It’s kind of like drowning at sea and a lifeguard comes to rescue you. Of the coast guard in their high seas rescue.
You can believe that he can save your life, and you can try to help him which only makes matters worse. You have to just let him do the work of saving your life. Your only contribution is to let him do it. You believe that he can and let him do the work.
All three of my kids were lifeguards and were taught to rescue people by putting them in positions where they COULDN’T try to help the lifeguard because their flailing around only makes matters worse.
Intellectual assent, knowing that the lifeguard can save you does no good unless you LET him do it and that means letting go of your own efforts to help the situation.
The only thing that can pay for sin is death, the shedding of blood. We can shed our blood and die but that is only paying the penalty for our sin, it does not save us.
Since Jesus was perfect and had no sin, when He died, He was able to conquer death and over come it. That is credited to our account if we simply ask for it. Just let the work He did be credited to our account and let HIM save you. You can’t do it yourself any more than a person drowning at sea can save themselves.
Another way of saying might be....'Your only contribution is to trust him to so it. You believe that he can and trust him that he will save you"
I'm trying to determine where trust comes into this picture....if you don't think the lifeguard is able to save you then your going to thrash about and try to help yourself. That's why it's important to understand the gospel message I think. It goes further than being saved by Jesus....it's making Him Lord as well....the boss of your life.....or is it enough to have him just as Savior?
I looked up Intellectual Assent...which appears to be that of agreeing with ones head..mind. This is what I think says it and yet trust still seems to have to come into the equation somewhere.
“Intellectual assent is a decision made in our head that lacks the commitment of our heart. There are lots of things people believe in theory, but wouldn’t entrust with their life. For example they might agree that a bridge made of rope and planks appears strong enough to allow a person to cross a deep chasm, but until they’re willing to walk across it’s only intellectual assent.
It’s the same with salvation. Some people accept the Lord’s death as payment for the sins of the world in theory, but until they trust Him with their own eternal destiny by becoming born again, it’s only intellectual assent.”