The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, given to everyone who believes—not earned by works or religious acts.
Romans 1:16 says the gospel is 'the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.' Les Feldick emphasizes that this power is not church membership, baptism, or any human work—it is the gospel itself. It takes the very power of God to save a sinner, and that power is released when a person believes.
Romans 1:16 — This is the verse the question asks about—Paul's declaration that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.
1 Corinthians 1:18 — Paul restates the same truth: the preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who are saved.
Romans 1:16 declares, 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.' Scripture here does not say the power lies in religious activity. It says the gospel is the power of God, and it operates for every person who believes. Paul states the same truth in 1 Corinthians 1:18: 'For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.' The cross itself is where God's saving power is displayed. Ephesians 1:19 also connects God's power specifically with believing: 'And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.'
Les Feldick centers his teaching on the plain words of Romans 1:16: the gospel—not church membership, not baptism, not any work—is the power of God unto salvation (Clips 1, 2, 4). He uses the illustration of a dead car battery: no amount of washing or waxing the outside will start the car; the battery needs power brought in from an outside source. In the same way, a sinner is spiritually dead and cannot clean himself up enough to be saved; God must infuse divine life and power through the gospel (Clip 0). Les insists that salvation is far more than 'a better way to heaven.' It is the all-inclusive word that covers everything God does for the believer who cries out, 'I'm a sinner and I believe Christ died for me' (Clips 1, 2). He even says it took greater power to save an old sinner than to create the universe, and that is why salvation cannot be worked for or merited—it is released by believing the gospel (Clip 3). Finally, Les applies this to the way of salvation: it is not repenting, being baptized, joining the church, or walking an aisle. Those things have their right place, but they are not the way of salvation. The way is to believe—to put our faith and trust in what God has said (Clips 5, 7).
According to Les Feldick, Romans 1:16 'leaves our works out of it.' The gospel is the power of God unto salvation—not church membership, not baptism, not a work, not anything we can do (Clips 1, 2, 4). He points to Ephesians 1:19, where the exceeding greatness of God's power is toward those who believe, not toward those who have repented, been baptized, joined the church, or walked an aisle (Clip 7). When people claim we must earn our way into heaven, Les says that idea 'flies in the face' of the gospel; there is nothing we can do but take what God has offered (Clip 5).
Les compares a person dead in sin to a car battery that has been left with the lights on overnight—it is dead. You can wash it with soap and water or polish it with wax, but it still cannot start the car. The battery only comes back to life when power from an outside source is connected to it. Likewise, the gospel brings God's power into a spiritually dead sinner, and that power produces salvation.
Romans 1:16 says the gospel is the power of God unto salvation 'to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.' Les notes that this removes every human qualification—it is for everyone who believes. When the Holy Spirit moves a person to the point of believing the gospel, God does everything else; salvation is the all-inclusive work of God on behalf of the believer (Clips 1, 6). The way of salvation, Les says, is simply to believe—to put our faith and trust in what God has said (Clip 7).
Les says it took greater amounts of God's power to save an old sinner than it did to create the universe. If people could grasp this, he says, they would see that the very power of God must become instrumental in our salvation. This is why we cannot work for it or merit it—and that power is released by believing the gospel.
Dead Battery Analogy: Spiritual Death Needs Outside Power
Les compares a sinner to a car battery that is dead; cleaning the outside with soap, water, or wax cannot make it live. The only remedy is power from an outside source, which illustrates why people cannot clean themselves up before coming to God.
The Gospel Is the Power of God Unto Salvation
Les stresses that the gospel—not church membership, baptism, or any work—is the power of God unto salvation. Salvation is the all-inclusive word for everything God does on behalf of the believer who cries out for it.
Salvation Is More Than a Better Way to Heaven
Les says the gospel is the power of God, not our works or denomination, and criticizes newer translations that water down salvation to merely 'a better way to heaven.'
Saving a Sinner Takes Greater Power Than Creation
Les teaches that it took greater power to save a sinner than to create the universe, so salvation cannot be worked for or merited; that power is released by believing the gospel.
Romans 1:16 Leaves Our Works Out
Les points out that Romans 1:16 says the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and leaves our works out of it entirely; it is for everyone who believes, Jew first and also Greek.
Nothing We Can Do but Take What God Has Offered
Les says the gospel as the power of God flies in the face of good-works teaching; there is nothing we can do but accept what God has offered.
The Holy Spirit Moves Us to Believe the Gospel
Les connects the recognition that we are sinners with the Holy Spirit moving us to believe the gospel, which he calls the power of God unto salvation.
Power Is Toward Those Who Believe, Not the Religious
Les applies Ephesians 1:19 to show the greatness of God's power is toward those who believe—not toward those who repented, were baptized, joined a church, or walked an aisle. The way of salvation is to believe.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
This is the verse at the heart of the question—it directly defines the gospel as the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Paul repeats the same idea: the preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who are saved.
Ephesians 1:19: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
This verse connects the greatness of God's power specifically with those who believe, which Les cites to show salvation is not by religious works.
The gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation. It is not church membership, baptism, or any other work; it is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that carries God's saving power to everyone who believes (Clips 1, 2, 4).
No. Les Feldick emphasizes that Romans 1:16 leaves our works completely out of it. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, not to those who earn it (Clips 4, 5).
Because a sinner is spiritually dead, like a battery that cannot start the engine on its own. Cleaning up the outside never helps; only God's power, brought in through the gospel, can make the sinner alive (Clip 0).
Yes. Les says newer translations water down the word salvation by calling it a better way to heaven. Salvation is the all-inclusive word that covers everything God does for the believer who believes (Clips 1, 2).
Watch the Teaching: Plan of Salvation: Faith Alone in Christ's Death & Resurrection