I love Jack Chick's artwork and believe that he is sincere, but the truth of God's Word must be upheld, because many men have “crept in unawares” to infiltrate the church and corrupt the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For quite some time I was thankful for Mr. Chick's ministry, until I realized one day that he was teaching a false gospel. I was greatly saddened. As you can see in the Chick Tract below (title: “This Was Your Life”) page 20, Jack Chick defines repentance as "SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST..." This is the heresy of Lordship Salvation. Please read, Harry Ironside DIDN'T Teach Lordship Salvation.
Also, on the back page of ALL his tracts, in step # 2, he REQUIRES lost sinners to "Be willing to turn from sin (repent)" to be saved. This again is Lordship Salvation.
If I say to my son, "You can use the car if you're willing to gas it" — the implication is clear — I expect him to fill the gas tank before he returns the car. Likewise, to require a person to "be willing to turn from sin" to be saved is implying that they MUST stop sinning in order to be saved. In other words, if you're required to be willing to do something, then it effectively becomes obligatory. I sincerely wish Mr. Chick would reword his tracts, but he is stubborn.
Brother Chick contradicts himself. On his website, his statement of faith is vastly different than his Gospel tracts:
"Salvation is the gift of God and includes the forgiveness of sins, the imputation of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the gift of eternal life. Union with the triune God provides all blessings in this life and the life hereafter. Salvation is received by faith alone, apart from all good works and merit."
SOURCE: http://www.chick.com/information/general/statementoffaith.asp
That's accurate! Yet, as you can clearly see in the Chick Tract pages I've just presented to you above, Jack Chick teaches something very different than his official statement of faith. If I have to "surrender" my life to Christ, or "be willing to turn from sin" (be willing to stop sinning) to be saved—that is Lordship Salvation! Lordship Salvation says that faith in Christ isn't enough; but rather a person must also stop sinning, or desire to stop sinning. That is a false understanding of repentance.
“Repentance” unto salvation in Mark 1:15 is the Greek word metanoeo, which simply means “a change of mind,” no more. Notice that believing the Gospel is the object of true repentance; not ridding one's life of sin, which is what heretics like Ray Comfort, Creation Science Evangelism (CSE), Jack Chick and John MacArthur teach. Mark 1:15 plainly teaches that the Gospel is the object of repentance. Men repent and believe the Gospel. That is salvation.
Eternal life is a free gift. Salvation is receiving; NOT giving. Jesus said, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY" (Revelation 21:6). Did you read that... "FREELY!" Jack Chick is wrong! Folks, he's teaching millions of children through his cartoon tracts that they have to forsake sin to be saved.
I was a supporter of Chick Tracts for many years, until I woke up one day and realized that Jack Chick is teaching lies. It's a shame that Mr. Chick is more of an artist than a preacher. He is doctrinally corrupt. Get mad at me if you want... you DON'T have to be willing to turn from sin to be saved. You simply need to BELIEVE the Gospel of Jesus Christ to have your sins forgiven!
The problem is that a willingness to turn from sin is a FRUIT (i.e. a result) of genuine repentance, and not a prerequisite to salvation. People can easily be misled by the wording in Chick tracts. Again, I think Pastor Roloff said it best, "Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore." 2nd Corinthians 5:17 tells us that salvation brings a change. But, we must never require a change, or even a willingness to change, as part of saving faith. To do so perverts the Gospel message. Salvation is WITHOUT WORKS (Romans 4:5).
Saul (later named Paul) had a miraculous conversion in Acts 9:5, and in the very next verse he said, "What wilt thou have me to do?" Many preachers use Paul's conversion as a benchmark for salvation. I think this is wrong. It is important to notice that Jesus didn't require Saul to surrender his life in order to be saved—Saul VOLUNTEERED himself as a result of having saving faith and genuine repentance.
If we're wrong on repentance as Christians, then we're wrong on everything! This is a serious matter, and not one to be taken lightly. Adding any type of self-righteousness to simple faith in Jesus Christ alone is damnable heresy! I will expose Jack Chick as a liar and a heretic until he changes his tracts to teach THE TRUTH. Salvation is not conditioned upon one's receiving Jesus as Lord, or surrendering to Christ, or being willing to turn from sin. No Sir! The Bible plainly states in Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." If we're going to win people to the Lord, we need to throw the Chick tracts away and start using the Word of God again.
“Repentance” unto salvation in Mark 1:15 is the Greek word metanoeo, which simply means “a change of mind,” no more. Notice that believing the Gospel is the object of true repentance; not ridding one's life of sin. Mark 1:15 plainly teaches that the Gospel is the object of repentance. Men repent and believe the Gospel. That is salvation.
