Understanding Faith: Assent And Its Meaning

Faith is a word that is commonly used but not always understood. The Bible's closest definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. This definition of faith includes two aspects: intellectual assent and trust. Intellectual assent is the act of recognizing and agreeing with something, while trust is the act of relying on that thing. In other words, faith is an act of falling into the arms of Jesus, surrendering your life, and turning from your sins. It is not enough to simply believe in certain facts about Jesus Christ or to have knowledge of Christian doctrine; true faith requires a personal and full reliance on Jesus for salvation. This is often referred to as saving faith.

Faith is an intellectual assent to facts about Jesus Christ

Faith is a complex concept that involves different aspects, including knowledge, assent, and trust. While faith is commonly used, it is often misunderstood. So, what does it mean when we say that "faith is an intellectual assent to facts about Jesus Christ"?

Intellectual assent is the act of believing something to be true. It is the recognition and agreement with a particular set of facts. In the context of Christianity, intellectual assent to facts about Jesus Christ refers to believing and agreeing with the facts declared by the Bible about Jesus. These facts include Jesus being God incarnate, his death on the cross for the penalty of our sins, and his resurrection.

However, it is important to note that intellectual assent alone is not enough for saving faith. As mentioned earlier, faith also involves trust. Trust, in this context, means actually relying on and fully surrendering to the truth of these facts. It is not enough to just believe and agree with the facts about Jesus Christ; saving faith requires us to personally and fully trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. This trust involves receiving Him as our Savior and yielding to Him as our Lord.

The Bible provides a clear definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." This highlights that faith involves both intellectual assent to facts and trust in those facts. Furthermore, the Bible also emphasizes that faith without corresponding actions is dead (James 2:17). Faith should be reflected in our everyday lives and demonstrated through service and obedience to God.

In conclusion, when we say that "faith is an intellectual assent to facts about Jesus Christ," we are acknowledging that faith involves believing and agreeing with the facts about Jesus as declared in the Bible. However, it is important to remember that this intellectual assent must be accompanied by trust and obedience for it to be considered saving faith.

Faith is a trust in the facts about Jesus Christ

Faith is often used interchangeably with trust, and in the context of religion, it is defined as "belief and trust in and loyalty to God". Faith is a noun, and it means having assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. It involves trusting in something you cannot explicitly prove.

Faith in Jesus Christ means believing in Him for salvation. It means believing that He is God in human form, and that He died for our sins and rose from the dead. It means putting complete confidence in Him and His Word. It means believing everything He said and accepting His Word as true. It means committing or dedicating ourselves entirely to Him and obeying Him.

Faith in Jesus Christ is also about trusting in His plan for us and believing that He will grant us eternal life and let us live forever in the presence of God. It is about relying on Him for everything in our lives, especially during difficult times. It is about finding rest in Him when we are weary and burdened.

Faith in Jesus Christ is a choice to have faith in what He says even when our feelings or circumstances might lead us elsewhere. It is about living a life of belief and obedience to God even when it is difficult. It is about seeking truth in Scripture, spending time with Him, and looking for things to be grateful for.

Faith in Jesus Christ is an act of falling into His arms and surrendering to His Lordship. It is about putting our lives on the line for what we believe and allowing Him to be in control. It is about accepting that He died for our sins and rose from the dead, and it is about following His teachings and commandments.

Faith is a gift from God

As the Bible says, "Even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)". This is further emphasised in Ephesians 2:8–9: "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Faith is not something that we do in our own power or by our own resources. We do not have adequate power or resources. God intervenes to quicken us and gives us the ability to believe. Without that divinely generated faith, one cannot understand and approach the Saviour.

Faith is a supernatural act by God the Holy Spirit, who makes dead bones live, who raises the spiritually dead to live and who grants to them faith and through it, union with Christ. It is a gift that involves the intellect but is not the product of the intellect.

The three aspects of faith—knowledge, assent, and trust—are all necessary for saving faith. Assent implies personal knowledge. It is not implicit faith about things that other people claim to know or experience. True faith rests in God as he has revealed himself in Christ the Word of God incarnate and in the inspired, infallible Word written.

Faith is a supernatural act by the Holy Spirit

The source of our faith is the Holy Spirit. It is only by God's grace that we are saved through faith, and this faith is not of ourselves. It is a supernatural miracle that grants us faith in God, despite our prior alienation and spiritual death. This faith is strong and endures everything, it reaches back to an event we have never seen, such as the death of the Savior.

Faith is an assent, an expression of approval or agreement with God. It is not the same as knowledge or belief, which can exist without faith. Faith involves trust and is a gift from God, involving the intellect but not produced by it. It is a supernatural act, where God makes dead bones live and grants us faith and union with Christ.

The three aspects of faith are knowledge, assent, and trust. All three are necessary for saving faith. We must have knowledge of God and assent to the truth of that knowledge, but it cannot stop there. We must also have trust, which is a supernatural act by the Holy Spirit.

Faith is an act of obedience

The three aspects of faith are knowledge, assent, and trust. Assent, or agreement with something outside of oneself, is dependent on knowledge. It is not the same as ascent, or the attempt to climb up into the intellect of God, which violates the Creator/creature distinction. Assent implies personal knowledge and is an aspect of faith, but it is not the whole of faith.

Faith is also an act of obedience because it requires us to act on our beliefs. James emphasizes that faith without corresponding actions is dead (James 2:17). The obedience that pleases God is the result of faith (Romans 1:5; 16:26). Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). This means that genuine faith will be reflected in one's everyday life and produce concrete evidence of its existence.

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