Yes — a bare 'believe in Jesus' is incomplete because saving faith must center on the cross and the resurrection.
Les Feldick says no one can be saved by just simply believing in Jesus; the work of the cross is the essential content (Clip 0). He warns that phrases like 'take Christ as my personal Savior' can become clichés if they don't carry the truth that Christ died my death and rose again (Clip 5). Saving belief is heart conviction, not head knowledge, that Christ died for me, my sins are forgiven by His blood, and He is risen (Clips 2-3).
1 Corinthians 1:18 — Shows that the cross is the core of the gospel and God's power to save those who believe.
Romans 10:9 — Ties salvation to confessing the Lord Jesus and heart-belief in His resurrection, which implies His death.
Acts 8:37 — Shows the eunuch's confession that Jesus is the Son of God, believed with his whole heart.
The Bible never presents a bare 'believe in Jesus' as the saving message. In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul describes the preaching of the cross as 'to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.' The saving message centers on the cross. Romans 10:9 ties salvation to confession of the Lord Jesus and heart-belief that God raised Him from the dead, which implies His death. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Paul plainly says, 'if we believe that Jesus died and rose again.' In Acts 8:37, the eunuch confesses, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'
Les Feldick is emphatic: 'Nobody can be saved by just simply believing in Jesus. It has to be the work of the cross' (Clip 0). He rejects easy-believism, saying that when he speaks of faith plus nothing, he means a faith that is 'rock-solid' — a person who can honestly say, 'I know that Christ died for me. I know that my sins have been forgiven, because His blood has taken care of it. I know without a shadow of a doubt that He arose from the dead' (Clip 2). Les also stresses that saving belief is heart belief, not mere intellectual assent. Many people believe historically that Christ lived, died, and even rose again, but that head knowledge is not what he means by believing (Clip 3). For Les, believing is an attitude of the heart, and the promise of salvation rests on believing that God raised Jesus from the dead — which presupposes His death — and confessing Him as Lord (Clip 1). He is not opposed to familiar phrases like 'taking Christ as my personal Savior,' but he warns that they can become clichés. The biblical call, he says, is to believe the gospel and understand that 'Christ died my death. He took my punishment,' so that as the old sin nature is crucified, Christ begins to live in the believer (Clip 5).
Les Feldick says the preaching of the cross is God's power to those who are saved, and that nobody can be saved by just believing in Jesus apart from the work of the cross (Clip 0). He also points out that being impressed with Jesus' good earthly life does not save anyone — we must know the resurrected Christ who died for our sin (Clip 6).
For Les, saving belief is not simply understanding facts about Jesus. It is a heart conviction that Christ died for me, that my sins are forgiven by His blood, and that He rose from the dead (Clips 2-3). Paul's plain language in Romans 10:9 shows the content: confess the Lord Jesus and believe in the heart that God raised Him from the dead — the resurrection implies the death (Clip 1). Les also ties this to Paul's statement in 1 Thessalonians 4:14: 'if we believe that Jesus died and rose again' (Clip 7).
Les says there is nothing wrong with such expressions as far as they go, but if they are nothing more than a cliché, we are on 'pretty thin ice.' They are not the Scripture's language; the Bible says to believe the gospel, which includes understanding that Christ died my death and now lives in me (Clip 5).
The Cross Must Be Included
Les explicitly says nobody can be saved by just believing in Jesus; the work of the cross is essential, and the preaching of the cross is God's power to those who are saved.
Confession and Heart Belief
Les explains that believing with the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead implies He died, and the promise is 'thou shalt be saved.'
Belief Is Not Easy-Believism
Les says he never teaches easy-believism; saving faith is rock-solid certainty that Christ died for me, my sins are forgiven by His blood, and He rose.
Heart Belief, Not Head Knowledge
Les distinguishes historical head knowledge about Jesus from saving belief; believing comes from the heart, not just the head.
The Eunuch's Confession
Les points out that in Acts 8 the eunuch confessed 'Jesus Christ is the Son of God' with all his heart — the content is tied to who Jesus is, not merely the name 'Jesus.'
Phrases Can Become Clichés
Les teaches that expressions like 'personal Savior' are not wrong but can be clichés; the Bible's emphasis is believing the gospel, which includes understanding Christ died my death and now lives in me.
More Than Jesus' Good Life
Les says no one is saved by simply believing that Jesus did good; we must know Him as the resurrected Lord who died for our sin.
Believing the Gospel Content
Les distinguishes 'believing in God' from 'believing God,' and points to Paul's plainly stated gospel content: believe that Jesus died and rose again.
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Paul identifies the cross as God's saving power, which is why the gospel cannot be reduced to a vague 'believe in Jesus.'
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.
Salvation is connected to heart-belief in the resurrected Lord, which presupposes His death.
1 Thessalonians 4:14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Paul defines the core belief as Jesus' death and resurrection, not just a general 'believe in Jesus.'
Acts 8:37: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The eunuch's confession names Jesus as the Son of God, and Philip's condition is belief with the whole heart.
Yes. Les Feldick says no one can be saved by just believing in Jesus; it has to be the work of the cross (Clip 0). Believing the gospel includes that Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
No. Les distinguishes head knowledge from heart belief. Most people believe historical facts about Christ, but saving belief is a heart conviction that Christ died for me and rose again (Clips 2, 3).
In Acts 8, when Philip asked if he believed, the eunuch answered, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' Les points out that he did not mention death, burial, and resurrection in that statement, but he believed with all his heart (Clip 4).
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