You Simply Need To Trust Christ To Be Saved

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Salvation is BY FAITH alone. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do. Evangelist Steve Pettit (new president of Bob Jones University since 2014) is subtle in his words, deceptively changing the Word of God into a lie. Read what he says:

“...faith in Jesus is not just an intellectual conviction, it is a personal commitment. Paul says, we have believed in Jesus, and the word 'in' literally means 'into' ...I am taking my life, my eternity, my destiny, everything, and I am placing it into Christ.” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit, an excerpt from “What Does It Mean To Be Justified?” (The Daily Platform #741)

This is not true! So if you intellectually believe the Gospel you are not saved, he says, you must MAKE A PERSONAL COMMITMENT to Christ. How do you have faith intellectually, but not be saved? That makes no sense. What saith the Scripture? 2nd Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Notice carefully that the Bible does not say Paul made a commitment to Christ; but rather, he committed the keeping of his soul into Christ's hands. The word “commitment” means “a deposit” (trust), which Dr. Pettit gets correct. We are depositing our trust in Christ for salvation. However, Dr. Pettit is perverting the Gospel when he says that we must deposit “everything” into Christ to be saved:

“I am taking my life, my eternity, my destiny, everything, and I am placing it into Christ.” [emphasis added] —Dr. Steve Pettit, an excerpt from “What Does It Mean To Be Justified?” (The Daily Platform #741)

That is not the Gospel of free grace! I am so sick of this Lordship Salvation garbage!!! I love Dr. Pettit and his family, and all the family at Bob Jones University, and my former beloved church family at Harvest Baptist Church on Guam (before they excommunicated me in 2014 for telling the truth, as I am still doing now in this article). Eternal life is the free gift of God. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) got the Gospel right! Dr. Bob said, “The gift of eternal life is wrapped in the wonderful package of Jesus.” Boy, I love that! If you want God's gift of eternal life, then you must accept it in the package of Jesus Christ! Dr. Bob Jones Sr. said in 1944 that he would blow Bob Jones College to smithereens (MP4), if he could in 50 years, if they ever let an infidel like Dr. Steve Pettit come in and rob the saints of their faith! Any man who preaches about faith and grace, but ADDS turning from “LIVING YOUR OWN LIFE” is preaching another gospel!!!

What saith the Scripture? Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” The Apostle Paul didn't say it is our MANDATORY or REQUIRED SERVICE, but our “REASONABLE SERVICE”! If you are a Christian you SHOULD live godly in Christ Jesus. ...

Titus 2:11-15, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

Carefully notice that the Bible says WE SHOULD live for Christ; not MUST (that would be works for salvation); not WILL (that would be the heresy of Calvinism). I realize that preachers and theologians have been wrangling over the subject of repentance for generations, but the Bible plainly defines the Gospel in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 as Christ's death on the cross, burial and bodily resurrection from the dead. Here is one of the best quotes that I've found on repentance, by Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951):

“Which comes first, repentance or faith? In Scripture we read, 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel.' Yet we find true believers exhorted to 'repent, and do the first works.' So intimately are the two related that you cannot have one without the other. The man who believes God repents; the repentant soul puts his trust in the Lord when the Gospel is revealed to him. Theologians may wrangle over this, but the fact is, no man repents until the Holy Spirit produces repentance in his soul through the truth. No man believes the Gospel and rests in it for his own salvation until he has judged himself as a needy sinner before God. And this is repentance.” ('Except Ye Repent,' p. 16) [emphasis added]

Amen! We don't give up our sins TO BE saved, we give up our sins because WE ARE saved, and that requires time to grow in God's grace (1st Peter 2:2). Ephesians 2:10b says that believers are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works,” not by good works. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do! My destination is not based upon how I live my life, it's on whom that I trust to save me! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Beware of Dr. Steve Pettit! Beware of Pastor John MacArthur! Beware of Dr. Marty Herron! Beware of Dr. Sam Horn! Beware of Ray Comfort! Beware of anyone who talks about salvation by grace through faith, but then says it will COST you your sins, COST you your life, COST you your own will and desires. I'm not splitting hairs here folks, read what John 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.

Folks, that is not “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3b). There is no “cost” to a sinner coming to Jesus Christ to receive God's gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. It cost Jesus His life on the cross! Acts 20:28 says that God “PURCHASED” the Church with His own blood! The debt of our sins has already been paid in full! Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Eternal life is a gift from God, which we RECEIVE by faith in the the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way of salvation (Acts 4:10-12).

I thank God for faithful preachers like Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001), who saw through Mr. MacArthur's deception, exposing him for the Satanic false prophet that he is:

“Who is John MacArthur? He is the one man in America doing more than anybody to destroy soul-winning churches!” —Dr. Jack Hyles (a needful quote from the MP3 sermon, “I Sojourn In Mesech”)

Pastor John MacArthur is in his 80's now and getting ready to go into eternity, but there is a Satanic army of replacements coming out of dunghills like Bob Jones University. Dr. Steve Pettit is John MacArthur's twin in preaching the deadly Calvinist heresy of Lordship Salvation!!! God help us as fundamentalists to expose these impostors in the churches today, who rob the saints of their faith, by preaching a works-based plan of salvation under the facade of grace and faith. They must be rooted out, marked and avoided. Romans 16:17-18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

The “simple” thing about receiving eternal life, is that all you have to do is BELIEVE the Gospel. If you gladly receive the 'GOOD NEWS' of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross, buried and bodily risen the third day, you are saved! Acts 2:43, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” By faith they were saved, by gladly receiving the 'Good News' of Jesus dying for their sins on the cross, being buried, and then miraculously He resurrected three days later from the dead. Believe it oh sinner and your eternal destiny is forever settled. JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNAL LIFE!!! 1st John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” If you have Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you have eternal life. The only thing you have to commit (deposit) to Christ to have eternal life is your trust in His death, burial and resurrection as payment for your sins. It's that simple and easy to be saved.

If you follow the inspired King James Bible, you'll never go wrong doctrinally!