Yes—after salvation by faith alone, God expects believers to serve Him faithfully, work for eternal reward, and live for His glory.
Les teaches that salvation is never earned—it is 'faith plus nothing'—so no one can boast. But once a person is saved, God's expectation shifts: Paul calls believers 'labourers together with God,' and Les says God rightfully expects every child He has saved to serve Him out of gratitude, just as a bought-out slave would willingly serve his new master. This service is for reward and for God's glory, not for salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-10 — Shows that salvation is not of works, but that after salvation believers are God's workmanship created unto good works.
1 Corinthians 3:9 — Directly describes believers as labourers together with God, which is what God expects of them after salvation.
1 Corinthians 9:24 — Calls believers to run the race so as to obtain the prize, showing that effort and personal responsibility continue after salvation.
Scripture first makes it clear that salvation cannot be earned: 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' Yet the same passage immediately reveals God's expectation for the believer after salvation: 'For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them' (Ephesians 2:8-10). In other words, good works are not the cause of salvation; they are the result. Paul also describes believers in their walk as those who labor with God: 'For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building' (1 Corinthians 3:9). Scripture elsewhere pictures the believer's post-salvation life as a race that must be run with a view to the prize: 'Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain' (1 Corinthians 9:24). The consistent biblical picture is that salvation is free, but the saved life is a life of God-ordained good works and faithful labor.
Les Feldick makes a strong distinction between how a person is saved and what happens afterward. He stresses that salvation is 'faith plus nothing'—no amount of human effort or law-keeping can contribute to it. However, he immediately adds, 'once we've entered in to that glorious salvation experience, then God expects us to work for reward.' That work is not for salvation; it is to enhance God's kingdom and to bring honor and glory to His Name. Les repeatedly uses the Roman slave-market illustration to explain the believer's motive. A slave bought out of the market, cleaned up, clothed, and given citizenship would naturally say, 'Master, I love you and I will never leave you. I'm going to serve you all the rest of my life.' Les says that is exactly what God rightfully expects from every child He has saved—He has taken us out of the slave market of Satan. God's purpose in salvation is not merely a fire escape from hell; believers are saved 'to be to the praise of His glory' in this life. God also makes them His workmanship, giving them a whole new personality, so they are not the old person they used to be.
Yes—but not to earn salvation. Les says, 'You work absolutely not at all for salvation. It's all of grace by faith plus nothing.' Once a person is saved, however, 'God expects us to work for reward.' The purpose of that work is 'to enhance His work, to enhance the Kingdom... and to bring honor and glory to His Name.' Les pictures believers as God's 'little worker bees.'
Because of what God has already done. Les says our logical reaction to all God has given us—cleansing, a new outlook, the Holy Spirit, and eternal promises—is to say, 'Lord, you've done so much for me. The least I can do is serve you and be your faithful bond slave.' He also uses the illustration of a slave redeemed from the slave market, brought into a beautiful villa, and set free, who responds not by leaving but by staying to serve his master all his life.
Les points out that after God imputes His righteousness to the believing sinner, God saves us but doesn't leave us like a wreck. Instead, He makes us a new person and gives us a whole new personality. Scripture confirms this: 'We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.'
Salvation Is Faith Plus Nothing
Les clarifies that salvation is by believing alone, 'faith plus nothing,' and that if heaven could be reached by works it would be full of boasters—this is why salvation itself cannot be earned.
God Expects Work for Reward
Les directly teaches that after salvation, God expects believers to work for reward, to enhance His work, and to bring honor and glory to His Name; believers are His 'little worker bees.'
Logical Reaction Is Bond-Slave Service
Les says the logical reaction to God's amazing grace—being cleansed, given the Holy Spirit, and eternal promises—is to tell the Lord, 'The least I can do is serve you and be your faithful bond slave.'
God Expects Believers to Be Laborers
Les points to 1 Corinthians 3:9 as 'what God is expecting of us': believers are labourers together with God, His husbandry, even though salvation is a free gift.
God Rightfully Expects Lifelong Service
Using the Roman slave illustration, Les says the redeemed servant's response—'I'm going to serve you all the rest of my life'—is what God rightfully expects from every child He has saved.
Redeemed Slave Wants to Stay and Serve
Les repeats the slave-market illustration to show that salvation works the same way: the redeemed servant, set free and given citizenship, responds, 'I want to stay right here and be your servant.'
Saved to Praise His Glory
Les explains that believers are not just saved to escape hell or get to heaven; they are saved to be 'to the praise of His glory' in this life, right now.
God Makes Us His Workmanship
Les asks what God expects after imputing His righteousness to us, and answers: we are His workmanship—He makes us a new person, not the old person we used to be.
Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
This is the key passage that both rules out works for salvation and identifies good works as the God-ordained walk of the believer after salvation.
1 Corinthians 3:9: For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
Les explicitly cites this verse as what God expects of us after salvation—partnership with God in His work.
1 Corinthians 9:24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Les points believers to this verse in connection with working for reward after salvation.
Good works are not the means of salvation but the fruit of it. Les teaches that once saved, God expects believers to work for reward and live for His glory. Paul describes believers as God's workmanship created unto good works.
God expects faithful service, like a bond slave who freely chooses to serve his master because of what the master did for him. Les says this is the logical and right response to redemption.
No. Les is emphatic that salvation is 'faith plus nothing.' No amount of works or law-keeping contributes to salvation. Works come after salvation as God's expectation for the believer's life.
Watch the Teaching: Why Heaven Won't Be Full of Boasters: Faith vs. Works