unto.” Thus, the phrase believes into Him denotes a union with and participation in Christ. Believing into Christ differs from believing Christ or believing in Christ. To believe Christ is to believe that He is true and real, and to believe in Christ is still somewhat objective. To believe into Christ, however, is very subjective; it implies to receive Him and be united with Him as one (1:12; c.f. 1 Cor. 6:17).
As sinners, we were far from God, in a condition that required redemption. In Genesis we can see this was the situation with Adam and Eve. Because they were fallen and sinful, God clothed them with coats of skins (Gen. 3:21). The sacrifice that produced the coats of skins for Adam and Eve was slain as their substitute (Heb. 9:22). Once God covered them, they became one with the lamb that had been sacrificed to produce the coats. Therefore, being clothed by coats of skins signifies a saved one being in Christ and one with Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Christ died as our substitute and accomplished redemption on the cross. Therefore, by believing into Him, we are united with Him as one, and this union brings about the effectiveness of all that He accomplished in His death.
Another picture of our believing into Christ is presented with Noah and the ark (Gen. 7:1). Noah and his family could not have been saved merely by an objective knowledge of the ark. They were saved because they entered into the ark. We were once outside of Christ and apart from Him. However, by believing into Christ, we take the step of entering into Him. What a salvation this is, that we can be one with Christ through our believing into Him!
Witness Lee, The Conclusion of the New Testament, Messages 41 (Print).
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