When you believe the gospel, God seals you with the Holy Spirit of promise — that happens the moment you believe, plus nothing.
Les Feldick teaches from Ephesians 1:13 that after you hear the word of truth — the gospel of your salvation — and believe, you are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Paul explains throughout his epistles that at the moment of believing the gospel we are born again, indwelt, empowered, and kept by the Holy Spirit. It is belief plus nothing: not baptism, church membership, or any other procedure.
Ephesians 1:13 — The key verse — directly states that after hearing the gospel and believing, a person is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — Defines the gospel itself that must be believed for salvation.
Romans 8:9 — Shows that the indwelling Holy Spirit is the mark of belonging to Christ.
The gospel of salvation is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day. Ephesians 1:13 says that when a person hears that word of truth — the gospel of his salvation — and believes, he is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Verse 14 calls that Spirit the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. Romans 8:9 states that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his — making the indwelling Spirit the mark of being in Christ.
Les Feldick centers everything on 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: the gospel is that Christ died, was buried, and rose again — nothing more, nothing less. He then walks viewers through Ephesians 1:13, stressing the emphasis on 'believed': after you heard the gospel and believed, God sealed you with the Holy Spirit of promise. 'After that you believed, period, plus nothing.' Les explains that this sealing is part and parcel of the salvation experience — we are marked by the person of the Holy Spirit Himself. At the moment of belief, Paul says, the Spirit indwells us, empowers us, and keeps us. Les emphasizes this is a Pauline doctrine: the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not taught in the Old Testament or in Christ's earthly ministry. He also stresses what does not save — church membership, catechism, baptism, walking an aisle — and that the person who genuinely believes the gospel with all his heart is a child of God with no condemnation. The test, as Romans 8:9 shows, is the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the way to receive the Spirit is by believing the gospel — when you do, God does it all: He puts Himself in us and puts us in Him.
The gospel is 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. Les calls it 'the word of truth' and 'the gospel of your salvation,' and says it is 'nothing more, nothing less.' A person must be old enough to understand that he is a sinner and needs salvation, and that the gospel is the remedy; after hearing and believing it, God seals him with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Ephesians 1:13 says that after you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Les describes this as 'part and parcel' of the salvation experience — believers are sealed and marked by the person of the Holy Spirit Himself. Verse 14 says the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. The sealing is not something we do; it is what God does the moment we believe.
Les is emphatic: salvation does not come 'after you joined the church, not after you went through catechism, not after you were baptized, not after you became a communicant, but after what? After you believed.' He also rejects walking an aisle or following a rote procedure. 'You don't get to heaven by being baptized. You get to heaven by trusting and believing the gospel.' These other things may follow in their rightful place, but they are not what saves.
Les points out that Paul's teaching that a believer is not only sealed but indwelt by the Holy Spirit is new Pauline doctrine — it is not seen in the Old Testament or in Christ's earthly ministry. Romans 8:9 makes the test simple: if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. You get the Holy Spirit by believing the gospel, and when you believe, 'God does it all — He puts Himself in us, He puts us in Him.'
Resting on the Finished Work
Les contrasts Peter's covenant-ground preaching of repentance and baptism with today's position of resting on the finished work of the cross, setting the stage for why salvation today rests solely on believing the gospel.
Sealed After Believing
Les defines the gospel as Christ died, was buried, and rose again, then shows from Ephesians 1:13 that after hearing and believing, a believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Believed, Period, Plus Nothing
Les stresses that salvation comes by trusting and believing the gospel — not baptism — and that at the moment of belief God seals, indwells, empowers, and keeps the believer through the Holy Spirit.
Heard, Believed, Sealed
Les shows the order in Ephesians 1:13 — after hearing the word of truth and believing, God seals the believer with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Marked by the Person of the Holy Spirit
Les explains that being sealed is part and parcel of the salvation experience — believers are marked by the person of the Holy Spirit Himself.
Genuine Belief vs. Rote Procedure
Les contrasts genuine salvation — coming under the power of the Holy Spirit and believing the gospel with all one's heart — with church membership or walking an aisle, and affirms the believer is a child of God with no condemnation.
New Pauline Doctrine of the Indwelling Spirit
Les emphasizes that sealing is 'after you believed' — not after church joining or baptism — and that being sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit is Pauline doctrine not found in the Old Testament or Christ's earthly ministry.
The Spirit of Christ in You
Les teaches that if you have the indwelling Holy Spirit you are in Christ; you receive the Spirit by believing the gospel, and God does it all — putting Himself in us and putting us in Him.
Ephesians 1:13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The central verse of the answer — sealing happens at the moment of belief in the gospel.
Ephesians 1:14: Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Identifies the Holy Spirit as the pledge of our future inheritance.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Defines the gospel itself — Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
Romans 8:9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Shows that the indwelling Holy Spirit is the mark of belonging to Christ.
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Supports Les's statement that the genuine believer has no condemnation.
The gospel is 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. Les says it is 'nothing more, nothing less.' That is the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, which must be heard and believed.
Immediately when you believe. Ephesians 1:13 says 'after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.' Les stresses the order: heard the word of truth, believed, and then God sealed you — 'period, plus nothing.'
No. Les is explicit that you do not get to heaven by being baptized, and salvation is not the result of joining a church, going through catechism, becoming a communicant, or walking an aisle. You get to heaven by trusting and believing the gospel.
According to Romans 8:9, if you have the indwelling Holy Spirit you are His. Les teaches that you receive the Holy Spirit by believing the gospel — when you believe, God does it all: He puts Himself in us and puts us in Him.
Yes. Les maintains that the person who has genuinely believed the gospel with all his heart is a child of God and always will be; the Scripture says there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
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