True belief in Christ is a heart-felt, rock-solid faith in His death, burial, and resurrection, not just a mental assent.
Les Feldick emphasizes that genuine belief is more than intellectual agreement. It involves a complete trust in Christ's finished work—His death, burial, and resurrection—applied personally. This faith, rooted in the heart, is what saves. It is not 'easy-believism' but a total reliance on Christ as the Son of God and Messiah.
Romans 10:9 — This verse is central to Les's teaching on belief: confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead leads to salvation.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 — Les cites this passage as the core of the gospel: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again—what we must believe.
The Bible presents faith as essential for salvation. Romans 10:9-10 states, "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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This indicates that belief is a matter of the heart, not merely the head. The gospel Paul preached, as summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, is "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." Belief in this gospel is the foundation of salvation. Peter also speaks of Christ as a "chief cornerstone" and that "he that believeth on him shall not be confounded" (1 Peter 2:6), linking faith in Christ to not being disappointed.
Les Feldick teaches that true belief in Christ is not mere intellectual assent but a deep, heart-felt trust in Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the one who died, was buried, and rose again. He contrasts this 'heart belief' with 'head knowledge,' stating that many people miss heaven by 12 inches—having it in the head but not in the heart. He warns against 'easy-believism' and emphasizes that genuine faith is rock-solid, enabling a person to say with all their being, 'I know that Christ died for me.' This belief is not just accepting historical facts but trusting one's entire eternal destiny to Christ. Les connects this to Israel's deliverance from Egypt as a picture of salvation, and to the chief cornerstone passage in 1 Peter 2:6, where believing on Christ means we will not be disappointed.
Les teaches that head knowledge is simply agreeing with the historical facts that Jesus lived, died, and rose again. But heart belief is a deep, personal trust that Christ died for you, was buried for you, and rose again for you. It is an attitude of the heart, not of the hands or feet. He illustrates this by saying many people will miss heaven by 12 inches—the distance between the head and the heart.
Les clarifies that belief alone—mere intellectual assent—is not saving faith. He says that believing Jesus was the Son of God or Israel's Messiah is foundational but not sufficient in this age of grace. Instead, one must believe that the Christ, the Son of God, went to the cross, shed His blood, died, was buried, and rose again. This gospel of the cross is what saves.
Les teaches that faith is not just believing the facts but personally applying them: when Christ died, I died; when He was buried, I was buried; when He rose, I rose from the deadness of sin. This personal identification with Christ's death and resurrection imparts eternal life. This is pictured in Israel's exodus from Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb.
Chief Cornerstone and Belief
Les connects believing on Christ, the chief cornerstone, with not being disappointed—true faith prevents ultimate shame.
Rock-Solid Belief
Les rejects easy-believism and explains that saving faith is a whole-hearted understanding that Christ died for you, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again.
Head vs. Heart Belief
Les distinguishes head knowledge from heart belief, affirming that genuine belief comes from the heart, not the head.
Faith Plus Nothing
Les defines 'faith plus nothing' as a rock-solid, undeniable knowledge that Christ died for you and your sins are forgiven.
Belief and Confession
Les explains that belief is an attitude of the heart, and that believing in the resurrection implies Jesus' death, leading to the promise of salvation.
Beyond Assent
Les stresses that believing Jesus is the Son of God is not enough; one must also believe in His sacrificial death on the cross.
Personal Identification
Les teaches that true believing means personally identifying with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, resulting in new life.
Heart Faith and Eternal Destiny
Les reiterates that heart faith, not mental assent, is essential for salvation, and that trusting one's eternal destiny on it is crucial.
Romans 10:9: 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.
This verse is key to Les's teaching that heart belief in the resurrection is part of saving faith.
Romans 10:10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Further emphasizes the heart as the seat of saving belief.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
This is the essence of the gospel that Les says must be believed.
1 Peter 2:6: Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Les uses this to show that belief in Christ, the chief cornerstone, ensures we will not be disappointed.
Head knowledge is intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel, while heart belief is a deep, personal trust that Christ died, was buried, and rose again for you. Les warns that many have head knowledge but lack heart belief, and this is not saving faith.
Les teaches that believing Jesus is the Son of God is foundational but not enough for salvation in this age of grace. You must also believe that He died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again.
Les means that salvation is by faith alone, but that faith is not a shallow or easy belief. It is a rock-solid conviction that with all your being you know Christ died for you and your sins are forgiven.
Les suggests that if your belief is in your heart, not just your head, and you can rest your entire eternal destiny on Christ's finished work, then you have truly believed. He says it is a genuine, total, and complete reliance on the gospel.
Watch the Teaching: What It Really Means to Be Saved - Romans 10:9 Explained