Yes — relying on any human work for salvation is problematic because it cancels the work of the cross and makes Christ profit the person nothing.
Paul warns in Galatians 5:1–2 that if a person is circumcised for salvation, Christ profits him nothing. Les Feldick applies the same principle to church membership, baptism, sacraments, or any fleshly act added to faith plus nothing. God has already finished the work, so adding to it cancels the gospel of grace.
Galatians 5:1-2 — This is the passage Paul uses to warn that adding circumcision (or any work) to faith makes Christ profit nothing.
Paul opens Galatians 5 with a command: 'Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.' He immediately names circumcision as the issue: 'Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.' The passage connects returning to the law with losing the benefit of Christ. Paul further makes clear that salvation is by faith alone. In Romans 4:5, 'But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.' In Romans 3:27 he asks, 'Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.'
Les Feldick teaches that whenever a person adds anything to the gospel of faith plus nothing—whether circumcision, church membership, baptism, the Lord's Supper, or any good work—he cancels the work of the cross. In Galatians 5 Paul named circumcision, but Les says you can put in anything that man can do to merit salvation and the verse still stands. He warns that millions of church-going people have added something to the gospel and are in danger of missing heaven's glory. Les emphasizes that Christ's words 'It's finished' mean everything needed was accomplished on the cross. No amount of human endeavor, sacraments, or religious activity can achieve justification or put old Adam to death; that must be the work of the Creator God Himself. The phrase 'Christ shall profit you nothing' is meant to shake people out of living an illusion. Freedom from the law, however, does not mean freedom to do as we please—works follow after salvation, but they are never the basis for it.
Les Feldick explains that Paul's phrase refers to anyone who adds something to the gospel of grace. In Galatians 5, Paul uses circumcision as the example, but Les says you can put in anything that man can do to merit salvation and the verse still holds. The first time he saw the verse he says it shook him to his boots, because it means adding a work cancels the work of the cross.
Les repeatedly names church membership, baptism, the Lord's Supper, sacraments, and any act done in the flesh. As soon as these are made part of salvation, they cancel the cross. No amount of works or religious activity can do what Paul teaches about justification by faith; that must be the work of the Creator God alone.
No. Les says believers are free from the yoke of legalism, but that does not mean free to do as we please. Paul's 'law of faith' excludes works before salvation, yet works still follow after we are saved. We must rest on what Christ has done on our behalf.
Les says that mindset is completely foreign to the gospel. God justifies the ungodly, not the person who has already cleaned up his life. Trying to straighten out your life to get right with God is adding something to faith plus nothing, and it cancels the work of the cross.
Christ in You — What Galatians 5 and Romans 8:10 Really Mean
God, as we'll see when we get up to verse 14 and 15. If so be, see here's the criteria, here's the proof. Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you? If He doesn't, then you're on pretty thin ice. If He does, you're solid. So if the Spirit of God dwell in you, continuing on in verse 9, Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Now this is scary, I know it is.
Christ Profits Nothing
Les shows that Galatians 5:1-2 is about anyone who adds any human work to faith plus nothing; such a work cancels the cross and Christ profits the person nothing.
Adding to the Gospel
Les applies Galatians 5 to every attempt to add something to the gospel and warns that millions of church-goers have missed heaven's glory by doing exactly that; God justifies the ungodly, not those who clean up their own lives.
Anything Done in the Flesh
Les warns that depending on anything done in the flesh—circumcision, church membership, baptism, or any other act—as part of salvation makes a person lost, because Christ's finished work is canceled.
Yoke of Bondage
Les explains that believers must stand fast in Christ's liberty and not be entangled with legalism; if circumcision is required for salvation, Christ profits nothing.
Law of Faith
Les explains Paul's 'law of faith' in Romans 3:27, which excludes works before salvation while still expecting works to follow afterward.
Human Endeavor
Les says no amount of works, church memberships, baptisms, or sacraments can achieve justification or put old Adam to death; only the work of the Creator God can do that.
Finished Work of the Cross
Les stresses that salvation is accomplished entirely by Christ's work on the cross, so God remains just in justifying those who believe because He has paid the total price for sin.
Galatians 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Paul commands believers to remain free in Christ rather than return to legalism.
Galatians 5:2: Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Paul warns that adding circumcision for salvation cancels the benefit of Christ.
Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Paul shows that justification comes to the one who believes, not the one who works.
Romans 3:27: Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Paul excludes human boasting by showing that righteousness comes through faith, not works.
Baptism is a problem only when it is made part of salvation. Les Feldick says that when you do baptism as part of salvation, you cancel the work of the cross. The same is true of church membership, the Lord's Supper, or any fleshly act.
No. Les says works follow after we are saved; it is faith plus nothing until salvation, and then works follow. The problem is adding works to faith as the basis for salvation, which Paul says makes Christ profit you nothing.
Circumcision was the issue being pushed on the Gentile believers in Galatia. Les says Paul named it specifically, but you can insert any human work into the verse and it still applies.
It means that person receives nothing from Christ for salvation. Les says people who depend on anything they can do are as lost as can be, because the only way to heaven is what Christ profits you on your behalf.
Watch the Teaching: Christ in You — What Galatians 5 and Romans 8:10 Really Mean