No — being a good person is not enough because outward goodness leaves the old Adam nature untouched.
Les Feldick teaches that every person is born with old Adam, a sin nature that keeps producing sin no matter how respectable the outward life appears. Good works and a good reputation cannot reach where the problem actually lives. Only what God does through Christ can put old Adam out of commission.
Romans 3:11 — This verse shows that even people who appear good do not seek God on their own, exposing the insufficiency of human goodness.
Romans 6:6 — This verse provides the biblical remedy for old Adam: the old man is crucified with Christ so the body of sin can be destroyed.
Scripture does not measure anyone by outward reputation alone. Romans 3:11 states, "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." This means that human goodness does not originate from a heart that seeks God. John 3:19 confirms that people love darkness because their deeds are evil, and the light of the gospel exposes what is already inside. The Bible also points to an inner division that conduct alone cannot cure. Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God pierces "even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit," showing that the problem is spiritual. Romans 7:17 describes the struggle of someone who does what he does not want: "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
Les Feldick teaches that the real issue is not what people see but the old Adamic nature inherited from Adam. He compares an outwardly good person to a show horse that can explode when provoked; no matter how polished the appearance, old Adam is still there underneath. This is why genuinely decent people can be in the greatest spiritual danger: they are so good they never see their need of salvation. Old Adam is the source of all our problems, producing greed, envy, covetousness, anger, and lying even in those who appear respectable. It cannot be dealt with in the energy of the flesh, because it belongs to the inner person, not the outer behavior. Les shows from Scripture that the only remedy is crucifixion with Christ: our old man is crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed. Even after salvation, old Adam continues to work, so believers are told to keep it under control rather than give in to it.
According to Les Feldick, old Adam is the old sin nature every person is born with. It is the part of us that gets greedy, envious, and covetous, and it produces anger and lying even in small children. A person can dress old Adam up and make him look good on the outside, just like a show horse prepared for parades, but old Adam is still the source of all our problems. The problem lies in the inner person, not in outward behavior.
Les Feldick says that good people often never see their need of salvation because they do not believe God has called them sinners. They can be headed for eternal doom just as much as anyone else. The gospel first reveals sinfulness, and that is why many prefer spiritual darkness rather than the light. Scripture confirms that none seek after God and that people love darkness because their deeds are evil.
Old Adam cannot be corrected by human effort, because there is no way to deal with him in the flesh. Les teaches that God's solution is crucifixion with Christ: our old man is crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be destroyed. Even after salvation, old Adam continues to work, so the believer must keep him under control and not live on that old plane anymore.
Old Adam Cannot Be Dealt With in the Flesh
Les uses the show-horse illustration: no matter how well-trained a person's outer life is, old Adam can still explode and reveal his true nature. This is why ordinary human goodness cannot solve the problem.
Old Adam Exposed by the Word and Law
When the Holy Spirit and God's Word hit old Adam, the outer veneer flies off, revealing the real inner nature. This exposure is necessary before someone can come to the light of the gospel.
Good People Who Do Not See Their Need
Les says genuinely good people often miss salvation because they are too good to believe God's verdict that they are sinners. They face the same eternal doom as anyone who rejects the gospel.
Old Adam Is the Source of All Our Problems
Les identifies old Adam as the inner sin nature that keeps producing wrong desires and actions even in believers. God reckons old Adam as dead, but the believer must keep it under control.
Old Adam Continues to Work in Believers
Old Adam is never finished: it drives greed, envy, and covetousness. Les says we must not live on that plane anymore, showing that salvation changes how we respond.
Crucified With Christ Is the Only Solution
Everyone is born with old Adam, and that nature has already sinned. Les shows that God's remedy is crucifixion with Christ so that the body of sin might be destroyed.
All Are Under Old Adam and Love Darkness
Les uses Romans 3 and John 3 to show that everyone is under old Adam, none seek God, and people love darkness. The gospel is rejected because it first exposes sinfulness.
Adam's Spirit and the Dividing of Soul and Spirit
Les describes Adam's spirit as the part that fellowshiped with God and notes that Scripture says the Word of God can divide between soul and spirit. This shows the problem is in the spiritual region, not the outward behavior.
Romans 3:11: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Shows human goodness does not come from hearts that seek God.
Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Les cites this as the remedy for old Adam.
Romans 7:17: Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Illustrates how old Adam, not the new self, produces the sins we do not want.
John 3:19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Explains why good people still avoid the light of the gospel.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Shows that God works in the spiritual realm where old Adam lives.
No. Les teaches that good people who never see their need of salvation are headed for eternal doom just like anyone else, because the real problem is old Adam on the inside, not the outside.
Old Adam is the old sin nature everyone inherits. It produces greed, envy, covetousness, anger, and lying, and it is the source of all our problems.
No. Old Adam cannot be dealt with in the energy of the flesh. It must be put to death, and that happens through crucifixion with Christ.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Law Can't Save You — Romans 3:19-20 Explained