No — believing that Jesus is the Son of God is essential, but by itself it is not the full gospel; faith must also rest in what He did on the cross.
Les shows from Acts 8 and 9 that early confessions such as the Ethiopian eunuch's ended at "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Paul himself first preached only that Jesus is the Son of God. But in this age of grace, the gospel is that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again — and that is what saves, by grace through faith plus nothing.
Acts 8:37 — The eunuch's confession that Jesus is the Son of God shows exactly what is missing: death, burial, and resurrection are not mentioned.
Romans 5:9 — Justification is by His blood, showing that belief in the Son of God must include His atoning work.
Scripture records several New Testament confessions that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Martha said to Jesus that she believed He was the Christ, the Son of God (John 11:25–27). After his conversion, Saul of Tarsus "preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God" (Acts 9:20). And when Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he believed with all his heart, the eunuch answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37). These confessions express belief in who Jesus is. The Bible also connects salvation and justification to His work. Romans 1:16 calls the gospel "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Hebrews 9:22 declares, "Without shedding of blood is no remission." Romans 10:17 adds, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Les stresses that in the early accounts — Peter, Martha, the Ethiopian eunuch, and even Saul after his conversion — the confession was simply that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. He emphasizes "Period." There was no mention of death, burial, and resurrection. He points out that people often add the words "who died for me, was buried, and rose from the dead" to the eunuch's answer, but the text does not record those words. He then explains that this message was not the gospel for today. God could not let Paul go preach merely that Jesus is the Son of God as the gospel for the Gentile. Instead, the gospel Paul proclaimed is that Christ died for the sins of the world, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. Les is careful to say this is not mental assent or easy believism; it is a genuine, Holy Spirit-driven belief that one's eternal destiny is based on what Christ accomplished on the cross. Finally, Les teaches that in this age of grace, God has revealed that we are saved by faith plus nothing — believing that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose from the dead. When a person truly believes, God moves in and makes that person a child of His and places him into the Body of Christ.
Philip told the Ethiopian eunuch, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" (Acts 8:37). The eunuch answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Les emphasizes that the confession ended there — "Period." He says many people imagine the eunuch also said "who died for me, was buried, and rose from the dead," but the Bible doesn't record those words.
Acts 9:20 says Paul "straightway preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." Les observes this was a profession of identity only, and God could not let Paul continue with that message as the gospel for the Gentile. Later, Paul proclaimed that Christ died for the sins of the world.
Les repeatedly explains that the gospel for this age is not merely intellectual agreement that Jesus is God's Son. A person must genuinely, by the Holy Spirit's conviction, believe that Christ died for them, shed His blood, was buried, and rose from the dead. This is God's gospel of grace — faith plus nothing. When that belief is real, God makes the believing person a child of His and places him into the Body of Christ.
Early Confessions of Jesus' Identity
Les shows that Peter, Martha, and the Ethiopian eunuch all confessed simply that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God — without mentioning His death, burial, or resurrection.
Paul's First Preaching After Conversion
After his conversion, Paul preached only that Jesus is the Son of God; Les says that message was not going to be the gospel for the Gentile.
The Gospel Paul Preached
Paul's gospel was that Christ died for the sins of the world, and true faith is a genuine Holy Spirit-driven belief, not mental assent.
The Eunuch's Exact Confession
Les highlights that the Ethiopian eunuch did not mention death, burial, and resurrection — his confession was only "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
The Difference in Confessions
Les contrasts the early confessions with the later gospel, saying "See the difference? Oh, it's all the difference in the world."
How Salvation Places You in the Body of Christ
Les explains that a person must understand they are a lost child of Adam and truly believe Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again; then God puts that person into the Body of Christ.
Justified by His Blood
Les insists that without the shedding of blood there is no remission, and that justification comes by faith in the finished work of the cross.
The Gospel of Grace Revealed
In this age of grace, God has revealed that salvation is by faith plus nothing — believing that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose from the dead.
Matthew 16:16: And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Peter's confession identifies Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, but does not in itself mention the cross.
Acts 8:37: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The eunuch's recorded confession is only about Jesus' identity, not His death, burial, and resurrection.
Acts 9:20: And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
This shows that even Paul's earliest preaching after conversion focused on Jesus' identity as the Son of God.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The gospel is what brings salvation, and Paul's gospel message centered on what Christ did.
Romans 5:9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Justification is specifically tied to the blood of Christ, which is the additional truth needed for salvation.
Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith comes from the specific Word of God, which in this age includes the gospel of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Hebrews 9:22: And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
This absolute truth underlines why belief in Jesus' identity alone is insufficient apart from His shed blood.
No, it doesn't. The eunuch answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37). Les points out that people often add "who died for me, was buried, and rose from the dead," but those words are not in the text.
Because that confession identifies who Jesus is but leaves out what He did. Les teaches that the gospel of grace requires faith that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
Acts 9:20 says he preached "that he is the Son of God." Les says this was not the gospel for the Gentile; it was not yet the proclamation of Christ crucified.
Les says it means a Holy Spirit-driven conviction that my eternal destiny depends on what Christ did for me on the cross — His death, shed blood, burial, and resurrection. It is not a casual mental assent.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Gospel Changes After the Cross — Romans 3 Explained