Evangelist Steve Pettit's Gospel Doublespeak

2nd Corinthians 11:3-4, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

Something is very wrong at Bob Jones University (BJU) these days! BJU's new president since 2014, Evangelist Steve Pettit, uses a lot of religious doublespeak concerning the Gospel that is confusing at best. I was listening to a chapel sermon today (July 7, 2020) and heard Dr. Pettit say to 2,700 students and faculty:

“They [Judaizers in Galatians] said that faith alone is not sufficient for salvation. So what did they do? They began to insist that the Christians go back and keep the Mosaic law. ...God does not bind up His laws, put them in a covenant, and hand them to you and say, 'If you want to have a relationship with me, then you've got to fulfill this covenant of laws.'” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit, excerpts from 'The Daily Platform' #767 - Christian Liberty, Part 1

Now please consider what Steve Pettit heretically said in chapel on January 26, 2020:

“You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it! There is a justification; There is a sanctification; There's ultimately a glorification, and though there are three parts, they are all part of the whole, and you cannot separate them. In order for you to qualify for the award, you have to get into the race, you have to stay in the race, and you have to finish the race. If you want to win, you have to run to the end; and winning in the Christian life is everything, because if you lose—if you don't finish—you lose everything—you lose your SOUL. And so, the Christian race is the life of faith that begins, is run, and is finished when we cross over into Heaven!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 11:34)

What a theological hypocrite!!! Dear reader, you CAN just speak about getting saved and that's it! I'm not taking his words out of context, as you can see for yourself. Dr. Pettit plainly says that of you fail to finish running 'THE RACE,' you lose your soul. You go to Hell. If you have any doubt of what I am saying, you need to read my full article exposing him. Kindly said, Mr. Pettit is a theological fool. The book of Proverbs says Proverbs 26:12, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” The Bob Jones' crowd are conceited, and that includes the shameful Harvest Baptist Church on Guam who bid Godspeed to Steve Pettit and John MacArthur, and sanction the Devil's counterfeit Bible revisions, and preach the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. Woe unto Harvest! Dr. Steve Pettit further digs a theological pit for himself:

“God's people HAVE TO continue in the faith! They MUST PERSEVERE, because perseverance is the testimony of the reality of your faith!” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 25:13) 

“For the real reality of the genuineness of your faith is that you are faithful to run the race!” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 22:44)

How is it that Dr. Pettit sees the error of the Judaizers who added to faith alone, yet he does the very exact same horrible thing! Read more of his own words! What a false teacher! Bob Jones are “FALSE BRETHREN” because they teach a different gospel, not the Gospel of free grace by FAITH ALONE. If Mr. Pettit truly believed in “faith alone,” then he would not teach that a person must RUN THE RACE to get to Heaven...

“So not only does it have a start, but 'The Race' has to be run! It starts with faith, but it continues with faithfulness. You start the race with the purpose of finishing the race. Nobody starts the race, so that they can quit half-way through. When you start in faith, you need to run and finish in faith. However, let me also remind you, that this race is HARD. Is a race not hard? Is it not difficult to get out and run?” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” -  6:34) 

“So when we talk about 'The Race,' what are we talking about? We're talking about beginning and salvation, and then running the race through pursuing holiness and ministry, and service to others. But then let me say, that number three: This race HAS TO be faithfully run to the finish! You HAVE TO finish. Salvation is not just a past reality—“I GOT SAVED,” but is a future destiny! The race is not completed until you cross the finish line at death. What is this race—it is the race as we are running as we are headed toward Heaven.” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 10:27) 

“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)

This is so sad and tragic, to see this kind of Satanic junk theology being taught at Bob Jones University today. My God, what has happened to BJU? Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when you dip your sails. 

“Now these Judaizers did not deny the Messiahship of Jesus, or the need of faith; however, what they did do was they added to the message of grace.” —Dr. Steve Pettit, excerpt from 'The Daily Platform' #767 - Christian Liberty, Part 1

Folks, Steve Pettit's own words condemn himself and John MacArthur whom he promotes. Look what Pastor MacArthur teaches:

“Don’t believe anyone who says it’s easy to become a Christian. Salvation for sinners cost God His own Son; it cost God’s Son His life, and it’ll cost you the same thing...” [emphasis added] —Dr. John MacArthur, Grace To You, an updated quote from his book 'Hard To Believe', page 93. 

“The narrow gate is hard to find and hard to go through, because it demands: denial of self, denial of self-righteousness, recognition of sin, full repentance, submission to Christ, commitment to obey Him, and follow Him no matter what the cost!” —Pastor John MacArthur, a quote from his sermon titled, “Saved Or Self-Deceived, Part One” (time: 4:25 in YouTube sermon video)

Talk about ADDING to grace! Did you see that big ugly word “COST” in both quotes? Dear friend, anyone who comes along preaching that God's free gift of eternal life will “COST” you something is preaching another gospel. Steve Pettit and John MacArthur are preaching another gospel. When these advocates of Lordship Salvation speak of “repentance,” they are in full agreement with the pseudo-Christian religious cults. The unsaved Mormons love John MacArthur's counterfeit gospel, even making his heretical book on Lordship Salvation required reading at Brigham Young University! What next, will Bob Jones University invite the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to perform at BJU? This is all so disgusting! Does anybody else care besides me that the Devil is destroying our churches through Bob Jones University, Moody Bible Institute and other apostate religious institutions today who are preaching Calvinism?

The LAW and the GOSPEL are two keys—the law is the key that shuteth up all men under condemnation, and the Gospel is the key which opens the door and lets them out. Nothing else is required to receive God's FREE GIFT of eternal life, except simple childlike faith in the Gospel, for any needy sinner who wants it. All this garbage theology about forsaking your sinful ways, running the race, committing your life to Christ, and following Jesus no matter what the cost is another gospel of the Devil. 

The Gospel Is NOT A Relationship With Christ

I am so sick and tired of hearing preachers like Steve Pettit promote having “a relationship” with Christ. The word “RELATIONSHIP” is a key word for Lordship Salvation! You won't even find the word “relationship” mentioned once in the Holy Bible!!! Why doesn't Steve Pettit call it “eternal life”? Why doesn't he call it a “free gift”? The reason why is because these terms make proponents of Lordship Salvation feel uncomfortable. Oh, sure they'll use these terms sparingly from time to time, but the general gist of their junk theology is that you must start a relationship, and maintain that relationship, if you want to go to Heaven. I just showed you the garbage theology of Steve Pettit. Their gospel is certainly not Paul's Gospel (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Deuteronomy 32:31, “For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.”

God knows that I have nothing against Mr. Pettit, I am simply obeying God's commandment to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). Dr. Steve Pettit is a dangerous false prophet! It makes me sad that he has influence over 2,700 students and faculty at Bob Jones College today. It is heartbreaking that BJU has changed from once believing in a free grace Gospel, to promoting the damnable Calvinist heresy of Lordship Salvation. Pastor John MacArthur is going to split Hell wide open the second he breathes his last breath. I am sad about that. Steve Pettit sinfully bids Godspeed to John MacArthur and his ministry!

“Doublespeak is language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms, in which case it is primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable. It may also refer to intentional ambiguity in language or to actual inversions of meaning.” SOURCE: Wikipedia

Steve Pettit uses a lot of doublespeak. One day he is preaching about salvation by grace through faith without works, but the next day he is preaching that you must persevere until the finish of the race or you'll go to Hell. It cannot be both! Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” I marvel how Calvinists like Steve Pettit, Paul Washer, Ray Comfort, Adrian Rogers, Billy Graham, R.C. Sproul, Marty Herron and Sam Horn, can speak of salvation by grace through faith without works, while requiring people to literally “TURN FROM SIN” to receive the free gift of God. The only sin that you need to literally turn from to be saved is your UNBELIEF!

The following Bible verses plainly teach us that God cut off Israel, not because of their sins, but because of THEIR UNBELIEF...

Romans 11:20, “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:” 

Romans 11:23, “And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.” 

Romans 11:30, “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:”

Romans 11:23 doesn't say that God will graff the Jews back into the olive tree (the Kingdom of God) if they repent of their sins; but rather, IF THEY BELIEVE!!! God also promises to graff the Gentiles BY FAITH (verse 20) into the olive tree (Romans 11:24). Mr. Pettit gets the Gospel wrong. I discourage everyone from using that awful term “relationship,” because the way it is misused implies that you must persevere to walk with God in holiness to be saved. Eternal life is the “free gift” of God (Romans 5:15-18), and that is how we should preach it! Judas had a relationship with Christ, but is burning in Hell forever! Matthew 27:3 even says that Judas “repented himself” of his sins. Judas felt sorrow (penitence) for his sins. Judas tried to return the 30 pieces of silver (penance). Judas turned from his sins, knowing that he had betrayed the innocent blood (reformation). But Judas had no true repentance or faith! Judas failed to see himself as a needy sinner in God's sight, who could be saved simply by believing on Christ. Judas was a snake, a thief, a con man, who had no faith in Jesus. 

Truth + Half Truth = a Lie