Why is believing Jesus is the Christ and Son of God not enough to save someone in this age of grace?
The foundational confession is necessary but insufficient for salvation in this age of grace, because a person must also believe Christ went to the cross, shed His blood, and that redemption and propitiation come through faith in His blood, being justified freely by grace apart from works.
Les explains that believing Jesus is the Christ and Son of the Living God is foundational, but in itself not enough. Simply believing He was the Son of God and Israel's Messiah will not save anyone in this age of grace. He says we must go to the next part of Revelation: the Christ, the Son of the Living God, went to the cruel cross and shed His blood. Turning to Romans 3, Les points out that all have sinned and come short of God's glory, but are justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. God set Him forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood. Grace is the opposite of works, and the cross makes the difference.
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.