No — salvation cannot be earned by human works; it is a gift received through faith in Christ's finished work.
Ephesians 2:8-9 states plainly that salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast. Romans 4:4-5 contrasts the worker who earns a debt with the believer who receives righteousness by faith. Les Feldick consistently teaches "faith plus nothing," because adding any work gives room for boasting and cancels the finished work of the cross.
Romans 3:25-26 — God set forth Christ as the propitiation through faith in His blood so that He might be just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — States plainly that salvation is a gift through faith, not of works, so no one can boast.
Romans 4:4-5 — Contrasts a worker's earned debt with the believer's faith being counted as righteousness.
Scripture is explicit: salvation does not come by human works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "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." Paul repeats the same truth in Romans 4:4-5: "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 3:27-28 also shows that boasting is excluded by the law of faith, not the law of works: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." God the Father set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness and to justify the one who believes in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26). The believer's justification is therefore through faith in Christ's finished work, not through anything the sinner does.
Les Feldick is emphatic that salvation is 'faith plus nothing.' He repeatedly uses Ephesians 2:8-9 to show that no human activity — baptism, church membership, good works, or even repentance as a human work — can be added to the gospel. As soon as a person attaches works to faith, he says, it becomes worthless and cancels the work of the cross (Clips 2–3). He illustrates the sin of boasting with a memorable picture: if believers earned their place in heaven, eternity would be filled with people collaring you on the streets of gold to tell you what they did to get there. That would not be heaven. Instead, every believer will be able to say the same thing: 'I'm here for one reason. The finished work of the cross. Faith plus nothing.' (Clip 1) Les also points out that God justifies the ungodly — not people who first clean up their lives. And he warns that works done to gain salvation are an attempt to put God in debt, which is impossible. Works are never the basis of salvation; they are the result and reward that follow after a person is saved (Clips 3–5, 7).
The Bible's reason for excluding works is "lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). Romans 4:4 shows that if a person works, the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt. Les makes the point vivid: if works earned salvation, heaven would be filled with believers continually telling everyone what they did to get in. Instead, every redeemed person will make the same claim — the finished work of the cross, "faith plus nothing."
Les warns that as soon as we attach works to faith, "it becomes nothing. It becomes worthless" (Clip 2). He further says that adding anything to "faith plus nothing" cancels the work of the cross, which is why he holds that millions of churchgoing people who add works will miss heaven's glory (Clip 3). Works may be fine in their proper place after salvation, but they cannot be mixed into the gospel of grace.
Les makes a clear distinction. Baptism, church membership, giving to the poor, visiting the sick, and other good works are not the way to be saved, but after salvation they are what God expects. God saves a person and then makes him a new creation — His workmanship — so works follow as the result of salvation, never as its cause.
Paul says in Romans 4:4 that to the one who works, the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt. Les says the human race still tries to tell God, "I've done all this and I've done that," as if to put God in debt. But "you'll never put God in debt." Salvation cannot be earned because no one can give God anything that would put Him in debt to them.
Christ as Propitiation
Les explains that everything in the tabernacle pictured Christ's complete work of redemption; God set Christ forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness, not ours.
No Boasting in Heaven
Les pictures believers in heaven all saying the same thing — the finished work of the cross — and shows how works would make eternity a contest of self-congratulation.
Works Cannot Be Added to the Gospel
Les lists baptism, church membership, good works, and more as things people trust in for salvation, but says adding them to faith makes salvation worthless.
Adding Works Cancels the Cross
Les warns that as soon as something is added to faith it cancels the work of the cross; God justifies the ungodly who do nothing for salvation but believe.
God Won't Recognize Works for Salvation
Les uses baptism and charitable deeds as examples of works; they are expected after salvation but can never be used to buy salvation.
You Can't Put God in Debt
Les says those who work to merit favor with God are trying to put God in debt, which is impossible.
The Law of Faith vs. the Law of Works
Les contrasts the law of works with the law of faith; until salvation it is faith plus nothing, and then works follow.
Saved Unto Good Works
Les says salvation is not of works, but God saves us to make us His workmanship — a new creation — so works follow as a result.
Romans 3:25-26: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
God set forth Christ as the propitiation so that He could be just and justify those who believe in Jesus.
Romans 3:27-28: Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Boasting is excluded by the law of faith, proving justification is not by works.
Romans 4:4-5: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
The worker earns a debt, while the believer's faith is counted for righteousness apart from works.
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.
This is the clearest statement that salvation is a gift, not a reward for human effort.
Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Justification is through faith, not works, and it results in peace with God.
So that no one in heaven can claim credit for entering. Les pictures eternity ruined if believers kept telling stories of what they did. Instead, every person saved by grace will say the same thing — 'I'm here for one reason: the finished work of the cross.'
No. Les says these are works that a person decides to do; they have their proper place after salvation, but when used to try to get saved, God will not recognize them. Salvation is by grace through faith apart from works.
It means salvation is received by trusting in Christ and His blood alone. Adding human effort, religious ritual, or good behavior makes the gospel worthless and cancels the finished work of the cross.
Watch the Teaching: Why Heaven Won't Be Full of Boasters: Faith vs. Works