WHEN GOSPEL TRACTS KILL!

By David J. Stewart | January 2008 | Updated October 2018

“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY.” —Revelation 21:6

Kindly, Cartoon Evangelist Jack Chick plainly teaches in every “Chick Track” that faith in Jesus Christ is insufficient to save unless you are willing to cease from your sins. That is works salvation!!!

Mr. Chick puts the cart before the horse, demanding a “willingness” to change as a qualifying prerequisite to saving-faith in Christ. This is a form of Lordship Salvation. “Lordship Salvation” is a false doctrine which says faith in Christ is insufficient to save a person; but also, a person is required to receive Jesus as their “Lord,” so that they will forsake the world and sinful bad habits. The latter is entirely a matter of DISCIPLESHIP and not SONSHIP (salvation). When you trust Christ as your personal Savior, believing the “GOOD NEWS” (Gospel) of Christ's death on the cross, burial and physical resurrection three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4), you are saved.

A WARNING About “Chick Tracts”!

Chick Tracts seem to have a different answer than
the Bible to the question, “What must I do to be saved?”



Surrender your life to Christ? That's Lordship Salvation!

“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” —Acts 16:30,31

On their website's statement of faith, they state concerning salvation:

“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

I'm tired of the double-talk from the Lordship Salvation crowd. It's all coming out of the state of California!!! John MacArthur started all this mess, which has spread like bubonic plague. Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron got caught up with MacArthur's heretical teachings. Kirk Cameron even sells the MacArthur Study Bible on his website. It's a lame commentary! These men are all heretically connected. And then Jack Chick is another Californian who appears to have been influenced by the Lordship Salvation craze. Mr. Chick horribly contradicts himself in every tract he writes (in comparison to his direct statement of faith), when he REQUIRES lost sinners to “Be willing to turn from sin” to be saved. No Sir! Why doesn't he state that in his statement of faith? Why the flip flop?

The problem is that millions of people are NOT going to visit his website and read his statement of faith, they are going to go SOLELY on what is written and published in each Chick Tract. It's not just a matter of semantics, because according to Chick Tracts you will not and cannot be saved until you are WILLING to stop sinning. That is another Gospel (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). The Bible warns us that false prophets would attempt to sneak (creep) into our churches undetected.

Both Pastor John MacArthur and Evangelist Ray Comfort have misrepresented Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon, using him as a secondary authority to support their damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation; but they never quote the following quote spoken by Spurgeon...

“You must not expect that you will be perfect in 'repentance' before you are saved. No Christian can be perfect. 'Repentance' is a grace. Some people preach it as a condition of salvation. Condition of nonsense! There are no conditions of salvation. God gives the salvation himself...”

—Pastor Charles Spurgeon

SOURCE: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0044.htm (Charles Spurgeon, from a sermon titled, “REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE,” preached at the New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, on Sept. 23, 1855)

Clearly, Charles Haddon Spurgeon DIDN'T believe that forsaking one's sins, or grieving, or feeling sorrow, or being willing to turn from them, was necessary to be saved. Rather, Spurgeon believed that they were evidences of genuine repentance. Spurgeon did in fact teach, as have other great men of God, that a sinner ought to turn from his or her sins as evidence of genuine repentance; but this is after-the-fact, and not a requirement for salvation itself. Spurgeon plainly taught "there are no conditions of salvation," which is what the Bible teaches. We are sinners and Jesus is the Savior!

To be saved one must simply renounce their sins before God, not necessarily stop committing them. Some people may choose to stop doing certain sins upon being saved, while others may not be ready to break off lifelong sinful bad habits of shacking up (fornication), using illegal drugs or watching porno. Certainly, no one can stop all their sins, for only Jesus Christ is sinless (Hebrews 4:15). Salvation is just the beginning of a new life in Jesus Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:17; 1st Peter 2:2). The process of repentance continues throughout one's life, although salvation itself is NOT a process. You get saved the very second you acknowledge that you are a guilty sinner and trust upon the name of Jesus, the Christ. The willingness to change is a separate matter from salvation, which change God effects in the life of each new believer.

Jesus plainly said in Revelation 21:6... “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY.” Jesus said in John 7:28, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Jack Chick distorts the gospel by requiring sinners to be willing to amend their ways as part of saving-faith. He not only asks sinners to admit that they've sinned, but he also goes a step further and requires them to be willing to stop committing those sins. That is a backdoor approach to works salvation. It is a big deal. It is not just a matter of semantics. I also know firsthand that some people have been misled from the truth by Jack Chick's pamphlets, thinking that they couldn't be saved unless they were willing to stop committing sins. The Bible does not teach that.

You either have to be willing to stop sinning to be saved or you do not; Chick Tracts say "yes," the Bible says "no" (Romans 4:5).

One man wrote to me and said there was a time years ago when he thought God wouldn't save him because he wasn't willing to stop shacking up with his girlfriend. He said if he had died during those years of confusion, he would have gone straight to Hell, and it said it would have been Jack Chick's distorted gospel that led him to believe he couldn't be saved. I then understood the danger behind Chick Tracts and the false gospel message contained in them. JACK CHICK IS WRONG!!!

It took me 8 months of prayer and thinking long hours to expose Jack Chick for preaching heresy, because I had passed out Chick Tracts for so many years. I tried to contact Jack Chick through his ministry and explained the situation, but they didn't respond. In my heart I wanted to go along to get along and just let it go, thinking that everyone views the gospel message a little differently, so why fight with a professed brother over something trifle. But then God convicted my heart about the matter, showing me that the gospel is not a trifle matter. It is very important. God only wrote ONE GOSPEL. There's not 2 Gospels. Using this critical train of thought, I realized that either Jack Chick is right and the Bible is wrong, or Vise Versa.

Here are the 2 Gospels:

  1. Lordship Salvation - Jack Chick's false Gospel (as taught in EVERY Chick Tract) teaches for a person to admit that they're a sinner to be saved. But then Jack Chick ADDS a horrible second step, requiring a person to “be willing to turn from sin” (which he errantly understands to mean repentance). In Chick's gospel, a person cannot be saved unless they are first WILLING to stop sinning. This unbiblical requirement has deterred many lost sinners from coming to Christ, who felt that they could not possibly turn away from their sins. Effectively, Jack Chick teaches manmade reform plus partial faith in Christ to be saved! That is, you have to be willing to reform your sinful ways, before God will honor your faith in the Good News of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
     
  2. Free Grace Gospel - The Biblical Gospel teaches that a person need only acknowledge their guilt of sin to God (Romans 3:19), and believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and bodily resurrected the third day. A person is saved by trusting this Good News. Christ came into the world to save sinners! The indwelling Holy Spirit makes whatever changes need to be made AFTER a person is saved, as they grow in the Word (1st Peter 2:2). In the true Gospel, we are saved solely by God's righteousness through faith alone in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, Who paid for our sins with His precious blood.

There is a night-and-day difference between the two gospels, and respectfully, Jack Chick is wrong. The truth is that no person is required to be willing to stop sinning to be saved. To require a sinner to “be willing” to cease from sins is AN OBSTACLE to salvation. Where does God require a person to be willing to do anything to be saved? All God demands is that a person “believe” on the Lord Jesus Christ. Kindly, Mr. Chick needs to read John 2:28-29...

John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

The Gospel is critically important and so easily corrupted. There are not multiple Gospels, there is only ONE! Abraham was saved by faith alone (Genesis 15:6). We are saved by faith alone (Romans 10:13). We are saved by faith in the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen the third day! Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). There is no other name by which we may be saved, other than the precious name of JESUS (Acts 4:10-12).
 

WHY DID JACK CHICK WRITE HIS TRACK THIS WAY, WHICH MISLEADS MANY PEOPLE?

Chick Tracts are misleading millions of people to think they can't be saved unless they're willing to stop shacking up, stop getting drunk, stop going to strip joints, et cetera. If that's the message, i.e., that a person cannot be saved who is not willing to stop doing those things, then Jack Chick is on his way straight to Hell, and this is a damnable false Gospel of works salvation. If a person has to be willing to give up even once sin to be saved, that is self-righteous! It was Christ Who bore the full weight of our sins on Calvary's cross, so that we wouldn't have to. The only difference in God's eyes between a Christian, and the vilest sinner upon the earth, is the precious blood of Jesus!!! We are only made righteous by the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14).

Chick Tracts are dangerous, theologically corrupt and poorly thought out. I understand why Jack Chick did what he did—He didn't want professed Christians living in open sin. So Jack Chick decided to add a step to his Gospel brochure requiring sinners to “BE WILLING to turn from sin” [emphasis mine]. That extra unbiblical requirement to be willing to stop indulging in sin might make Jack Chick feel better, but it highly offends God because it is a false Gospel. It is equivalent to the man who collected sticks on the Sabbath Day in the Old Testament, whom God had killed for it! The Jews were forbidden to work on the Sabbath, because it was a symbol of Christ in Whom we completely rest for salvation. Hebrews 4:10-11, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” This Scripture passage speaks of the Hebrews who wandered in the Wilderness for 40 years under Moses' leadership. Hebrews 4:1-2 says that Moses preached “THE GOSPEL” unto them, but most of them didn't have any faith and perished.

What Jack Chick should have done in His tracks is just have the first step, which is, “admit you are a sinner”; and then the third step, which is to “believe that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again.” That's it! The Bible does not mandate that we invite Jesus into our life, and that's certainly not a part of salvation. So Jack Chick is wrong about that too, you don't “invite” Jesus into your life to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift! You simply receive a gift. Judas had Jesus in his life, being one of His very apostles, but Jesus said Judas had a devil (John 6:70), and Judas went out and hung himself after betraying Christ. The devil's also believe in God (James 2:19), but that's not how you get saved. You get saved by trusting Christ as your personal Savior, believing God's record as recorded in His Holy Word, that Jesus was crucified on the cross in your place and mine, to pay for our sins.

Jack Chick's agenda is a changed life, and he wants it so bad for others that he'll corrupt the Gospel to force it upon you! The Bible teaches that faith alone in Christ is sufficient for salvation. I am unalterably opposed to these Lordship Salvation Gospels that try to force sinners to change as part of saving-faith. That is heathendom!!! That's what Jack Chick is doing. According to Jack Chick, faith in Christ is NOT sufficient for salvation, unless you are also willing to change, and that is bogus false religion. We don't change ourselves TO BE saved; but rather, God changes us because WE ARE saved!!! I hope you see the big difference.
 

JACK CHICK IS THEOLOGICALLY CONFUSED

A changed life is the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit, and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith. Kindly, Jack Chick, John MacArthur, Billy Graham, Paul Washer, Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron make the grave mistake of mandating a changed life, either outwardly or inwardly, as being necessary for salvation; but the Bible says God makes the changes. May I say. SALVATION IS A MIRACLE OF GOD IN RESPONSE TO CHILDLIKE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST (John 1:12-13). You don't have to be willing to change anything to get saved!!! Jack Chick is wrong, wrong, wrong! I don't feel any personal gratification in being right by the way, but I do obtain joy in contending for the Christian faith! I actually admire Jack Chick, immensely. I believe he was saved, just a bit confused. The reason why I believe he is saved is because on his website, in his statement of faith, he never mentions anything about repentance from sins to be saved. (At least that was the case the last time that I checked.) At a minimum, Jack Chick's tracts have misled a lot of people concerning salvation.
 

JACK CHICK HAS FALLEN INTO THE LORDSHIP SALVATION TRAP

I don't know why, but I think it's because of Dr. John MacArthur's widespread Calvinistic influence on religious teachers; but California is a hotbed, headquarters of LORDSHIP SALVATION heresy... Jack Chick, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, John MacArthur (all in California). I'm ready to call California, THE BEAST STATE. It is so wicked. San FranSICKO is overrun with homosexuals. It's so bad now that over 20% of all new city appointees for employment MUST be homosexual. These are Communist Affirmative Actions laws. Heaven's Gate cult was based in California.

In decades past California was known for insane pollution standards when the old cars put out so much lead in the 1970's. The big concern today is parents homeschooling their own kids, which is why it is now illegal in California. And now to add injury to insult, the state is allowing homosexuals to change the curriculum to promote the vile gay-rights agenda and seek sympathy for queers, and teaching lesbian history.

It is no secret that Hollywood is Jewish owned and controlled. So anything coming out of California needs to be taken with a grain of salt carefully. All I can say is that Jack Chick is teaching that faith in Jesus Christ is NOT enough to be saved, you must also be willing to change, he says. That is a false Gospel. The desire to change is given by God in response to faith. That is God's department. It is God who puts the desire in a new convert's heart to change. Our part concerning salvation is simple TO BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 16:30-31).

The Gospel of John mentions the word “believe” 87 times without mentioning “repent” even once. Clearly, the person who believes on the Lord has repented. The Bible never says “repent from sin” to be saved. Rather, the Bible says “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Repentance is toward God. We turn to the Lord to be saved from our sins. That is Biblical repentance. In sharp contrast, Jack Chick has fallen into the Lordship Salvation trap, teaching that sinners must turn from their sins as a prerequisite to be saved.

By making “a willingness to turn from sin” a separate step from admitting one's sinnership, Jack Chick is clearly teaching Lordship Salvation. Jack Chick's teaching on repentance is that you cannot come to Christ for salvation, unless you first intend not to walk in sin after you receive Him. This is “qualification by works” as a prerequisite for receiving Christ as Savior. If the shoe fits wear it. I'm just going by what Jack Chick prints in all his tracts.
 

MOST PROFESSED CHRISTIANS DON'T CARE

I am so disgusted (and I know God is too) with profess Christians who are more interested in getting along then they are about contending for the faith. Most Christians hate conflict more than they hate evil. Most Christians choose rather to go along to get along, which is cowardliness and apostasy. The Bible tells us that having done all, we ought to stand faithfully for God (Ephesians 6:13). I am standing for God.

I realize that Christians ought not devour each other over every little matter, but this is the gospel message that were talking about here. I think it's worth defending, especially in view of the multitude of ecumenical churches today who have adopted a passive Roman Catholic view on the gospel, that is, they teach to invite Jesus into your life or make Jesus the Lord of your life. That is not the gospel. Jesus died, was buried and rose again to pay our sin debt (1st Corinthians 15:1-4), because we are guilty sinners (Romans 3:19). That is the gospel message; but for Jack Chick to MANDATE that sinners must be willing to clean up their life of sin as a prerequisite to salvation is not only ignorance and misapplication of the gospel, it is utter demonic heresy and a hindrance to salvation for every sinner who is not willing to give up their sinful habits to be saved.

Charles Spurgeon had it right when he said that a sinner must RENOUNCE every sin to be saved, that is, to acknowledge one's sinnership; but that is very different from ceasing from one's sinful bad habits. Please read, WHAT IS THE GOSPEL (by Pastor Harry Ironside, who correctly presents the gospel message). I am earnestly contending for the faith, and I suggest that you do the same. I am not being unkind, but it's time for us to stop getting our theology from Hollywood movie stars like Kirk Cameron and cartoon artists like Jack Chick. The Bible speaks plainly in Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” How much clearer could the Word of God be... but to him that WORKETH NOT... HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! Jack Chick and others like him need to get out of the driver's seat and stop trying to do the Holy Spirit's job of convicting sinners concerning their sins and the changes that need to be made in their life. That's God's department.

If Jack Chick means something different than he needs to say something different, but so long as his tracks errantly require sinners to be willing to perform self-righteous work to be saved, I am going to expose his gospel as being false.

There is nothing more important than the gospel message, and it's something that needs to be guarded against for heresy creeping in unawares. False religion and false doctrine most often begin as subtle changes to fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Satan knows that Christians would recognize and expose him immediately if he changed the truth into a lie too quickly (Romans 1:25). Thus, Satan operates under stealth and works incrementally to corrupt the churches.

Satan always tampers with the Bible and with the doctrine of salvation. Jack Chick has no formal theological training to my understanding, as neither does Ray Comfort nor Kirk Cameron, and that's not to say that you must have to understand the gospel; but too many people these days are operating worldwide ministries who don't have a well-rounded understanding of the Bible. Mr. Chick is an artist not a preacher. His understanding of the gospel is flawed. Jack Chick plainly teaches in every Chick Track that faith in Jesus Christ is insufficient to save unless you are willing to cease from your sins. That is works salvation!!! Mr. Chick puts the cart before the horse, demanding a willingness to change is a qualifying prerequisite to faith in Christ. That is a back door approach to Lordship Salvation.

They were saved through a televangelist, and so that is their adopted theological position. I'll tell you candidly, pat Robertson, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, John MacArthur, Don Stewart, Mike Murdoch, Jack Chick and the whole lot of them are teaching Lordship Salvation. They never step on each other's toes, never dare offend a Catholic peer in the money-making televangelist world. It's heathendom and apostasy!
 

A CHANGED LIFE IS THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT; NOT A PART OF THE ROOT OF SAVING-FAITH

A changed life is the result of genuine repentance, not a requirement to be saved. The Gospel can so easily be corrupted, by merely adding something to it. It's not what you're doing that gets you to Heaven my friend, it where you're looking. Look to Jesus!

Dr. Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) exposes the heresy of “surrendering one's life to Christ” to be saved . . .

"When anyone comes promising salvation to those ‘who make full surrender' of all that they have to God, and who 'pay the price of full salvation' he is preaching another gospel, for the price was paid on Calvary's cross and the work that saves is finished. It was Christ Jesus who made the full surrender when He yielded His life on Calvary that saves us, not our surrender in any way to Him."

SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the Gospel tract, Another Gospel.

Mr. Chick states on one hand that he believes “salvation is the gift of God,” but then on the other hand he teaches that a person MUST “be willing to turn from sin” to be saved (see item #2)...

It is important to notice that Jack Chick recognizes turning from one's sins as something in addition to merely admitting one's sinnership. According to Jack Chick's theology, taught in every Chick tract, admitting being a sinner is not enough to be saved, there must also be a sincere desire to stop living in sin for that faith to be valid for salvation. That is not Biblical. It's backwards. The desire to live for God is a FRUIT of the Holy Spirit, and not a part of the ROOT of saving-faith. Jesus only asks that we BELIEVE on Him as the Christ, the Son of God (John 3:16). Jack Chick clearly understands repentance to mean a desire to cease from one's sinful lifestyle. Point #1 one in his tract is to admit one's sinfulness. But that's not good enough for Jack Chick, he ADDS Point #2, which requires a sinner to be willing to stop living in sin to be saved. It is greatly misleading. Salvation is receiving, not giving. Eternal life is received, not achieved!

We must analyze Chick tracts based upon their individual content. The preceding back cover is present on ALL Chick Tracts! Notice what Jack Chick requires the sinner to pray in order to be saved... “I am willing to turn from sin.” Since Mr. Chick has made this a separate step from admitting one's sinfulness, he clearly expects people to be willing to forsake their sins to be saved. The implication is that a person must cease from the intentional activity of sin to be saved. This is the heresy of Lordship Salvation, which is nothing less than works salvation, and a sure road to hellfire. Lordship Salvationists have a VERY different mindset concerning salvation than Bible-believers who simply trust the Lord for salvation.

Biblical salvation is when a person turns toward Jesus Christ to be saved from their sins, NOT turning from their sins in order to be saved. Romans 3:19, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Carefully notice that a person is only required to BELIEVE on Jesus to be saved from the Law's condemnation of sin, and not from the act of sin itself. The Law of God shows us our sinful condition, which causes us to realize that we are GUILTY! Repentance is when we “turn” to Jesus to receive His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. To turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins is Biblical repentance. This is plainly evidenced by the fact that the word “believe” is mentioned 85 times in the Gospel of John without mentioning the word “repent” even once. Clearly, the person who believes on the Lord has repented.

This is drastically different than what Jack Chick is teaching, i.e., that a person is required to be willing to turn from the act of sin itself to be saved. Remember, Mr. Chick teaches that it's not enough to acknowledge that you're a sinner, he also requires that you be willing to stop sinning in order to be saved. You won't find the phrases “repent of sin” or “turn from sin” anywhere in the Bible. Please read, What is Biblical Repentance?

Jack Chick is no better than Benny Hinn who teaches the EXACT same perverted plan of salvation...

Dear Lord Jesus,

I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth 2,000 years ago. I believe you died for me on the cross and shed Your blood for my salvation. I believe you rose from the dead and ascended on high. I believe You are coming back again to earth. Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me now with Your precious blood. Come into my heart. Save my soul right now. I give you my life. I receive You now as my Savior, my Lord, and my God. I am Yours forever, and I will serve You and follow You the rest of my days. From this moment on, I belong to You only. I no longer belong to this world, nor to the enemy of my soul. I belong to You, and I am born again.
Amen! [emphasis added]

SOURCE: http://www.bennyhinn.org/salvation/

Hinn teaches Lordship Salvation! Where does the Bible say that we have to serve Jesus to be saved? Where does the Scriptures require us to give Jesus our life to be saved? It doesn't! Jack Chick and Benny Hinn teach the same garbage. Don't you dare criticize Benny Hinn if you support Jack Chick!!! Salvation is receiving, NOT giving. I supported Jack Chick's ministry for years, but after much conviction by the Holy Spirit, I have been forced to face the reality that Mr. Chick is teaching the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation! Every tract published by Jack Chick requires a person to “Be willing to turn from sin” to be saved. No Sir! That is works salvation!!! 

The problem is that a willingness “to turn from sin” is a FRUIT (i.e. a result) of the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and not a prerequisite to salvation. People are being misled by Chick tracts. I think Pastor Roloff said it best, “Real repentance is putting your trust in Jesus Christ so you will not live like that anymore.” Regeneration comes before reformation. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 tells us that when a person gets saved (i.e., they are now in Christ), all things become new. There is no mention of a change of behavior. Once a person is saved, a whole new world of spiritual understanding is opened to them, but they need to grow in the Lord. 1st Peter 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” A new believer is a babe in Christ, and all things are new to them. This is what 2nd Corinthians 5:17 means. 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 4:5-6).

The only sin we literally need to forsake to be saved is UNBELIEF, which is the only sin that can keep us out of Heaven. 
 

A WARNING About The Fellowship Tract League!

Again, just as with Chick Tracts, we see the damnable heresy of Lordship Salvation. Carefully notice the back cover of the tract “My Best Friend,” pictured to the right. The “bully” says he was saved because “... I promised I wouldn't do those things anymore ... and he saved me...” That is a lie! Salvation is NOT conditional upon a person promising not to commit sin anymore. Salvation is receiving, NOT giving! Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15;6:23). If we have to do anything in exchange for salvation, then it's NOT a gift! 

MOST of the gospel tracts I have read lately are garbage. I can't believe how corrupt and misleading so many tracts are. What are we handing to people? Does a person have to promise not to sin anymore to be saved? Does a person have to be sorry for their sins to be saved? Does a person have to be willing to turn from their sins to be saved? The answer is No, No, No! 

Again, the word “repent” is NOT found mentioned even once in the Gospel of John; yet John stated the purpose of his gospel was to convince us that Jesus is the Son of God. John 20:31 states, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Obviously, to believe on Jesus is to repent. 

To turn to Jesus to be forgiven of one's sins is repentance. You have already turned from your sins, i.e., from the guilt and condemnation of sin, to the precious Savior to be cleansed by His blood (1st Peter 1:18,19). To turn to Jesus for forgiveness is to turn one's back on sin.

In fairness to the Fellowship Tract League, they have many good tracts which are doctrinally acceptable; however, this one is horrible, and there are others teaching Lordship Salvation.
 

Conclusion—Run From Chick Tracts!

John 3:18 says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Please notice that the Bible doesn't say “He that forsaketh not his sins is condemned.” No, rather, God's Word says... “He that believeth not is condemned...”

The Biblical focus is upon whether or not a person believes. Making a commitment, surrendering one's life to Christ, and being willing to turn from sin have NOTHING to do with receiving God's GIFT of eternal life. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay. You don't make Jesus Lord, He is Lord! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980) wrote...

“When you get saved, you get saved not because you deserve it, but because you simply let God save you and because you confess your own poor sinful state and your inability to save yourself.”

SOURCE: Dr. Rice... Here is My Question, by Dr. John R. Rice, pg. 304; 1962, Sword of the Lord Publishers; ISBN: 0-87398-158-8

I couldn't agree more. This is what the Bible teaches. Dr. Rice also states in his Gospel tract, What Must I Do To Be Saved...

“The change in your heart, sinner, is God's part and you may be sure He will attend to that. Your part is to simply believe in Him. Whatever else is necessary in your eternal salvation, the Lord attends to when you trust in Him, or believe in Him.”

SOURCE: What Must I DO To Be Saved, by Dr. John R. Rice

Amen! Dr. Rice is correct. We need to leave the changing part to God, our part is to simply believe.

At first, I pondered in my heart concerning Chick Tracks. I thought to myself, “So many little children love Chick tracts... they're like eye-candy to people. Surely, Jack Chick must be doing a good thing.” I pondered back-n-forth for months on the issue, because cartoon tracts are one of the best soul-winning tools in the world. In fact, it is this fact that makes Chick Tracks so dangerous. Jack Chick is propagating a false gospel that leads people to believe that ceasing from their sins is part of getting saved; but it's not, it's the result of getting saved. We live right because we are saved, not to get saved. If I mandate departing from sins as part of the gospel, then I have created a false gospel.

I am not being unkind, but it's time for us to stop getting our theology from Hollywood movie stars like Kirk Cameron and cartoon artists like Jack Chick. The Bible speaks plainly in Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” How much clearer could the Word of God be... but to him that WORKETH NOT... HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!

Chicago's renowned minister, Aiden Tozer taught that there can be no REGENERATION until there has first been REFORMATION. Mr. Tozer is a liar and a false prophet and he has it totally backwards. You first get born-again, i.e., REGENERATED by the Spirit of God through the Seed of God's Word; and then you are REFORMED. Regeneration precedes reformation. The Gospel is not reformation, nor education, nor rehabilitation, nor legislation; but REGENERATION (Titus 3:5).

However, God convicted my heart concerning THE TRUTH. I began to consider that the Jehovah's Witnesses cult have some of the best artwork and captivating literature in the world; but that doesn't make it Biblical. Jack Chick is a talented man; but he is perverting the gospel. You don't have to “surrender your life” to Jesus Christ to be saved; but you do need to BELIEVE on Him to forgive your sins.

Jack Chick does a play-on-words. He flip flops. There can be no mistaking what “be willing to turn from sin” implies (i.e., if you want to be saved you're going to have to give up your sins). To be REQUIRED to be willing to do something in order to get something makes it obligatory. Salvation is of God, conditioned only upon our BELIEF (trust) on the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive our sins (John 1:12). 

Again, Jack Chick's teaching on repentance is that you cannot come to Christ for salvation, unless you first intend not to walk in sin after you receive Him. This is “qualification by works” as a prerequisite for receiving Christ as Savior. That is not what the inspired Holy Bible says! Jack Chick and others like him need to get out of the driver's seat, and stop trying to do the Holy Spirit's job of convicting sinners concerning their sins, and the changes that need to be made in their lives. That's God's department! Our part is simply to believe and the work is done (John 3:16; 6:28-29; 20:31 * Note that all Scriptures are quoted from the trustworthy and inspired, King James Bible).

If a person simply has childlike faith in Jesus Christ to forgive their sins, they will be saved! We are sinners and Jesus is the Savior. The matter of repentance is critically important, because if we're wrong on repentance, we're wrong on everything. It's not what you're doing that gets you to Heaven, it's where you're looking. Look to Jesus!

Eleven Reasons For Not Teaching “Lordship Salvation” (by Pastor A. Ray Stanford, 2016-2012)

END OF ARTICLE


Please read the best explanation I've ever read concerning the Gospel and repentance, by Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951). Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel...

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”

SOURCE: Harry A. Ironside, from the sermon: What Is The Gospel?


“There is power in this Gospel message. Most people just don't know how to 
present it... The clarity of the Gospel is what makes it easy for them to believe.”
 
—Pastor Yankee Arnold, a precious quote from the excellent MP3 sermon titled, “
WHY GRACE CAN SAVE THE WORST MAN!

“No one's ever saved by cheap grace, they're saved by priceless amazing grace! We have a miracle salvation provided and preserved by God Himself. Let's give out the Good News of this salvation, simply and faithfully for His glory. Salvation is not cheap. God sent His Son to pay for our sins. It wasn't cheap—very expensive—He just made it free. And when you and I try to add one work to it, we cheapen it! That's when you cheapen it, when you think that it wasn't enough, I've got to add something to it!” —Pastor Yankee Arnold, a precious quote from the excellent MP3 sermon titled, “CAUGHT BETWEEN GRACE AND WORKS!” | VIDEO | MORE HELPFUL SERMONS

Caught Between Grace And Works!
(AWESOME TRUTH! By Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold |  MP3 - Please share with OTHERS!!!)


Lordship Salvation

The Curse of Lordship Salvation

The Hypocrisy of Lordship Salvation

Scriptural Proof that Lordship Salvation is a Lie

Lordship Salvation Ignores Babes in Christ and the Backslidden