Working for rewards is the believer's post-salvation call to faithful service — it determines the level of responsibility and enjoyment believers will have in Christ's coming Kingdom.
For Les Feldick, the significance is twofold. Salvation is a free gift that no work can earn, yet once saved, every believer is expected to work for reward. Those rewards are levels of responsibility in the Kingdom, where believers rule and reign with Christ; faithful and rightly motivated works are rewarded, while careless works burn up — though the believer remains saved.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 — Paul's passage on the judgment seat of Christ — where faithful works receive reward and careless works burn — is the core text Les expounds in this teaching.
Luke 19:17 — Jesus' parable of the faithful servant given authority over ten cities is the biblical basis for Les's point that rewards are levels of Kingdom responsibility.
The Bible first separates salvation from works. Salvation is "by grace... through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). No amount of working earns salvation. But for those already saved, Scripture speaks of reward. Paul tells the Corinthians that every believer's work will be tested by fire on the day of judgment: gold, silver, and precious stones will abide, and the one whose work abides "shall receive a reward," while the man whose wood, hay, and stubble burns "shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Paul also compares the Christian to athletes running a race — "So run, that ye may obtain" the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24). In the Gospels, Jesus rewards faithful servants with authority in His coming Kingdom — "because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17) — and Paul identifies believers as "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17), the basis for ruling and reigning with Him.
Les Feldick is emphatic that working for rewards is not working for salvation. He says, "You work absolutely not at all for salvation. It's all of grace by faith plus nothing." But once a person has entered into that salvation, God expects that believer to work for reward — to enhance God's work, enhance the Kingdom, and bring honor and glory to His Name. Believers are "nothing but His little worker bees," and they are not to sit down and get lazy because their salvation is secure (Clips 1, 7). Les teaches that the reward aspect comes to its fruition primarily in the Kingdom economy. Since believers are joint-heirs with Christ and will rule and reign with Him on the earth, the reward "will be the amount of responsibility that God will give us in our role as ruling in His government." He connects this to the parable of the talents: the servant who used his talents faithfully was given authority over ten cities — "our rewards are going to be levels of responsibility as we rule and reign with Christ" (Clips 0, 3, 6). Les also contrasts the faithful and careless believer. Using the quarterback-vs-stands analogy, he says the faithful believer will be actively involved in Kingdom activity, while the believer whose works were only wood, hay, and stubble will still be there but will not enjoy the benefits of reward. There will be no envy or jealousy, since sin will not be present — but Les still urges believers to labor and serve for reward, noting that a reward is laid up that will be enjoyed for all eternity (Clips 2, 4, 5, 6, 7).
No. Les Feldick is emphatic: "You work absolutely not at all for salvation. It's all of grace by faith plus nothing." Salvation is a gift of God that cannot be earned. But once a person has entered into that salvation, God expects that believer to work for reward — service that enhances His work, enhances the Kingdom, and brings honor and glory to His Name. Rewards must never be confused with salvation (Clips 1, 2, 5).
Les Feldick teaches that the reward will come to its fruition primarily in the Kingdom economy. When Christ sets up His Kingdom and rules as King of kings and Lord of lords, believers will be joint-heirs with Him and will rule and reign with Him on the earth. The reward, Les says, will be "the amount of responsibility that God will give us in our role as ruling in His government." Just as the faithful servant in the parable was set over ten cities, a believer's faithfulness here determines the level of responsibility in the Kingdom (Clips 0, 3, 6).
Les says the gold, silver, and precious stones represent works that are rightly motivated — the believer's whole motivation is for God to receive the glory, not for self. Works that enhance the ego, even if they look religious, will end up as nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble. At the judgment seat of Christ, the fire will test every man's work. A believer whose works burn will still be saved — he will be there — but he will not enjoy the benefits of reward (Clips 0, 6, 7).
Les assures his listeners that when the Lord brings believers into the Kingdom experience, there will be no sin — so there will be no envy, jealousy, or conflict. Everyone will fit together beautifully. But it will still be far more exciting to be actively involved in the Kingdom's activity than to sit on the sidelines. Using the analogy of preferring to be the Dallas Cowboy quarterback rather than sitting way up in the stands, Les encourages believers to desire active, faithful service — not to shrink from responsibility, but to work for the reward God may give (Clips 2, 5, 6).
Rewards as Kingdom Responsibility
The reward for faithful believers is the measure of responsibility God entrusts to them as they rule and reign with Christ on the earth; even the careless believer remains in heaven.
Work After Salvation, Not for Salvation
Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing, but saved believers are expected to work for reward — to enhance God's work and bring honor and glory to His Name.
Quarterback vs. Sidelines — Active Service
Being actively involved in the Kingdom's activity is far more exciting than sitting on the sidelines, and since there will be no sin, no envy or jealousy will mar the differences in believer rewards.
Faithfulness Determines Kingdom Responsibility
Believers will rule and reign with Christ as King of kings, and the level of responsibility they receive in that Kingdom is based on their faithfulness in this life.
Rewards Laid Up for Eternity
The prospect of eternal reward — enjoyed for all eternity — is what should drive a believer to live a fruitful life, just as athletes train and strive to win.
Labor for Reward, Not Salvation
Believers are to labor and serve for reward, not for salvation, and most people would rather be active in Kingdom service than sit on the sideline.
Talents Parable — Reward as Authority Over Cities
Jesus' parable of the talents pictures faithful service being rewarded with authority over cities in the Kingdom — the same reward principle applies to believers who will rule with Christ.
Right Motives: Gold, Silver, Precious Stones
Rightly motivated works — done for God's glory rather than the ego — are the gold, silver, and precious stones that survive the fire; ego-driven works are wood, hay, and stubble.
Ephesians 2:8-9: 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.
Establishes that salvation is not earned by works, so working for rewards is a separate matter from salvation.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15: Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
This is Les's core passage for the judgment seat of Christ, where faithful works receive reward and careless works burn.
1 Corinthians 9:24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Paul's athletic analogy shows believers are to strive for a prize — which Les cites as the believer's motivation to work for reward.
Luke 19:17: And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Jesus' parable of the pounds shows the faithful servant rewarded with authority over ten cities — the basis for Les's teaching that rewards are levels of Kingdom responsibility.
Romans 8:17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Reveals that believers are joint-heirs with Christ — the foundation for ruling and reigning with Him in the Kingdom.
Matthew 25:21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
The talents parable shows that faithful service in this life leads to greater authority in the Kingdom — the pattern Les attributes to rewards.
Salvation is a free gift — "by grace are ye saved through faith... Not of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Les Feldick teaches that believers work absolutely not at all for salvation; it is all of grace by faith plus nothing. Once salvation is secure, God expects believers to work for reward — and the two must never be confused.
The judgment seat of Christ is where every believer's work will be tested by fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Works of gold, silver, and precious stones — rightly motivated for God's glory — receive reward, while wood, hay, and stubble burn up. The believer himself is saved, yet so as by fire.
Yes. Les says the believer whose works are wood, hay, and stubble will still be there. He will be saved, but he will not enjoy the benefits of reward and will have less involvement and excitement in the Kingdom's activity.
No. Les explains that jealousy and envy are sins, and there will be no sin in the Kingdom. Everyone will fit together beautifully, with no envy over the varying levels of responsibility.
Watch the Teaching: Will Your Works Burn? The Judgment Seat of Christ