The Bible is very clear in our text passage that God counts a person's faith for righteousness. Literally, your faith is of equal value in God's sight as an entire lifetime of living a perfect, sinless, holy life in every way. Why is that? It is because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ that purchased our redemption. By faith God IMPUTES His righteousness to us. Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
I was very disturbed recently when I learned that Dr. Steve Pettit (the new president of Bob Jones University since 2014) is a hard core Calvinist, who teaches BJU's 2,700 students that they must “PERSEVERE” to get to Heaven. Instead of a gift, Mr. Pettit refers to salvation as an “AWARD.” Here, see for yourself in this horrifying quote he makes:
“'The race' is a description of the whole of the Christian life of faith.” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 4:26; 'The Daily Platform' #21)That is some dangerous talk when you include the next quote from Dr. Pettit, in which he teaches over 2,700 BJU students that the “AWARD” for running 'The Race' is “Heaven itself”!!!
“We run the race, we cross the finish line, and so what’s the prize? What is the award? Well, there are different viewpoints. Some would have the viewpoint that the awards are crowns in Heaven. But as I read the book of Hebrews and see the whole gist of the book and the flow of the book, I don’t believe its referring to crowns in Heaven. I think it is referring to Heaven itself.” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 22:57; 'The Daily Platform' #21)Literally, Steve Pettit is teaching that you must faithfully stay in and run 'THE RACE' to earn the “AWARD,” which he says is “HEAVEN ITSELF”!!! Folks, that is another gospel. That is not the Gospel given to the apostle Paul by the Lord Jesus Christ. Just to show you how messed-up Dr. Pettit is theologically, let's compare what he just taught to what unsaved Roman Catholics teach:
“Jesus says it similarly. Are we saved by faith in Jesus? Certainly! John 11:25,
'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.'
Are we saved by faith alone? No way! As we saw before, in Matthew 19:16-19, 'Jesus himself said to a rich young man who had asked him what he needed to do to have eternal life: … If you would enter life, keep the commandments… You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
Or, how about Matthew 12:36-37? Here, Jesus says:
'I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.'
That sounds like there is more to this justification thing than faith alone.
SOURCE: Catholic Answers - “Are Good Works Necessary For Salvation?”Tragically and sadly, Steve Pettit is in agreement with unsaved Roman Catholics. This is the president of Bob Jones University, teaching 2,700 students another gospel! Do you realize that when Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) was still alive, that BJU was the citadel of fundamentalism in America? What has happened? How did the once great Bob Jones College founded in 1927, deteriorate into a cesspool of iniquity that it is today? I'll tell you what happened—a few devils crept in unawares, bringing in their modern Alexandrian Bible revisions with them, denying the inspiration of the King James Bible, and now they have infiltrated BJU with the Satanic deception of Lordship Salvation (which all the Devil's Bibles teach).
1st Corinthians 5:6, “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” A little rot will rot the whole caboodle! BJU is as the sinking Titanic, which sank to the bottom of the icy Atlantic ocean in the wee hours on April 15, 1912. Sadly, 1,517 people were killed! America's Bible colleges today are nothing more than a bunch of sinking Titanic ships—all sinking in the icy apostasy of hundreds of perverted English Bible revisions, and a Satanic counterfeit gospel of Lordship Salvation (i.e., Calvinism). Jeremiah 5:31, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”
Tragically, the shameful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam is a repository of Bob Jones' alumni, and they absolutely love heresy! Steve Pettit preaches falsely, and Harvest loves to have it so! They promote BJU's 'The Daily Platform' on the church's public radio station on Guam (KHMG 88.1 FM). They broadcast this junk theology—propagating a false gospel of you must “persevere” to earn the award of Heaven! Bob Jones University and their graduates are a dangerous religious cult, who preach another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9).
God's curse is upon anyone, whether it be man or angel, who preaches another Gospel. Evangelist Steve Pettit is a devil in the pulpit, who says you “MUST PERSEVERE” (his exact words) to get the “award” of Heaven! May I say, Heaven is not an “award,” it is a “FREE GIFT” (Romans 5:15, 16 and 18). You DON'T have to persevere in holy living, Christian service, turning from sins, living for others, ministry, following Christ as Lord, nor any other way for salvation!!! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Beware of Bob Jones University!!!
“The true Church preaches REGENERATION; not reformation, not education, not legislation, but regeneration.” —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “THE TABERNACLE,” page 101