No — God saves people right where they are as sinners, and He does not require them to clean up their lives first.
Les Feldick repeatedly teaches that trying to straighten up and clean up your life before approaching God for salvation is not how God works. Scripture shows that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, and God justifies the ungodly who simply believe. The transformation of life is something God does after salvation, not a condition a person must meet beforehand.
Romans 5:8 — This verse shows that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, not after we cleaned ourselves up.
Romans 4:5 — This verse plainly says God justifies the ungodly who do not work but believe, making it clear that no prior cleanup is required.
Romans 5:8 declares, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." This places God's love and Christ's sacrifice before any human improvement. Romans 4:5 adds, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The one who receives justification is described as ungodly and as one who does not work for it. Romans 4:4 explains the contrast: "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." If salvation were a reward for cleaning up one's life, it would be a debt God owes — but grace means it is not earned. Romans 3:23 concludes, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," so every person begins in the same position, needing grace rather than self-improvement.
Les Feldick is direct: "God doesn't expect people to straighten up and clean up their life, and then approach Him for salvation." He says people often tell him, "If I can just clean up my life, and get rid of this habit, then I'll get saved," but that is not the way God works. Instead, God saves everybody just exactly where they are, and then He does the work of regeneration. You cannot clean up your own act — that is putting the cart before the horse. Les uses the analogy of a dead car battery: you can shine it up with soap and water and make it sparkle, but it is still dead until outside power is supplied. Salvation is the same — human effort cannot bring life. God has to take the sinner right where he is and perform the miracle of salvation. If a person could clean up first, he would have done something on his own, and salvation would no longer be "faith plus nothing." After salvation, there is a dramatic turnaround and a change of lifestyle, but that is the result of what God does, not a condition for it. Once a person believes on Christ, God moves in and gives the power to live a pleasing life. As Les says, the proper response is like a slave brought into a beautiful Roman villa who wants to be the best servant he can be because of the master's kindness.
Les argues that no one can clean up their own life well enough for salvation. He tells of people who say, "When I get my act together, and I get my life cleaned up, then I'll become a Christian," and he calls that a mistake. Using the dead battery illustration, he shows that external polishing does not fix a dead condition — you need God's power. He also says that if a person could do it first, he would no longer be in the area of "faith plus nothing," because he would have done something on his own. God saves the sinner as he is, and then He changes him.
Both Scripture and Les teach that God meets people in their sin. Romans 5:8 says Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, and Les affirms that God saves everybody exactly where they are. He emphasizes that God justifies the ungodly — the person who does not work but believes. The first step is not cleaning your life but believing what God says about you: that you are a sinner. Les calls this the very first step in the plan of salvation.
Once salvation occurs, God does the work of regeneration and makes the believer a new creation. Les says there will be a dramatic turnaround and a change in lifestyle, but this follows God's work, not precedes it. He also describes the Christian life as a process that begins after the event of salvation. After receiving salvation, God gives the power to live a life pleasing in His sight, and believers can then prove and live out the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The proper response to such grace is gratitude, not attempting to earn God's favor.
Faith Plus Nothing, Then Gratitude
After stressing that we are saved by faith plus nothing, Les uses the example of a slave who becomes the best servant because of what the master did — good works follow salvation, not precede it.
God Saves Sinners Where They Are
Les states plainly that God does not expect people to clean up their life before coming to Him; He saves everyone just exactly where they are and then does the work of regeneration.
The Dead Battery Analogy
Les compares trying to clean up your life to polishing a dead car battery — it may look good but it is still dead until God provides the outside power of salvation.
The Cart Before the Horse
Les says people who think they must quit bad habits before being saved are putting the cart before the horse; you can't clean up your own act, so you must let God do it.
Salvation Is Totally God's Work
God has to take the sinner right where he is and perform the miracle of salvation; if a person could clean up first, he would have done something on his own and it would no longer be faith plus nothing.
Renewed Mind Comes First
Les explains that once a person has the renewing of the mind through salvation, he can then live out God's will; God does not control the lifestyle of the unsaved.
First Step Is Belief, Not Cleanup
Les teaches that the very first step in salvation is believing what God says about you — that you are a sinner — not trying to clean up your life.
God Gives Power After Faith
When someone truly believes Christ accomplished everything on his behalf, God moves in and gives the power to live a pleasing life — change comes from God, not from self-effort.
Romans 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
This verse shows that God's saving love was extended while we were still sinners, before any attempt to clean up.
Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
God justifies the ungodly who simply believe, not those who first work to clean up their lives.
Romans 4:4: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
If salvation came after cleaning up, it would be a reward earned by works rather than a gift of grace.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Everyone is a sinner, so no amount of cleaning could erase the universal need for God's saving grace.
No. Les Feldick says people often say, "If I can just clean up my life and get rid of this habit, then I'll get saved," but that is not how God works. God saves everyone just exactly where they are, and then He does the work of regeneration. Trying to clean up your own act is impossible and puts the cart before the horse.
Romans 4:5 says God justifies the ungodly who do not work but believe. Les Feldick uses this to show that God does not require a cleaned-up life before salvation. The person who believes is counted righteous by God, not because of his own works, but because of faith.
Yes. Les teaches that after salvation there will be a dramatic turnaround and a change in lifestyle because God does the work of regeneration. The believer becomes a new creation, and God gives the power to live a life pleasing in His sight. This change follows salvation and is not a prerequisite for it.
Watch the Teaching: Why Heaven Won't Be Full of Boasters: Faith vs. Works