The Primacy of the Intellect in Saving Faith
Saving faith or saving belief is an intellectual assent to understood propositions of the Gospel. We first hear, think and understand what the doctrines of the Gospel are. Secondly, we agree or assent to the understood doctrines of the Gospel (in other words, we say yes to the teachings of the Gospel we heard, thought and understood). These are the only two core essentials of saving faith or belief. It’s all in the mind. The Holy Spirit works in our mind to believe. Most people reading this would be asking “we also must trust in the Lord Jesus with our heart, isn’t it?” Legitimate question. Intellectual assent to understood propositions of the Gospel has no difference from a common saying: I put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart. Why? Mind (the intellect, thinking) = heart Heart ≠ emotion The heart ≠ a mindless aspect of the soul. The heart is also ≠ the very centre of a person’s being, where fundamental direction...