Yes — salvation being a gift means it cannot be earned, deserved, or paid for by human effort.
Scripture says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23), and Ephesians 2:8-9 says salvation is not of works so no one can boast. Les Feldick reinforces this by pointing out that gifts are never deserved or worked for; faith is simply the vehicle that receives the gift, and the gift itself comes entirely from God.
Romans 6:23 — It directly contrasts the wages earned by sin with the free gift of eternal life from God.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — It explicitly says that salvation by grace through faith is the gift of God, not of works, so no one can boast.
The Bible places the idea of salvation as a gift in direct contrast with earning or deserving. Romans 6:23 says, 'For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.' The word wages points to what is owed for what has been done, while a gift is what is freely given. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul writes, '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.' This makes the basis of salvation clear: it is not a reward for works. The Scripture's plain statement is that the gift is received through faith, but the gift itself comes entirely from God.
Les Feldick says that anyone who thinks they have to work for their salvation is 'flying in the face of this Book,' because salvation is a gift (Clip 1). Gifts, he explains, are not deserved, worked for, or merited; God did this out of the goodness of His heart (Clip 1). He uses the contrast in Romans 6:23 between wages — what you work for and deserve — and a gift — what you do not deserve (Clip 4). He also points to Ephesians 2:8 and asks, 'Do you work for a gift? Do you merit a gift? Never. Then it would no longer be a gift. But that's what salvation is' (Clip 3). Faith, in his teaching, is the vehicle by which grace reaches a person, but the whole package of salvation is the gift of God (Clips 2, 3). Les also uses the illustration of a dead car battery: a person dead in sin cannot revive himself; the Spirit must regenerate him from an outside source (Clip 0). For Les, salvation is also an instantaneous event—a one-time, all-inclusive work of God that forgives, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies, baptizes into the body of Christ, and seals with the Holy Spirit the moment a person believes (Clips 5, 6). Saul's conversion is his example: Saul did not deserve it, work for it, or do anything for it; he simply called out for mercy and grace, believing the work was accomplished at the cross (Clip 7).
Scripture says 'not of works, lest any man should boast.' Les says that joining enough churches, going through enough baptisms, or anything else you can name cannot save a person; once you add human effort, it is no longer a gift (Clips 1, 2). If a person works to repay the giver, then the result becomes payment, not a gift (Clips 1, 3).
Romans 6:23 contrasts wages and a gift. Wages are what you get in return for something you have done; the old Adamic nature can only earn death. But eternal life is a gift — something you do not deserve and cannot work for (Clip 4).
Les teaches that grace has made salvation possible, but faith is the vehicle through which it is received. He points to Ephesians 2:8, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.' Thus, nothing is earned in the receiving; God does everything that needs to be done once the gift is received by faith (Clips 2, 3).
Salvation is an instantaneous event, not a gradual process. At that moment God forgives, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies, baptizes into the body of Christ, and seals with the Holy Spirit. Les says these things happen instantly and are known by faith in what the Book says, not by feelings (Clips 5, 6).
The Dead Battery of the Old Adamic Nature
Les compares a spiritually dead person to a dead car battery that can only be made useful by being recharged from an outside source; regeneration is the Spirit's work in salvation.
A Gift Is Not Deserved or Worked For
Les says anyone who thinks they have to work for salvation is flying in the face of the Book; gifts are not deserved, worked for, or merited.
Faith Is the Vehicle, Not the Payment
Faith is the vehicle by which grace is received, but salvation is the gift of God; church membership, baptisms, or any other activity cannot earn it.
Ephesians 2:8 Asks: Do You Work for a Gift?
Les points to Ephesians 2:8 and asks whether anyone works for or merits a gift; if they do, it is no longer a gift.
Wages Versus Gift
Les applies Romans 6:23 to show that the old Adamic nature earns only death as wages, while eternal life is a gift you do not deserve and cannot earn.
Salvation Is an Instantaneous Event
Salvation happens in a moment, whether or not a person feels anything; Christian growth is a process, but the gift is given instantly.
The All-Inclusive Package of Salvation
At the moment of faith God forgives, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies, baptizes into the body, and seals with the Holy Spirit — all as an act of God on our behalf.
Saul's Conversion Shows Grace Without Works
Saul did not deserve, work for, or do anything for salvation; he just called out for mercy and grace, showing the gift is entirely God's doing.
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This verse sets up the direct contrast between what sin earns (death) and what God freely gives (eternal life).
Ephesians 2:8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
This verse shows that being saved by grace through faith is the gift of God, not a human achievement.
Ephesians 2:9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This verse explains why God excludes works from salvation: to remove any ground for human boasting.
Les Feldick says no amount of church joining, baptisms, or other religious activities can save a person. Once you add human effort, it becomes payment rather than a gift (Clips 1, 2). Baptism and other activities have a place in the Christian life, but they do not earn salvation.
Wages are what you get in return for something you have done. The old Adamic nature earns only death. A gift, by contrast, is something you do not deserve and cannot work for. Eternal life is the gift of God (Clip 4).
No. Les says there is nothing a person can do to earn salvation; it is something you simply receive by faith. God does everything that needs to be done (Clips 2, 3).
At the instant of faith. Les calls salvation an instantaneous event in which God forgives, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies, baptizes into the body of Christ, and seals with the Holy Spirit (Clips 5, 6).
Watch the Teaching: Why Heaven Won't Be Full of Boasters: Faith vs. Works