What is the heart of the salvation message according to Les?
The heart of the salvation message is confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believing in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. It requires calling upon Him, crying out in need, so God responds with His saving power.
Les teaches that Romans 10:9 is the heart of our salvation message: if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him, thou shalt be saved. But to trigger it, we are to call upon Him. Les uses the analogy of a swimming pool full of kids on a hot summer afternoon; they scream, yell, and dive, but never hear a weak call for help. A lifeguard with a trained ear hears a feeble call from a kid going under for the third time and springs into action. It is the same with God: when God hears a sinner in need of salvation, immediately He is there to save. Yet the person must come to realize their need, cry out, and God responds. So in Romans 10, we believe Christ died and rose from the dead, but God expects us to cry out on that basis for His help and saving power. Les notes Joel writes under the aids of grace.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.