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Nevertheless, from human perspective, faith is actually man‘s
proper attitude and response toward God‘s presence in the
presentation of his Word. Traditionally, Christian theology, based
on the Bible, describes such a response in three modes, namely,
intellectual faith (noticia), mind or sensual faith (assensus), and
willing faith (fiducia), to indicate the intellectual, emotional, and
volitional elements of faith and their effects on human existence,
respectively. These result from the operation of the Holy Spirit
through the Word and the presentation of the Word and its
proclamation to open man‘s hearts and renew their mind in order
that they may know God and his revelation. As such, man began to
know the foolishness, vanity, stubbornness, and darkness of his
former states. Under God‘s illumination, our mind begins to
realize and sense the contrition of our sinful lives, and willingly
and cheerfully consents to the admonition of the Spirit, as we are
cut to the heart and turn to God (cf. Acts 2:37). At last, we can
happily trust in God and his Word, and unconditionally accept his
judgment, to receive his merciful grace toward the regeneration to
enter into the Kingdom of his beloved Son (Col.1: 13)
In fact, intellectual faith and sensual faith both are the state of
mind in the intellectual and emotional realm. They are called
intellectual knowledge and sensual knowledge, respectively. They
are temporal faith, as they are both limited to physical and
existential or experiential matters. Due to the fact that temporal
faith submit itself to factual and physical evidences, it is
susceptible to change and dissipates in time and space.
Undoubtedly intellectual faith and mind or sensual faith have
factual certainty; nevertheless they are temporal and therefore
undurable. This is exactly the reason why most traditional church
has much difficulty accepting the Charismatic movement and its
operation in the church.
As far as faith is concerned, intellectual knowledge and
sensual knowledge need volitional decision and commitment to
complete its course. Both need the planting of the Word to build
toward their fulfillment to be called true faith.