No — keeping the commandments cannot get anyone to heaven.
The law was given to expose and condemn sin, not to save. Romans 3:20 says no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law, and the law only brings the knowledge of sin. Les Feldick repeatedly teaches that the law has no power to save or to help anyone obey it — its only work is to condemn.
Romans 3:20 — This verse directly states that no one is justified by deeds of the law and that the law's purpose is to reveal sin — the core reason commandments cannot bring anyone to heaven.
Romans 3:20 states, 'Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.' The plain teaching is that God does not justify anyone because they keep the law. The law gives the knowledge of sin, not the remedy for it. Romans 3:19 further declares that 'what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.' Here the law's purpose is to stop human boasting and pronounce the whole world guilty. Romans 4:15 adds, 'Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression,' and Galatians 5:4 warns, 'Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.' The consistent biblical answer is that law-keeping cannot produce heaven; it produces guilt, wrath, and a severed relationship with Christ.
Les Feldick is emphatic that the commandments were never given to get anyone to heaven. In his teaching on Romans 3, he stresses that the law does nothing but condemn — it cannot save and it cannot even help a person obey it. He often encounters people who say, 'I'm doing the best I can. I'm keeping the commandments,' and he points out that this completely misunderstands the law's purpose. Les explains that the law was given to show mankind guilty before God and to reveal sin, not to provide a way to heaven. Les also teaches that only Christ has ever perfectly kept the law. Because no one can keep the whole law, anyone who turns to law-keeping for justification makes Christ of no effect and is fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). The commandments, rather than leading to heaven, bring the wrath of God. Salvation, he emphasizes, is by faith in Christ — the righteousness of faith — not by the deeds of the law.
According to Romans 3:20, the law brings the knowledge of sin. Les Feldick makes the same point repeatedly: the law can only condemn. It pronounces 'guilty' and stops every mouth before God (Romans 3:19). The law's one purpose is to show mankind that they are lawbreakers and not fit for God's heaven.
No. Les teaches that the law can do nothing to keep a person from stealing, committing adultery, or any other sin it names. All it can do is say 'don't.' Even the command to love the Lord your God cannot be forced — love must spring from within. The Ten Commandments stand in stark reality to convict and condemn, not to help.
Les states that only one person — Christ — has ever walked the planet and kept the whole law. It is an utter impossibility for anyone else. Therefore, anyone who tries to be justified by the law is making Christ of no effect and is fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).
Scripture says the law worketh wrath (Romans 4:15). Les Feldick applies this directly: people who say 'I'll make it because I'm keeping the commandments' are being brought to the wrath of God, not heaven. The promise of salvation comes through the righteousness of faith, not through the law.
The Righteousness of God Without the Law Explained
All right, ready to go on another program, and we're going to go right back to where we left off in our last lesson. That's Romans chapter 23, Romans 3, verse 20, and then we'll go on into verse 21. Once again, we'd like to welcome all of you.
Law Gives Knowledge of Sin
Les shows that even though the gospel accounts called people to keep the law, Paul makes clear that the law gives the knowledge of sin and has no power to save — it can only condemn.
The Law Cannot Justify
The law cannot help anyone obey it; all it can do is declare a person guilty. By the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified before God.
Commandments Not for Salvation
When people say they are keeping the commandments to make it, they misunderstand the commandments' purpose — the law can only condemn, not save.
Law Condemns the Whole World
The purpose of the law was to make all the world guilty before God and to show that no one is fit for heaven; it contains nothing that can save.
The Law Worketh Wrath
Those who trust in commandment-keeping are not headed to heaven but to the wrath of God; the promise of salvation is through the righteousness of faith.
Law Has No Power to Help
The Ten Commandments could only say 'don't' — they had no power to keep anyone from sin, and even the command to love cannot be forced from within.
Only Christ Kept the Law
Because no one but Christ can keep the whole law, trying to be justified by the law makes Christ of no effect and turns from God's grace.
Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The central answer to why commandments cannot get us to heaven — the law justifies no one and only reveals sin.
Romans 3:19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Shows the purpose of the law is to silence human boasting and declare all guilty.
Romans 4:13: For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
The promise of blessing comes by faith, not through the law.
Romans 4:14: For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
If law-keeping could inherit the promise, faith would be empty.
Romans 4:15: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Directly explains why law-keeping cannot lead to heaven — the law produces wrath.
Galatians 5:4: Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Scripture's warning that seeking justification by the law cuts one off from Christ's grace.
No. Romans 3:20 says by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The Bible teaches that the law reveals sin but does not provide salvation.
Les said the commandments were not given for that purpose. People who say 'I'm doing the best I can, I'm keeping the commandments' have misunderstood the law's purpose. The law can only condemn, not save.
Romans 4:15 says the law worketh wrath. Les explains that the commandments bring the wrath of God, not heaven, because the law's role is to show all the world guilty before God.
Watch the Teaching: The Righteousness of God Without the Law Explained