No — humans cannot approach God for salvation entirely on their own; the Holy Spirit must begin the work, and salvation is God's miracle.
Les Feldick teaches that an unsaved person is spiritually dead and cannot even believe anything until God the Holy Spirit "lights a spark" within the individual. The first step of faith is agreeing with Romans 3:23 that you are a sinner, and any attempt to add human effort takes a person out of "faith plus nothing." At the same time, God has ordained human beings to carry the gospel, so salvation is not something a person achieves independently—it is a miracle God performs.
Romans 3:23 — This verse establishes that every human being has sinned and falls short of God's glory, which is why no one can approach God on the basis of personal merit.
Romans 10:14 — This verse shows that God has ordained human preaching as the means by which people hear about salvation and are able to call on Him.
Titus 2:11 — This verse reveals that God's saving grace has already appeared to all men, making the way back to God available without the need to earn it.
The Bible states plainly that every person is separated from God by sin: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Because this is the condition of every human being, no one can stand before God on the basis of their own goodness or effort. Scripture also shows that God has chosen to use human messengers to carry the good news of salvation: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14). And it declares that salvation has been offered to all: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11).
Les Feldick teaches that an unsaved person has nothing going for them but a sin nature. The Spirit is dead, and "dead people can't even believe anything." Therefore, the Holy Spirit must begin a work within the very heart of the human being. The first step of faith is believing what Scripture says about you — that you are a sinner — and the first thing people rebel against is admitting they are not as good as they think they are. Les insists that salvation is totally the work of God. God must take the sinner as he is and perform the miracle of salvation. If a person does something first, then he is no longer in the area of "faith plus nothing." At the same time, God has ordained from the beginning of the human race that He will use human beings to promote His salvation. Les says he has very seldom found someone who came to salvation all by themselves without benefit of another human being. He also rejects the idea that a person must "pray through" or struggle to somehow approach God. There is nothing to pray through; it has all been done. The door to the sheepfold is at ground level — not unattainable, not in a deep cavern, not across a raging river — because God's mercy has already been accomplished.
Les Feldick teaches that an unsaved person is spiritually dead and dead people cannot believe anything. The Holy Spirit must "light a spark" within the individual as the Word goes out, and it may take time before that person finally comes to true belief. The first step of faith is accepting the Bible's verdict that you are a sinner: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Yes. Les Feldick says God has ordained from the beginning of the human race that He will use human beings to promote His salvation. He has very seldom run across someone who found salvation all by themselves without benefit of some other human being. God did not leave the promotion of His Word in the hands of angels; He left it in the hands of fellow human beings.
Les Feldick addresses the idea of a poor lost person needing to "pray through" to approach God. He asks, "Pray through what?" There is nothing to pray through because salvation has already been accomplished. The door to the sheepfold is at ground level, not in some unattainable place, not in a deep cavern, and not across a raging river. No one has to beg for mercy that has already been provided.
Spiritual Death and the First Step of Faith
Les explains that a body with only a sin nature has no concept of God and no communication with God. The first step of faith is believing what God says — that you are a sinner — and God must make the first move.
God Uses Human Beings to Promote Salvation
Les shows from Romans 10 that God has ordained human beings to promote His salvation, and he has rarely seen anyone find salvation entirely alone.
The Holy Spirit's First Work: Conviction of Sin
Les teaches that the Holy Spirit must begin a work inside the human heart, and the first conviction is that we are sinners, as Romans 3:23 states.
Nothing to Pray Through — The Door Is at Ground Level
Les says there is nothing to "pray through" to approach God; the door to the sheepfold is at ground level because salvation is already accomplished.
Dead People Cannot Believe Until the Spirit Lights a Spark
Les emphasizes that dead people cannot believe anything, so the Holy Spirit has to light a spark within the individual as the Word goes out.
Salvation Is Totally the Work of God
Les teaches that God must take the sinner as he is and perform the miracle of salvation; if the person does something first, it is no longer faith plus nothing.
Grace Has Appeared to All Men
Les says the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, and the way back to God has been made available for every human being.
First Step: Recognize You Are Lost
Les says people give all kinds of reasons why God should let them into heaven, but the first step of faith is recognizing that in ourselves we are lost and cannot enter God's heaven unless God does something on our behalf.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
This verse is the foundation of Les's teaching that the first step of faith is agreeing that you are a sinner and therefore cannot approach God on your own merit.
Romans 10:14: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
This verse shows the necessity of human messengers in the salvation process, which Les points out is God's ordained method.
Titus 2:11: For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
This verse affirms that the way back to God has already been opened by God's grace — it is not something a person must find or earn on their own.
According to Les Feldick, no. An unsaved person is spiritually dead and cannot even believe anything until the Holy Spirit begins a work within them. The first step of faith is agreeing with Scripture that you are a sinner. Salvation is not initiated by human willpower; it is a miracle God performs.
Les Feldick teaches that salvation is totally the work of God, and all He looks for from us is faith. If a person tries to do something on their own to approach God first, they step out of the area of "faith plus nothing." Salvation must be received as a gift, not earned by human effort.
Yes. Les points out that God has ordained human beings to promote His salvation, and he has very seldom seen anyone find salvation all by themselves without another human being. Even though the Holy Spirit does the saving work, God has chosen to use people to carry the Word.
Watch the Teaching: What Happened When Adam Sinned? Genesis 3:14-24 Explained