What is the difference between head ascent and genuine faith in the gospel?
Head assent merely acknowledges that Christ died, was buried, and rose again. Genuine faith goes further: it rests completely on the fact that when Christ died, the believer died; when He was buried, the believer was buried; when He rose, the believer rose from deadness in sin, receiving eternal life. That is the Gospel.
Les explains that Paul is not talking about a mere head assent—just saying, “I believe He died, I believe He rose again.” Paul is talking about every individual coming to the place where they genuinely, totally, and completely rest on the fact that when Christ died, they died; when He was buried, they were buried; when He rose from the dead, they rose from deadness in sin and the old Adamic estate, and He has imparted eternal life. Les illustrates this with Israel coming out of Egypt: they were in slavery and bondage, but by the blood of the Passover lamb they escaped the death angel, yet they did not stay in Egypt. They went through the Red Sea, a picture of the burial and death of Christ, and came out on the other side a redeemed people—a resurrection experience. They did not work for it; it was all the power of God, but it required the shed blood indicative of Christ's death. Les says we go through that same process.