Yes — God justifies the ungodly when they do not work but believe on Him; He declares them just as if they had never sinned.
Romans 4:5 says the one 'that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly' has his faith counted for righteousness. Les Feldick teaches that the only person God can save is the one who admits he is ungodly, and that justification is a judicial act of God declaring the believing sinner just as if he had never sinned — freely, without a cause, and never on the basis of works.
Romans 4:5 — This verse explicitly states that God justifies the ungodly who believe rather than work — the direct answer to the question.
The Bible answers this directly in Romans 4:5: "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The same chapter makes Abraham the pattern for this truth: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3). Romans 5:1 shows the result of this justification: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." And Romans 3:26 describes God as "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." The consistent scriptural testimony is that the one who believes God is counted righteous — not the one who works for it.
Les Feldick is emphatic that God's hands are tied with anyone who says, "Hey, I'm pretty good." He can only deal with the person who recognizes he is ungodly. Les points to Abraham as the epitome: a young man steeped in idolatry in Ur, whom God reached down to in grace and called to leave his city and family. When Abraham simply believed God, God imputed His own righteousness to him and could say, "Abram, so far as I'm concerned, you've never sinned. You're justified." Les defines justification as a judicial act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner just as if he had never sinned. It is free — God justifies without any cause in the sinner, never because the person deserves it. Paul repeats justification by faith over and over, Les notes, because it must be driven home that you are not justified by what you do. Works in salvation, Les explains, are anything done in the energy of the flesh — church membership, baptism, or any human effort. Justification, forgiveness, and salvation all roll together, prompted entirely by the power of God.
Les Feldick teaches that this is the only kind of person God can deal with. He says God cannot work with a person who says, "Hey, I'm pretty good" — His hands are tied. Romans 4:5 describes the one who "worketh not" but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly. Les illustrates this with the testimony of a man who had hit the skids, gotten down to the bottom, and cried out, "God, if you're out there, save me." That, Les says, is the only person God can save — the one who says, "I'm ungodly."
Les defines justification as a judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner who believes just as if he'd never sinned. From the bench, God looks down at helpless sinners and says, "Because you believe the gospel, I now declare you just as if you have never sinned." This is hard for people to swallow, Les admits, but it is biblical. It is also free — God never justifies because the person has earned it; He justifies without a cause. Justification and forgiveness are bound together, all involved in that one word salvation, which is prompted by the power of God, not by anything man can do.
Scripture itself makes Abraham the example: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3). Les shows why this is so striking — Abraham was steeped in idolatry as a young man in Ur of the Chaldees when God reached down in grace and told him to leave. Abraham believed God, and God imputed His own righteousness to him. Les says God could then look at Abraham and say, "Abram, so far as I'm concerned, you've never sinned. You're justified." Abraham's response of leaving town came after the believing — nothing he did earned it.
Les makes a sharp distinction between these two. Believing God becomes faith — it is a personal response to what God has said. Believing in God is only a recognition that He is out there somewhere, with the attitude "who am I to have anything to do with Him?" Abraham believed God — he took God at His word — and it was counted to him for righteousness. The whole question of justification rests on this kind of personal believing.
Yes, according to both Paul and Les. Les points out that people think they have to do things — join the church, get baptized, do this and do that — but the Book says God is the justifier of them that believe. In Romans 5:1 Paul states, "Therefore being justified by faith..." — and Les notes that Paul repeats this over and over because it must be driven home that you are not justified by what you do. Works, in this context, are anything you can do in the energy of the flesh.
Grace reaches the idolatrous Abram
Les teaches that Abraham was steeped in idolatry in Ur when God reached down in grace and called him; the key difference is believing God (which becomes faith) versus merely believing in God (a distant recognition).
God can only deal with those who admit they are ungodly
Les teaches that God can do nothing with a person who says 'I'm pretty good' — His hands are tied; the only one He can deal with is the person who recognizes he is ungodly.
The ungodly man's desperate cry
Les tells of a man who hit bottom and cried 'God, if you're out there, save me,' showing that the only person God can save is the one who says 'I'm ungodly.'
Faith counted as righteousness, imputed by God
Les teaches that when Abraham believed, God imputed His own righteousness to him and could say, 'Abram, so far as I'm concerned, you've never sinned. You're justified.'
Justified without a cause
Les defines justification as a judicial act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner just as if he'd never sinned — freely, without a cause, never because the sinner deserved it.
The justifier of them that believe
Les teaches that justification is not church membership, baptism, or other efforts — God is the justifier of them that believe, and Abraham is the epitome of faith, even when the promise seemed impossible.
Justified by faith, not by what you do
Les stresses that Paul repeated justification by faith over and over because it must be driven home that you are not justified by what you do; works in salvation are anything done in the energy of the flesh.
Declared just as if you never sinned
Les pictures God on the bench declaring the guilty, believing sinner 'just as if you have never sinned' — justification and forgiveness roll together, all prompted by the power of God.
Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
The central verse: the one who does not work but believes is counted righteous.
Romans 4:3: For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
The Abraham example: believing God was counted as righteousness.
Romans 3:26: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
God is described as the justifier of those who believe in Jesus.
Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
The result of justification — peace with God through faith.
Romans 4:20: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Abraham's faith did not stagger, showing that believing God is the response that matters.
The Scripture says God justifies the one who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly — faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:5). Les adds that the person must first recognize he is ungodly; God can do nothing for the person who says, 'I'm pretty good.'
No. Les is emphatic that works in salvation are anything done in the energy of the flesh — church membership, baptism, or other efforts. Paul repeats justification by faith over and over because it must be driven home that you are not justified by what you do.
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness (Romans 4:3). Les teaches that God imputed His own righteousness to Abraham, so that God could look at him and say, 'So far as I'm concerned, you've never sinned. You're justified.'
Les uses the language of imputation: when Abraham believed, God imputed to him the very righteousness of God Himself. It was not earned by works — it was counted to his account because of believing.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Imputes Righteousness Without Works — Romans 4