Yes — redemption is entirely God's work through Christ's blood, but it is applied only when a person freely chooses to respond.
Scripture says we are 'justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' (Romans 3:24). Les Feldick teaches that God lost the human race when Adam sinned and paid the price of His own blood to buy us back. He insists this redemption is based on choice and that God isn't going to force anybody. So while redemption's provision is completely God's, its application rests on human free will.
Romans 3:24 — This is the key verse Les uses to define redemption as the means by which God purchases back what was lost.
Romans 5:15 — It contrasts Adam's offense with the free gift of grace that comes through Christ, which Les ties to human choice.
1 Peter 1:18-19 — The verse describes redemption as being purchased with the precious blood of Christ.
In Romans 3:23-24, Scripture declares that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, yet believers are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 5:15 goes on to say that through one man's offense many were made dead, but the grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. First Peter 1:18-19 further defines redemption as a purchase: believers were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. These verses establish that redemption is a price paid by God in Christ, but they do not explicitly use the phrase free will.
Les teaches that God lost the human race when Adam sinned in the garden, and redemption is His way of buying that lost race back with a price. The price was the blood of Christ. Les stresses that this redemption is not automatic; it is based on choice and salvation is free for the asking. God will never force anyone—He doesn't corner people or force these things down their throats. Les also explains that true freedom comes at salvation: the lost person is wrapped up in the spider web of the devil, the flesh, and the world, and only the power of God can break that binding force. Once set free, the believer can exercise his will. Those who remain lost have, in Les's words, chosen not to be saved, because everyone has had their opportunity.
Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:24 says believers are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. First Peter 1:18-19 says redemption is not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Romans 5:15 says through the offense of one many are dead, but the gift by grace hath abounded unto many.
Les teaches that God lost the human race when Adam sinned, and immediately God had to put the whole process of redemption in motion. Redemption means buying us back with a price—the price of Christ's blood. He says Satan is a hard taskmaster and won't let go of us easily, but God purchases back what He lost.
Les makes clear that redemption is based on choice, not automatic. He rejects universalism—the idea that all are redeemed regardless of response. He says man is given full opportunity to choose, and salvation is free for the asking. God does not force anyone; believers are not to corner people or force the gospel down their throats.
Les teaches that the lost person doesn't have as much freedom as he thinks because he is entwined in the spider web of the devil, the flesh, and the world. Only the power of God can break that binding force. Once that happens, the believer is given true free will, and the exercise of the will remains with the believer.
Les says the Scripture makes plain that all have had their opportunity, and those who are apart from Christ have chosen not to be believers. Salvation is a gift that is not deserved or worked for. People can choose not to receive it, and God will not override that choice.
Redemption Defined as Buying Back What Was Lost
Les explains that redemption, as in Romans 3:24, is God's way of purchasing back what He lost in the garden when Adam fell.
Free Will for the Believer
Les says a lost person is bound by the devil, the flesh, and the world, but when the power of God breaks that bondage, believers are really given the free will.
Redemption Is Based on Choice
Les emphasizes that redemption is not automatic and universalism is rejected—man is given full opportunity to choose, and salvation is free for the asking.
The Price of Redemption Is Christ's Blood
Les says God lost the human race when Adam fell and put redemption in motion, buying us back with the price of His own blood.
God Lost the Human Race at Adam's Sin
Les teaches that when Adam sinned, God lost us all in Adam, so God must buy us back with a price, and Satan will not let go easily.
God Does Not Force Anyone
Les insists God is not going to force anybody, and Christians are not to force the gospel on people; choice is intrinsic to how grace works.
Redemption Means Bought Back with a Price
Les compares redemption to redeeming an item from a pawn shop—God had to pay the price to redeem the human race, not with silver and gold, but with Christ's blood.
Those Who Reject Have Chosen Not to Be
Les says those outside of Christ have chosen not to be saved; everyone has had their opportunity, and the gift of righteousness is not to be worked for.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Shows the universal need for redemption because all have sinned.
Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
The key verse in the teaching that connects justification, grace, and redemption in Christ.
Romans 5:15: But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Shows the contrast between Adam's offense and the grace-gift through Christ, which Les says is not forced on anyone.
1 Peter 1:18-19: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Defines the actual price of redemption as the precious blood of Christ.
Les describes redemption as a great term within the word salvation. It specifically means being bought back with a price, and it is part of being justified freely by God's grace through Christ Jesus.
Les teaches that God pays the price of redemption through the blood of Christ. The lost human race is purchased back from the slave market of sin, but the purchase is not applied automatically to an individual without that person's choice.
Les says those who remain outside of Christ have chosen not to be saved. He also says God isn't going to force anybody, so rejection is a real possibility.
Les explicitly rejects universalism, saying redemption is based on choice and is not automatic. God gives every person the full opportunity to choose, but the redemption must be personally received.
Watch the Teaching: Cain vs. Abel: Why God Accepted One Offering and Rejected the Other