Is mental assent enough for salvation?
No, mental assent is not enough for salvation. True salvation requires heart belief—faith in the gospel that trusts one's whole eternal destiny on it—not merely head knowledge. A person can mentally agree with facts yet never possess God-opened, heartfelt trust. Head-only belief falls short of saving faith.
Les explains that when he speaks of believing, trusting, or having faith in the gospel, he means a true heart belief, not just a head knowledge. He cites the expression that many people miss heaven by twelve inches: they had it in the head but never got it in the heart. He insists we must be sure we are believing not merely because we can give mental assent, but because God has opened our ability to believe and we trust our whole eternal destiny on it. He contrasts this with eternal doom for those who do not have that kind of heart faith, and says it begins in the heart.