The church is in trouble because much of Christendom has added human works to the gospel, turning saving faith into a works religion.
Les Feldick teaches that God's salvation is faith plus nothing, and that adding anything to the gospel cancels the work of the cross. He warns that millions of church-going people have attached rituals and decisions to what the Bible presents as a free gift. The biblical answer is not more activity but simply believing the gospel and standing on what God has said.
Romans 4:4-5 — Paul contrasts earning wages with receiving a gift, showing that salvation cannot be a reward for our works.
Romans 1:16-17 — The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, not to everyone who adds church works.
Paul opens the gospel in Romans 1:16-17: 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.' In Romans 4:4-5, Paul draws a sharp line between working and believing: '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 one who works earns a debt; the one who does not work but believes is counted righteous. Abraham is the scriptural example: 'And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness' (Genesis 15:6, cited in Romans 4:3). Paul also warns that adding human requirements has dire consequences: 'Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing' (Galatians 5:2).
Les Feldick locates the church's trouble in what Christendom has added to the gospel. He points to Romans 4 and says, 'That's 99% of Christendom isn't it? Oh, they've got to do something. They can't just rest on what God has said' [Clip 0]. He applies this to everyday practices: baptism, joining a church, walking an aisle, tithing, and giving are all works. They are fine in their place after salvation, but they cannot save anyone [Clip 1][Clip 5]. His warning is direct: 'As soon as we add something to that, we cancel the work of the cross.' He says 'millions upon millions upon millions of church-going people over the centuries are going to miss heaven's glory, because that's exactly what they've done' [Clip 2]. He restates the problem in Romans 11 as the same message Paul was 'almost screaming': 'Our salvation is faith plus nothing, or it's no salvation at all.' He adds that 'Christianity today is just inundated with works religion' [Clip 7]. Les also corrects the popular reading of Romans 1:16. It does not say the gospel saves those who 'repents, and is baptized, joins the Church, gives 10% of his income, does good works, and believes' [Clip 3]. Instead, believing means 'totally entrusting our eternal destiny to the Word of God, to the power of the gospel' [Clip 4]. Genuine salvation is not walking an aisle or following a church procedure; it is a person who has 'genuinely believed the gospel with all his heart' [Clip 6].
For Les Feldick, 'faith plus nothing' is the whole gospel. When we believe what God has said and stand on it by faith, God declares us righteous, just as He did Abraham [Clip 0]. Romans 4:5 describes the one who 'worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly' [Clip 2]. Everything else—baptism, church membership, tithing, good works—is a work that belongs after salvation, never before it [Clip 1][Clip 4].
No. Les says baptism is 'a work. It's something that you have decided to do,' and joining a church, walking an aisle, tithing, and giving can all become works that people think will merit heaven [Clip 1][Clip 5]. He is blunt: 'Joining the church never saved anybody.' Walking the aisle can be a public profession, but the walking itself is a work and 'won't bring salvation' [Clip 5]. Going through a set system or rote repetition to become a church member is 'not salvation' [Clip 6].
Les references Galatians 5 and says, 'As soon as we add something to that, we cancel the work of the cross' [Clip 2]. He sees this error everywhere in Christianity today: it is 'inundated with works religion,' often in subtle forms [Clip 7]. The result, he warns, is that many church-goers are trusting a works religion rather than the faith-plus-nothing gospel that gives no room for human merit [Clip 2][Clip 7].
Faith Counted as Righteousness
Les shows that Abraham was an ordinary man and that we are declared righteous the same way—by believing what God has said, not by doing something.
Works Cannot Save
Les says baptism and good deeds are works, valid after salvation but never a means of salvation. Justification is by faith plus nothing.
Adding Something Cancels the Cross
Les warns that adding anything to faith cancels the work of the cross and that millions of church-going people will miss heaven's glory by doing so.
What Romans 1:16 Does Not Say
Les reminds readers that Romans 1:16 does not require repentance, baptism, church membership, tithing, or good works in addition to belief.
Believing Is Total Trust
Les explains that believing means totally entrusting eternal destiny to God's Word, not mentally agreeing while trusting church rituals.
Church Actions Are Works
Les uses the examples of joining a church, walking an aisle, and tithing to show that these are works that never saved anyone.
Genuine Faith vs. Church Procedures
Les distinguishes between a person who genuinely believes the gospel and one who only walks an aisle or follows church procedures; the latter is not salvation.
Faith Plus Nothing or No Salvation
Les states that salvation is faith plus nothing and that attaching anything to the gospel makes it a works religion, which he says inundates Christianity today.
Genesis 15:6: And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
The foundational example of righteousness by faith that Paul cites in Romans 4.
Romans 4:4: Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Shows that a working-based salvation is a debt, not a gift of grace.
Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Clarifies that the person who stops working and believes is the one God counts righteous.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The power of the gospel is for those who believe, not for those who add works.
Romans 1:17: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Righteousness is revealed through faith, not through human effort.
Galatians 5:2: Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Paul's warning that adding a work to the gospel cancels the benefit of Christ.
No. Les Feldick says the problem is inside Christendom, not the world. People are adding something—baptism, church membership, good works—to the gospel of grace, turning it into a works religion [Clip 2][Clip 7].
According to Les, no. Anything you decide to do to merit heaven is a work, and God will not recognize it for salvation. Works are expected after salvation, but they have nothing to do with saving you [Clip 1][Clip 4][Clip 5].
Les's answer is believe the gospel—totally entrust your eternal destiny to God's Word. He rejects adding repentance, baptism, church membership, tithing, or good works as conditions [Clip 3][Clip 4][Clip 7].
Watch the Teaching: Abraham Believed God — Romans 4 & Justification by Faith