Hell Is Forever, Please Make Sure You're Saved

Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Luke 13:23-24, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

I shudder when I think of what Bob Jones University has become. Perhaps you wonder why I relentlessly preach against them. Dear reader, it is because I care. I really do! Nearly all of my teachers at Hyles-Anderson College were BJU graduates, including the beloved former longtime president of HAC, Dr. Wendell Evans (whom I admire tremendously still today). I still can still hear him singing in chapel, “It Is Well With My Soul” (his favorite song to sing in chapel). I have never once regretted attending eight years of HAC. It is the best decision I ever made! Sadly, since 2008 they no longer believe that the King James Bible is inspired, which is a very big problem, because it opens a Pandora's box to the corrupt modern revisions! In a generation or two, HAC (like BJU) will be selling corruptible seed in their bookstore (if not already). I had better not find out about it, or I'll make them enemy #1! I just checked HAC's bookstore and they are okay still. Amen for that! I wanted to order seven of their Classic Soulwinner's New Testaments, but they don't ship to Guam. But you can order them, and I recommend these. Brother Stancil was one of my teachers at HAC, of whom I am grateful.

Only the King James Bible upholds a free grace Gospel. If you are using the Devil's corruptible seed (i.e., the modern Bible versions), then you have a corrupt gospel. Anyway, I am writing this article because I fear most professed Christians today are not really born-again believers. I am talking about the messed-up Harvest Baptist Church on Guam, who promote Dr. Steve Pettit and Pastor John MacArthur. Harvest broadcasts 'The Daily Platform' (BJU's ungodly chapel messages), which teach Lordship Salvation and promote the Devil's Bible revisions. I know some people must think I am being unethical to be so harsh in my preaching, but you would understand and agree if you truly believed in a burning eternal Hell. Dr. Steve Pettit's own words condemn him! I guess I'm like Elijah, a troublemaker! 1st Kings 18:17, “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” You bet I am!

One of the most disturbing passages of Scripture in the Holy Bible is Matthew 7:21-23. These people were religious. They served Jesus. They did not a few, but “MANY” wonderful works, and they did them in Jesus' name. They even cast out devils in Jesus' name. They preached (prophesied) in Jesus' name. Yet, the Lord Himself denied ever knowing them! John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Calvinists (aka, Lordship Salvation) attempt to use this Scripture to justify their false doctrine.

Calvinists errantly say, if you are saved YOU WILL FOLLOW JESUS! But that is not what this passage means in John 10:27! What saith the Scripture? Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” John 10:27 simply means that every child of God has the indwelling Holy Spirit, and we are led by that Spirit. Some believers choose to walk in the flesh, disobeying the Spirit, but that doesn't mean they are not saved (1st Corinthians 5:5). It means they are carnally-minded, immature in the Lord (1st Corinthians 3:1; Luke 8:11-15). That is why we see a saved man with no rewards in 1st Corinthians 3:15b, “saved; yet so as by fire.” Salvation is by faith alone; serving Christ is by faith and works.

Please heed my warning dear friend. Dr. Steve Pettit is a spiritually dangerous man! He says, and I quote:

“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!” —Dr. Steve Pettit (“What Does It Mean To Run 'The Race'?” - 11:34)

Kindly said, Steve Pettit is NOT a born-again Christian! He is a devout follower of Dr. John MacArthur. No one is saved who thinks that more is required than simple childlike faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in a moment of time. Steve Pettit makes the gross theological error of combining service with salvation. He is mixing discipleship with sonship! Here are some helpful accurate quotes by other preacher concerning the free grace Gospel:

"Eternal life is free. Discipleship is immeasurably hard. The former is attained by faith alone, the latter by a faith that works... the former brings with it the righteousness of God so that a man is 'justified freely by his grace' (Romans 3:24). The latter develops a personal righteousness, based on good deeds, so that a man was also 'justified by works' (James 2:24). The former constituted the believer God's workmanship, the latter fulfilled the wonderful purpose for which he had been created. The former cost man nothing, the latter could cost him everything, including life itself." Hodges, Zane C. The Hungry Inherit. Moody Press, Inc., 1972 (p. 114, 115).

"There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness." DeHaan, M. R. Hebrews. Zondervan Publishing House, 1959 (p. 117). 

"For the unregenerate man, repentance is the change of mind whereby he turns from unbelief to faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ." Post, Roger. "The Meanings of the Words Translated 'Repent' and 'Repentance' in the New Testament." Master's Thesis, Wheaton College, June 1972 (p. 80). 

"There are those who, in their zeal to get people to turn from their sinful ways and receive the Lord, almost put repentance on a par with believing... Repentance, as it relates to Christ, means to change our minds about Him, who He is and what He's done to provide forgiveness and deliverance from our sins. When we place faith in Jesus as having taken our place personally on the cross and borne the penalty due our sins, then we're automatically repenting, because we couldn't accept Him in this way without having had to change our minds in some way concerning Him." —Hal Lindsey, 'The Liberation of Planet Earth,' Zondervan Publishing House, 1974 (p. 136, 137).

"Discipleship is frequently equated with salvation and often erroneously made a condition for becoming a Christian." —Pentecost, J. Dwight, 'Design for Discipleship'; Zondervan Publishing House, 1971 (p. 11). 

"Certainly discipleship is a most important aspect of our relation to Christ, but it belongs to the sphere of Christian life rather than entrance upon that life... One does not become a disciple in order to become a Christian, but because he has become a Christian by faith in the Savior, it is fitting that he embark upon a life of discipleship." —Everett F. Harrison, 'Must Christ Be Lord To Be Savior? No!'; Eternity, September 1959 (p. 14). 

"There is no more piously subtle abrogation of the Gospel than to tell a Sinner that he must not only believe in the Savior, but dedicate himself to do God's will, crown the Savior Lord of his life, etc., etc. Obviously, dedication and service are highly desirable, but they are the privilege and the duty of the saved, never a condition of salvation for the unsaved (cf. Romans 12:1-2)." —Dr. Merrill F. Unger, 'God is Waiting To Meet You';  Moody Press, 1975 (p. 117, 118). 

"People are sometimes led to believe that there is saving value in some public confession of Christ, or profession of a decision. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." This is salvation. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This is the voice of the newborn child speaking to and of its father. The only condition on which one may be saved is to believe." —Lewis Sperry Chafer, 'Salvation'; Dunham Publishing Company, 1917 (p. 46).

Lordship salvation is where someone teaches that there must be a total commitment to Christ as “Lord” of one's life in order to be saved. Recently there has been a modification of this position, saying that a willingness to be controlled by the Lord at the time of salvation is all that is necessary, in addition to faith to be saved. That is a false gospel! The message of faith only, and the message of faith plus commitment of life, can't BOTH be the Gospel. One of these plans of salvation must be a counterfeit! One of them is a FALSE GOSPEL, and comes under the divine curse of perverting the Gospel...

Galatians 1:8-9, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.”

If only committed people are saved people, then where is there room for carnal Christians? What kind of dedication must be preached to people, if in order to be saved, they have already dedicated their lives to the Lord? Where do you stop if you start adding something else to this which is the gospel revealed in the Bible? Look at what God says about adding to the revelation of Jesus Christ (gospel), “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:18). The Bible plainly declares that we are saved by faith, and not by works. Where does it say this? Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” What are you trusting in to get you to heaven?

Life is short, Hell is hot, and eternity is a long time! Please think about it friend. If you think Mormons, Roman Catholics, Calvinists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of Christ, and Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians, you need to get saved. These are eternally damned false religions. Dr. Steve Pettit's plan of salvation is anything but simple! He foolishly and heretically says: “You can't just speak about getting saved, and you accepted Christ, and then that's it!” No child of God would talk that way! What do you mean I cannot profess that I'm saved and that's it? Of course I can say that, because eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Beloved reader, this man is a religious fraud! The Harvest Baptist Church on Guam sinfully idolize this wicked false teacher! They sinfully promote him! They sinfully bid Godspeed to him! I am telling THE TRUTH, earnestly contending for the faith (Jude 1:3; Romans 3:4). Yet, Harvest won't even allow me to attend church services! To Hell with them and their cult! God will deal harshly with them, just as they have dealt harshly with me. I am telling THE TRUTH!

I am listening to the Old Testament book of 1st Kings today. The story I just heard was perfect timing for this article. A young preacher was commanded by God not to turn aside from his mission, lest he die. 1st Kings 13:18, “He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.  But he lied unto him.” Here are some different Bible commentaries on this passage if you're curious. From this passage we learn that even if a preacher lies to us, we are still going to be held accountable by God. The road to Hell is paved with sincerity and good intentions. So what do we do? Jesus told us in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” If you'll search the King James Bible, meditating therein day and night as David did (Psalms 1:1-3), then you'll never go astray! Psalms 119:140, “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.”

Dear friend, are you born-again? It is a one time new birth, not a lifestyle that you must live as Steve Pettit and John MacArthur falsely teach. The very moment that you believe, you are born anew by the seed of the Word of God (1st Peter 1:23), quickened (made alive) by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 2:1-2; 1st John 3:24; Romans 8:9). You are a guilty sinner friend (Romans 3:19-20). Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He died on the cross to pay for your sins. He was buried. Three days later Jesus bodily resurrected miraculously and triumphantly by the power of God. This is the GOOD NEWS (Gospel - 1st Corinthians 15:1-4). If you will simply receive Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He has risen from the dead the third day, you will be instantly, irrevocably and forever saved. You have God's promise of it! John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”