People commonly think the basis is their own goodness, religious activity, and moral works, but the only basis for entering heaven is faith in what Christ has done.
Les Feldick says that anything a person offers to merit heaven—joining a church, walking an aisle, giving, tithing—is a work, and works never saved anybody. Romans 3:23 shows that everyone falls short of God's glory, and Les concludes that we get to heaven by simply believing that Christ's death has done it all.
Romans 3:23 — Les begins with this verse to show that no one can meet God's criteria or claim to be good enough to enter heaven on their own.
Proverbs 14:12 — This verse describes the human way of thinking that seems right but leads to death—the rationalization behind people's attempts to earn heaven.
Hebrews 11:6 — Scripture says without faith it is impossible to please God, so human effort cannot be the basis for entering heaven.
Scripture is clear that human performance is not the standard for entering heaven. Romans 3:23 states, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Every person has fallen short of God's glory, and no amount of human activity can close that gap. Proverbs 14:12 adds, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." The way that seems right to people can still end in death. The Bible also connects doing good with faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." In John 5:29, Jesus speaks of those who have done good coming to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation; this must be understood in light of Hebrews 11:6, which makes faith the necessary basis for pleasing God.
Les Feldick teaches that people almost always answer this question by pointing to human effort. Anything a person does to merit heaven—joining a church, walking an aisle, giving, tithing, or being morally good—is a work, and works cannot save. He uses the example of Adam and Eve, who rationalized their situation, to illustrate how people try to get around God's judgment instead of facing it. He also points to Proverbs 14:12: there is a way that seems right to man, but it ends in death. Les says many "awful good people" will stand at the Great White Throne because they never realized that heaven is not entered by working your way in. The only qualification for salvation, he says, is believing the Gospel—that Christ's death has done it all. Everything God expects of believers after salvation is a result of salvation, not the requirement for it.
Les Feldick says people rationalize. When confronted with God's judgment like Adam and Eve, they start trying to find a way around it. They think that if they join a church, give, tithe, or live a good moral life, God will accept them. Les points out that these are all works—things people do to merit heaven—and they never saved anybody. He warns that many genuinely good people will be at the Great White Throne because they never believed what God said about their sin.
Les explicitly teaches that joining a church never saved anyone, and walking the aisle is a work, not salvation. Giving and tithing can also become a work if a person thinks they can buy their way into heaven. He says even people who seem to do good are not pleasing God apart from faith, because Hebrews says it is impossible to please God without faith.
Romans 3:23 says all have come short of God's glory, so no one can claim to be good enough. Les points to this as the starting place: people must recognize they cannot meet God's criteria. The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. Les concludes that we get to heaven by simply believing that Christ's death has done it all, not by what we do. The only qualification is believing the Gospel; God handles the rest.
Les says some people are so good they never see their need of salvation, and they are headed for eternal doom just as much as criminals. The problem is not that they are worse than others; it's that they do not believe God has said they are sinners. The first step is believing God's Word. They never realize that everything has already been done on their behalf—they just need to believe it.
Rationalization as Human Effort
Les uses Proverbs 14:12 and Adam and Eve's response to show that people naturally rationalize and try to handle their own situation instead of trusting God's way.
Doing Good vs. Faith
Les explains that John 5:29 doesn't mean good works save you; those who have done good are people of faith, since without faith it is impossible to please God.
All Have Come Short
Les begins with Romans 3:23 to show that everyone falls short of God's glory and no one can claim to be good enough for heaven.
Church Membership and Giving Are Works
Les lists works such as joining a church, walking an aisle, giving, and tithing and says none of these ever saved anyone.
Good People at the Great White Throne
Les says many good people will face judgment because they never realized heaven is not entered by working your way in; we get there by believing Christ's death did it all.
Too Good to See Their Need
Les warns that good people who never see their need of salvation are headed for eternal doom because they don't believe God's statement that they are sinners.
Qualification Is Believing the Gospel
Les says expected good behavior is a result of salvation, not the qualification; the qualification is having believed the Gospel.
Everything Already Done
Les says people never realize everything has already been done on their behalf; all they have to do is believe the Gospel.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Les uses this as the foundational verse to show that no one can be good enough to enter heaven.
Proverbs 14:12: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Les quotes this to explain why human rationalization about heaven leads to death.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
This verse establishes faith, not works, as the way to please God.
John 5:29: And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Les cites this verse because someone might misread it as salvation by doing good; he explains it refers to people of faith.
No. He says many good people will stand before the Great White Throne because they never realized that you don't get to heaven by working your way in. Romans 3:23 says everyone has come short of God's glory.
Les says joining the church never saved anybody and walking the aisle is a work. Salvation comes through believing that Christ's death has done it all, not through religious activity.
By simply believing the Gospel. As Les says, we get to heaven by believing Christ's death has done it all; all things are already done on our behalf.
Les says people rationalize, as Adam and Eve did. They think their own moral effort, church membership, giving, and tithing will be acceptable to God, but those are works and cannot save.
Watch the Teaching: The Moment Death Entered the World: Genesis 3 & Romans 5 Explained