What must a person do to become a Christian according to Les?

A person becomes a Christian by believing the Gospel—by personal faith in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection—not by going through a set ritual, rules and regulations, or procedure. Church involvement, Sunday school, and other things have their rightful place, but they are never a substitute for salvation.

Les teaches that you do not become a Christian by going through a certain set ritual or rules and regulations or a set procedure. He notes that many denominations, including his own, expect people to go through a set of procedures, and then the church declares them Christians. But that is not the case. Instead, we have to believe the Gospel, and then these other things have their rightful place. Les says he is absolutely in favor of the local church, the Sunday school, and all these things, but you do not use those as a substitute for salvation. It has to be by personal faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In the context, Paul says, whether it were I or they, so we preach, and you believed, which brought them out of their paganism.

1 Corinthians 15:11

Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Do many denominations expect people to go through procedures to be declared Christians?

Yes, many denominations expect individuals to complete a set of rituals, rules, regulations, or procedures before the church declares them Christians. Scripture instead teaches that salvation comes by believing the Gospel—personal faith in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection—not by procedure, though local church and Sunday school have their rightful place.