People reject salvation because they never think of eternity and cannot accept that eternal life comes by doing nothing but believing the gospel.
Les Feldick explains that the world never thinks of eternity and never realizes that everything has already been done on their behalf. Instead of simply taking God at His Word, people try to feel something or earn salvation by human works. Yet the door to salvation is on ground level; all that is required is to believe the gospel and enter in.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 — Defines the simple gospel message that must be believed: Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
Romans 5:1 — Shows that justification is by faith alone, with nothing added.
Hebrews 9:12 — Confirms that Christ has already obtained eternal redemption, so nothing remains for the sinner to do.
The Apostle Paul sums up the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: 'For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.' In Romans 5:1 he writes, 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' And the writer of Hebrews says of Christ, 'Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us' (Hebrews 9:12).
Les Feldick teaches that the world misses the simple plan of salvation because they never think of eternity and never think in terms of God and His Word. They never come to realize that everything has already been done on their behalf; all they have to do is believe the gospel, and God will take care of the so-called hard decisions. As Les puts it, the door to the sheepfold is not up on a sheer cliff or across a roaring river; it is on ground level in front of every human being. The way in is so simple that the world cannot believe you can have eternal salvation and the hope of all that glory by doing nothing (Clips 2 and 3).
The gospel has no strings attached and no prescribed ritual. It is that Christ died for our sins and was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Les says a person can believe it at the kitchen sink or driving down the road, and simply say, 'Yes, I see it — Christ died for my sins and He arose from the dead.' Then God does all the rest: God saves, sets the believer's feet on a rock, and begins to open up the Scriptures.
The world cannot believe that you can have eternal salvation and the hope of all that glory by doing nothing. Instead, people try to add works such as baptism, joining the church, visiting the sick, or giving to the poor, but God will not recognize any of these for salvation. Even among Christians, salvation is often treated as merely a fire escape, when it is actually the day-by-day assurance that you are His and He is yours.
Faith is simply taking God at His Word. No one should try to feel justified or figure it out in the human, because that cannot be done. The sinner simply recognizes that he is a child of Adam and rests on what God has said. When the gospel is believed, God declares him justified — just as if he had never sinned.
Faith Is Taking God at His Word
Les teaches that faith is simply taking God at His Word. People are not told to try to feel something or figure out salvation in the human realm; they rest on what God has said.
Salvation Is More Than a Fire Escape
Salvation is not merely an escape from hell but a day-by-day assurance that the believer is His and He is theirs, and it all comes by believing what the Book says.
They Never Think of Eternity
Les points out that people never think of eternity or God's Word, so they never realize that everything has already been done on their behalf — all they have to do is believe the gospel.
The Door Is on Ground Level
The door to the sheepfold is not on a cliff or across a river; it is on ground level. The world cannot believe that eternal salvation comes by doing nothing, and that is why they miss it.
Simple Yet Beyond Human Understanding
The plan of salvation is so simple that a six-year-old can comprehend it, yet it is an act of God beyond human comprehension.
Justified by Faith — Plus Nothing
People try to add works like baptism, church membership, or giving for salvation, but God will not recognize them. Romans 5:1 stands: justified by faith, plus nothing.
No Strings Attached
The gospel has no strings attached and no prescribed ritual; a person can believe it at the kitchen sink or driving down the road. When they believe, God does all the rest.
Salvation Is an Instantaneous Event
Salvation is not a process; it is a one-time, instantaneous event, while Christian growth and Bible understanding are the processes that follow.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
These verses define the gospel the sinner is simply commanded to believe.
Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Paul states that justification comes by faith, with no works or effort added.
Hebrews 9:12: Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
This verse shows that Christ has already done all that is needed to obtain redemption.
Les teaches that the world never thinks of eternity and never realizes that everything has already been done on their behalf. All they must do is believe the gospel, but they cannot accept that eternal salvation comes by doing nothing.
No. Les explains that being justified by faith is 'plus nothing' — nothing is added. Works such as baptism, church membership, or giving to the poor are not recognized by God for salvation; salvation comes by believing the gospel.
No. Les teaches that salvation is an instantaneous event. A person can believe it at the kitchen sink or while driving down the road. Christian growth and Bible understanding are processes, but salvation happens in a moment.
Watch the Teaching: What Does "Justified by Faith" Really Mean? Romans 5