What does Les say is the heart of the salvation message?
The heart of the salvation message is Romans 10:9: confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believing in the heart that God raised Him from the dead, and thou shalt be saved. To trigger it, a person must call upon Him, crying out in need, and God responds to save.
Les explains that Romans 10:9 gives the heart of the salvation message: confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in the heart that God raised Him, and you will be saved. Yet this faith must be triggered by calling upon Him. Les illustrates this with a swimming pool full of screaming kids: no one hears a weak call for help, but a trained lifeguard hears a drowning child's feeble cry and springs into action. Likewise, when God hears a sinner in need of salvation, He is immediately there to save. The person must realize their need, cry out, and God responds. So Romans 10 says 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 this 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.