Les Feldick describes God's grace as the undeserved, all-sufficient attribute of God that saves, keeps, and restrains judgment, received by faith in Christ's death and resurrection, plus nothing.
Les teaches that most people know the definition of grace as unmerited favor, but few comprehend what it actually does. It reaches down to a condemned sinner and saves him on the basis of believing the gospel plus nothing, because God has already done everything required. He also emphasizes that the same grace which saves is what keeps believers day by day and that all of God's saving work in Christ—from incarnation to resurrection—is grace.
Titus 2:11 — Les quotes this verse to show that the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
Romans 6:14 — Les references this verse to show that believers are not under the law but under grace.
Galatians 2:9 — Shows that the Jerusalem apostles recognized the grace given to Paul and agreed with his Gentile mission.
Ephesians 1:7 — Shows that redemption and forgiveness come according to the riches of God's grace through Christ's blood.
Scripture presents grace as the ground of the believer's standing before God. Romans 6:14 says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." In Ephesians 1:7, redemption and forgiveness are said to come "according to the riches of his grace" through Christ's blood. Titus 2:11 says, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." And in Galatians 2:9, the Jerusalem apostles perceived the grace given to Paul and gave him and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship for ministry to the Gentiles.
Les Feldick repeatedly describes God's grace as something almost no one fully comprehends. Most can define it as unmerited favor, but he says it is the attribute of God that reaches down to a fallen, condemned sinner and saves him on the basis of simply believing the gospel, plus nothing. Because God has already done everything required, a person cannot earn grace; he must lean back and receive it.
Les says most people know the definition of grace—unmerited favor—but that is as far as they go. He describes grace as an attribute of God that can take a person who knows he is a fallen creature under sin and condemnation, and save him on the basis of believing the gospel plus nothing. Because God has already done everything required, there is nothing the sinner can do to merit it; he must simply receive what God has done.
Les says the grace of God is seen in the holy, righteous God Himself coming down among sinful men. He took on human flesh, went to the Roman cross, was tortured and crucified, shed His blood, and was raised from the dead—all for the purpose of saving lost humanity. Les emphasizes that this entire work is grace.
Les says when he speaks of the age of grace, he does not mean God's grace was unknown until Paul. Grace was already evident in the Garden of Eden, and it was mercy and grace that kept God from destroying Israel after the golden calf and again after they rejected and crucified the Messiah. Today, God has forestalled destroying the human race even though it deserves judgment; that is His grace.
Les explains that when God introduced the gospel of grace, Gentile believers became free from the Judaic system and the legalism of Judaism. The gospel is simply believing that Christ died for you and rose from the dead, with nothing added. From Paul onward, grace takes preeminence in the Scriptures.
Les says a common accusation against grace preachers is that their gospel makes people think they can do as they please because they are under grace. He shares a statement from a book he read: unless you are accused of teaching a gospel that gives that impression, you are probably not preaching the gospel of the grace of God.
Grace frees believers from Judaism
In this clip, Les explains that Paul's gospel of grace is simply that Christ died for the believer and rose from the dead, plus nothing—and that this gospel releases Gentiles from the Judaic legal system.
Grace has been at work throughout history
Les shows God's grace was evident before Paul: from the Garden of Eden and the golden calf to the crucifixion of Christ, and it is the reason God still withholds judgment on the human race.
Grace saves the condemned sinner
Les defines grace as unmerited favor, but expands it to show it is the attribute of God that reaches down and saves a fallen, condemned creature on the basis of believing the gospel plus nothing.
Salvation grace has appeared to all people
Les points to Scripture that the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, and that the way back to God is made available to every human being.
Grace is the source of redemption
Les teaches that believers are redeemed through Christ's blood and forgiven according to the riches of God's grace, and that human merit can add nothing to a salvation God has already fully accomplished.
Grace is embodied in the incarnation and cross
Les describes grace as the holy God taking on human flesh, suffering crucifixion, shedding His blood, and rising again to save lost humanity—all of it grace.
Grace takes preeminence with Paul
Les says many people still do not understand God's grace, and that true preaching of the grace gospel is often accused of suggesting people can live as they please.
Grace saves and keeps the believer
Les emphasizes that the same grace that saves is what keeps believers day by day, because no one lives perfectly enough to deserve to remain saved.
Romans 6:14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Shows the believer is not under the legal law but under grace, directly answering how grace changes a believer's standing.
Galatians 2:9: And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Shows grace was given to Paul and recognized by the Jerusalem apostles.
Ephesians 1:7: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Defines grace as the basis of redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood.
Titus 2:11: For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Shows grace is the means of salvation for all men.
Les defines it as unmerited favor, but says very few people comprehend it. To him, grace is the attribute of God that reaches down to a fallen person under condemnation and saves him on the basis of believing the gospel plus nothing. God has already done everything required, so the only response is to lean back and receive it.
No. Les says God's grace was already evident in the Garden of Eden, after Israel made the golden calf, and even after they crucified the Messiah. When he says we are in the age of grace, he does not mean grace was unknown until Paul; with Paul's epistles it takes preeminence.
Yes. Les says the same grace that saves is what keeps us. Believers are redeemed through Christ's blood and forgiven according to the riches of God's grace, and even after salvation no one lives perfectly enough to deserve to stay saved—so God continues in grace.
No, not to earn salvation. Les says the human race would love for God to say 'if you do such and such, I will save you,' but that is not grace. God has already done everything required, so believers rest in what He has done.
Watch the Teaching: Not Under Law but Under Grace — What Romans 6:14 Really Means