The first step is to believe what God says about you: that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23).
Les Feldick teaches that faith begins when a person takes God at His Word about himself — admitting that regardless of how good he is, he has sinned and come short of God's glory. This is the necessary starting point before a person can understand or receive what God has done in Christ. Nothing about our own goodness, family, or circumstances changes this verdict.
Romans 3:23 — This verse plainly states that all have sinned, making it the foundational text for the first step of faith Les Feldick points to.
Romans 3:23 declares, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." This establishes that every person stands in the same condition before God — no one measures up to His glory on his own. Romans 3:22 shows that the righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, with no distinction. Romans 3:24 then reveals that a person is justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The Scripture therefore first diagnoses the human condition as one of universal sin, then presents the cure as God's grace through Christ.
Les Feldick consistently teaches that the first step of faith is to believe what God says about us: that we are sinners. He says faith is taking God at His Word, and the first thing God tells each person is that, regardless of how good he may be, or how good his family or circumstances are, God says, "I'm a sinner" (Clip 1). He also teaches that the Holy Spirit begins His work by convincing us of this truth from Romans 3:23 (Clip 2), and that the very first part of the salvation experience is recognizing what God says about us — that we are sons of Adam, a fallen race (Clip 3). Les stresses that people often overlook Romans 3:23 when thinking about why God should let them into heaven. The first step is to recognize that in ourselves we are lost, separated from God because of Adam's fall, and unable to enter God's heaven unless God does something on our behalf (Clip 4). He calls Romans 3:23 "the first step for salvation" — the point where we must see ourselves as God sees us (Clip 6). This is simply taking God at His Word concerning ourselves, believing that we are short of His glory (Clip 5). Once a person takes that verse by faith, he can then believe that Christ died for his sin and died in his place (Clip 7).
Les Feldick teaches that the first step of faith is to believe that regardless of how good we may be, God still says we are sinners (Clip 1). He points out that people give all kinds of reasons why God should let them into heaven, but they invariably overlook Romans 3. The Scripture says everyone has come short of the glory of God, which means we cannot enter heaven unless God does something on our behalf (Clip 4). Goodness cannot qualify anyone.
Les is careful to correct the word "process" when talking about salvation. He says salvation is an event, and then the Christian life is a process. The first step of faith is a moment of taking God at His Word about our sin; what follows is a lifetime of growth (Clip 1).
According to Les Feldick, once we believe what the Bible says about ourselves — that we are sinners by virtue of being sons of Adam — then we can believe that Christ died for our sin and died in our place (Clip 7). Recognizing our need opens the door to receiving the righteousness of God that comes apart from the law (Clip 3, Romans 3:21-22).
Why Jesus Forbade Mary to Touch Him: The High Priest & His Blood
people today? It's no different. Oh, they're steeped in the tradition of the fathers, and they think they're going to make it. But listen, tradition isn't going to make anybody make it, and sometimes we have to break some traditions in order to come to the truth of the Scripture.
Faith begins with taking God at His Word
Les says the very first step in the plan of salvation is to believe that God calls you a sinner, no matter how good you are or what your background is.
The Holy Spirit's first conviction
Les explains that the first thing the Holy Spirit makes a person aware of is that he is a sinner, and accepting this is the first step of faith.
Recognizing our need as sons of Adam
Les teaches that the first part of the salvation experience is recognizing what God says about us: we are sons of Adam, sinners, and a fallen race.
Admitting we are lost without God's action
Les stresses that the first step of faith on the road to salvation is recognizing we are lost in ourselves and cannot enter heaven unless God acts on our behalf.
Believing I am what the book says I am
Les says the first step in salvation is to take God at His Word concerning yourself and believe that you are short of the glory of God.
Seeing ourselves as God sees us
Les calls Romans 3:23 the first step for salvation — we must recognize our need and see ourselves as God sees us.
From the verdict of sin to Christ's death for us
Les shows that once we believe God's verdict that we are sinners, we can then believe that Christ died for our sin and died in our place.
Romans 3:21: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
This verse shows that the righteousness of God comes apart from the law, setting up the remedy after the diagnosis of sin.
Romans 3:22: Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
This verse explains that God's righteousness is received through faith in Jesus Christ by all who believe.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
This is the foundational verse Les Feldick uses to identify the first step of faith: acknowledging we are sinners.
Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
This verse shows that those who admit they are sinners are justified freely by God's grace through Christ's redemption.
The very first thing is to believe what God says about you — that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23). Les Feldick calls this the first step of faith, and it does not depend on how good your life, family, or circumstances are.
Les Feldick says salvation is an event, not a process. The Christian life is a process that follows. The first step of faith occurs at the moment you take God at His Word about your sin.
No. Les teaches that goodness, family, and circumstances never qualify anyone. Scripture says everyone has sinned, and a person cannot enter God's heaven unless God does something on his behalf.
Watch the Teaching: Why Jesus Forbade Mary to Touch Him: The High Priest & His Blood