Yes — verbal confession is important because Scripture links salvation to a spoken acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus, not just private belief.
Romans 10:9 pairs confession with the mouth with belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Les Feldick says this confession can be made privately, but it must be spoken, such as saying, "Lord I'm a sinner, save me, because I believe that You've done everything that needs to be done." Calling upon the Lord is the trigger for the promise of salvation.
Romans 10:9 — This is the central verse on salvation requiring both heart belief and verbal confession.
Romans 10:10 — It explains how heart belief leads to righteousness and mouth confession leads to salvation.
Romans 10:13 — It shows that the spoken call upon the name of the Lord is met with the promise of salvation.
Scripture connects salvation with both heart belief and spoken confession. Romans 10:9 says, "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." The next verse explains the two sides: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." So the Bible does not present salvation as a silent, merely mental assent; it includes a verbal confession of the Lord Jesus. Romans 10:13 adds, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Calling upon the Lord is the outward, spoken appeal that accompanies the heart's faith.
Les Feldick teaches that God expects a person to communicate openly rather than keep salvation a private, mental belief. He says that simply saying inwardly that one believes in God is not enough; a person must verbally acknowledge the truths of salvation. This can happen in private — in a prayer closet, while driving, or washing dishes — and does not require standing before a congregation. Les says a person should say aloud something like, "Lord I'm a sinner, save me, because I believe that You've done everything that needs to be done." He connects this to Romans 10:9, where confession with the mouth of the Lord Jesus is paired with heart belief that God raised Him from the dead. He is careful to say he does not agree with Lordship Salvation because it smacks of works; rather, when a person enters by faith and experiences the new birth, Christ becomes Lord of his life. Les also says that once someone has a real salvation experience, they will not keep it to themselves — they will naturally share it. The verbal call upon the Lord is what "triggers" salvation.
No. Les Feldick says he was formerly associated with a group that required people to go in front of the whole congregation and give their testimony before being recognized as believers. He says that is not what Romans 10:9 is teaching. A person can verbally confess privately — while driving down the road, washing dishes, or in a prayer closet. However, after a genuine salvation experience, a believer will not keep it to himself but will naturally share it with others.
Les Feldick says a person should verbally say, "Lord I'm a sinner, save me, because I believe that You've done everything that needs to be done." Romans 10:9 says a person must confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. Les sees this as the heart of the salvation message, and calling upon the Lord is what triggers salvation.
Les Feldick explicitly says he does not agree with Lordship Salvation because he feels it smacks of works. He clarifies that when a person enters by faith and experiences the new birth, one of the results is that Christ becomes Lord of that person's life. So confession of Jesus as Lord is not a separate work that earns salvation; it accompanies the faith that saves.
Les Feldick makes a distinction between believing in God and believing God. He says believing God means being a man or woman of faith — doing what God has said and resting on it. The perfect example is the gospel: if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, that is resting on what God has said. Simply believing in God is not the same as believing God's specific promise of salvation through Christ's death and resurrection.
Grace More Than Abounding
Les reads Romans 5:20 to show that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, setting the context for the Gospel of the Grace of God.
Confession Made Unto Salvation
Les applies Romans 10:10 by saying that when someone is excited about what God has done, they will tell people; confession naturally flows from salvation.
Confession and Calling on the Lord
Les says Romans 10:9 is the heart of the salvation message and that calling upon the Lord is the trigger; he uses the illustration of a child crying for help in a pool.
Private Verbal Confession
Les teaches that a person should verbally say, even in private, "Lord I'm a sinner, save me," because the promise applies to whoever calls upon the name of the Lord.
Confessing Jesus as Lord Without Lordship Salvation
Les clarifies that he does not agree with Lordship Salvation, but when a person is born again, Christ becomes Lord of their life.
Salvation by Faith Plus Nothing
Les says salvation is by faith and faith alone, with everything else following but having no part in salvation; Romans 10:9 presents the promise of that faith.
No Requirement of Public Testimony
Les says Romans 10:9 does not mean a person must testify in front of a congregation; rather, a saved person will not keep the experience to himself.
Believing God vs. Believing In God
Les distinguishes between believing in God and believing God; believing God means resting on what God has said, including that Jesus died and rose again.
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.
The central promise of the page — confession with the mouth plus heart belief results in salvation.
Romans 10:10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
This explains why verbal confession matters: it is the means by which salvation is acknowledged.
Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The spoken call upon the Lord carries the promise of salvation.
Les Feldick says that even in privacy you verbally say, "Lord I'm a sinner, save me, because I believe that You've done everything that needs to be done." The Bible says whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. It does not need to be shouted to a crowd.
It means speaking aloud the truth that Jesus is Lord and that you believe God raised Him from the dead, as Romans 10:9 says. Les clarifies this does not require a public testimony before a congregation.
No. Les says he was formerly part of a situation where a person had to testify before the whole congregation, but he does not believe that is what Romans 10:9 teaches. A real salvation experience naturally leads you to share it.
Les says confession of Jesus as Lord is part of salvation, but he does not teach Lordship Salvation. When a person enters by faith and experiences the new birth, Christ becomes Lord of their life.
Watch the Teaching: How Can You Know You're Saved? The Plan of Salvation in Scripture