As I was driving around in Winston-Salem, North Carolina today I heard
Pastor Chip Ingram speaking on the radio. Chip hosts a radio show called,
“Living On The Edge.” I listened to him preach a message titled, “Fatal
Assumption: Exposing The Myths Of Being Born Again.” (Listen
to MP3 - Part 1 | more
broadcasts).
Ingram begins by sharing an experience from his
youth at age 15 when someone asked him if he was saved? Ingram replied,
“Yes, of course, I am,” but in hindsight decades later he now says he wasn't
saved at the time. Ingram says that
the man witnessing to him should have inquired further, asking him the
following...
You know what he should
have asked? You know what he really should have asked? ...a follow-up
question. He should have said, "Chip, does your belief in God have any
correlation with how you think, how you act, how you treat people? Does it
have any impact on how you live the rest of your life?”
SOURCE: Dr. Chip Ingram, sermon quote, “Fatal Assumption: Exposing The Myths
Of Being Born Again - Part One”
Clearly, Ingram foolishly believes that faith
requires works as validation of authenticity.
After making the preceding quote, Ingram
immediately quotes James 2:17-18, “Even so faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have
works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by
my works.” Ingram misinterprets James chapter 2 in an attempt to
bolster his false teaching on salvation.
Ingram further foolishly states:
71.6 million people claim
to be born-again Christians in the United States. Less than 10% of them live
in a way that demonstrates that their life is different. My theory is a lot
of those people are convinced that they're going to Heaven because they've
had an evangelical, emotional, experience with God. And they think, “I felt
God, so I must be ok.”
SOURCE: Dr. Chip Ingram, sermon quote, “Fatal Assumption: Exposing The Myths
Of Being Born Again”
If you listen to the complete sermon, you'll
hear Chip Ingram present a corrupted understanding of how to be saved.
According to Ingram, having an emotional experience or ascribing
intellectually to Biblical philosophy cannot save a person. Although I would
totally agree with that assertion, I also total disagree with Ingram's
remedy to the problem. Ingram teaches that people have to be serious enough
about believing the gospel so that it leads to a changed life. This is
Chip's dividing line between saved and unsaved, that is, whether or not your
professed faith leads to works. Chip correctly defines “repentance” as “a
change of mind,” but then he misapplies it as a change of lifestyle.
According to Ingram, no one gets saved who doesn't experience a drastically
changed life. Again, read Ingram's opening statement...
You know what he should
have asked? You know what he really should have asked? ...a follow-up
question. He should have said, "Chip, does your belief in God have any
correlation with how you think, how you act, how you treat people? Does it
have any impact on how you live the rest of your life?”
SOURCE: Dr. Chip Ingram, sermon quote, “Fatal Assumption: Exposing The Myths
Of Being Born Again - Part Two”
If the answer is “No,” Chip says you are not
saved. In sharp contrast, the trustworthy and inspired King James Bible
plainly teaches in Romans 4:5 that a man's FAITH IS COUNTED FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS! Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and
he counted it to him for righteousness.” Romans
4:5-6, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth righteousness without works.” A person's faith in the good
news (gospel) of Christ's death, burial and resurrection is COUNTED by God
as being equivalent to a life of righteousness. That means if you never have
any righteousness of your own, you can still be saved and go to Heaven
because of Christ's
imputed righteousness. That is exactly what Romans 4:6 teaches!!!
Romans 4:6, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto
whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”
What happens is that some people get so sick of
shallow Christians who are “SAVED; YET SO AS BY FIRE” (1st Corinthians
3:15), that they change the plan of
salvation to require a person to cease from sins to be saved. That's a false
plan of salvation! This is exactly what Chip Ingram has done.
And on the other extreme you've got corrupt
preachers who abandon sin altogether. They say to invite Jesus into your
heart and life to be saved, but they fail to mention sin. You're not saved
by asking Jesus to come into your heart. You've got to address the matter of
your sinnership. God saves THE UNGODLY (Romans 4:5). God doesn't save the
self-righteous who errantly think they can earn eternal life. No one has
ever got saved who didn't realize that he was a sinner. You've got to know
what you're saved from.
Fellowship Verses Sonship
The validation of our faith is the faith
itself. God doesn't require anything more than our faith to be saved.
Obedience in the Christian life is a matter of discipleship and stewardship,
not sonship!
Notice in 1st John 1:6-9 that the subject is
FELLOWSHIP and not SONSHIP! 1st John 1:6-9. “If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in
darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Hence, just because a
Christian is still living a lifestyle of sin doesn't mean that they're not
really saved as many false prophets claim. Beware of books, sermons and
radio programs that promote the heresy that continuing in sin means a person
is not saved, or cannot be saved. The Bible plainly teaches that a person's
faith alone is COUNTED for righteousness. If a born-again believer continues
in sin, then they walk in darkness and have no fellowship with the Lord; but
that's fellowship based upon how we live, and not sonship
which is based solely upon the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross and the
precious, literal, physical, blood that He shed for our sins. Christ is
risen from the dead!!!
It is
heresy for anyone to say, “If you're smoking, drinking and living in
adultery, you didn't get what I got when I was saved.” That's heresy! Being
saved has nothing to do with being crucified! Christ lived, died, arose and
ascended. I can imagine Christian ears listening to Rock music, but I can't
imagine crucified ears listening to Rock music. I can imagine a Christian
tongue being guilty of gossip, but I can't imagine a crucified tongue being
guilty of gossip. I can imagine a Christian man cursing,
but I cannot imagine a crucified man cursing. God wants us
as born-again Christians to DIE TO SELF. I am crucified with Christ
(Galatians 2:20). But it is critically important to understand that the
crucified life is NOT the saved life.
The
saved life comes first, and then we volunteer to die with Christ unto self.
Living a consecrated life for the Lord is voluntary. This is why Paul says
in 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.” Anyone who adds anything to
childlike faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ is preaching a doctrine of
devils. Ingram speaks doubletalk, as do Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's).
Chip Ingram And Jehovah's Witnesses
Agree!
Paul
Washer, Ray Comfort, John MacArthur and Chip Ingram's teachings on Lordship
Salvation are almost identical to what JW's teach, read it for yourself...
In sharp contrast to what these wicked men who
have erred from the faith are falsely teaching, the Word of God teaches that
Biblical salvation is obtained only by believing on the Lord, that is,
receiving the gospel of Christ's death, burial and resurrection as
full-payment for our sins. That's it! Eternal life is a free gift to those
who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God Who came into the world
to save sinners; being crucified, buried and risen, and you make that your
hope for Heaven.
In the
2nd part of his radio sermon series, Chip Ingram errantly attempts to
use the testing of Abraham, when the Lord commanded Abraham to kill his son
Isaac. Abraham was saved in Genesis 15:6 when he believed on the Lord.
However, Abraham wasn't asked until many years later in Genesis 22:8 to
sacrifice Isaac. Ingram says that this is proof that Abraham's faith wasn't
validated (legitimate) with God until it was tested.
This is not what the Scriptures teach. Abraham
wasn't justified in the eyes of God by works; but rather, in the eyes of
mankind. Genesis 15:6 plainly teaches that God COUNTED Abram's faith for
RIGHTEOUSNESS. Thus, there was no validation needed. God didn't need to test
Abram's faith to see if it was genuine for salvation. Toward the end of the
2nd sermon (part two) Ingram foolishly states:
“Trust always
evidences in an action that shows you really trust.”
SOURCE: Dr. Chip Ingram, sermon quote, “Fatal Assumption: Exposing The Myths
Of Being Born Again - Part Two”
The problem is that Chip recognizes that
“action” as a changed life. Biblically, the only “action” (work) that brings
salvation is believing the gospel, period. 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.”
Chip Ingram is a heretic just like Paul Washer,
John MacArthur and Ray Comfort. Not surprisingly, Ingram pastors in
California, as do nearly all Lordship Salvationists. California is home to
the religious cults, Heaven's Day Cult and other whacko groups.
Chip Ingram further evidences his heresy in the
following quote...
But now the ball's in your
court. If you would like Jesus as your Savior. Saving faith is getting in
the wheelbarrow. Trusting in His work on the cross, His payment for your
sin, His resurrection
TO THE POINT
that you say, I turn away and repent from my past life in sin, I change my
mind and I trust, I get in the wheel-barrow.
[emphasis added]
SOURCE: Dr. Chip Ingram, sermon quote, “Fatal Assumption: Exposing The Myths
Of Being Born Again - Part Two”
Did you read what he said... “TO THE POINT”!!!
In other words, you're only saved if you trust Christ's work on the cross,
His payment for your sins and His resurrection TO THE
EXTENT THAT it produces (results) in a changed life of ceasing
from sinful bad habits, forsaking the sinful world and following Christ.
This is 100% satanic doctrine straight from the pits of Hell beneath!!!
According to Pastor Ingram, you cannot be saved
simply by believing on the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Bible
teaches in Acts 16:30-31, John 20:31, Acts 10:43 and 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.
Ingram says you MUST also (IN ADDITION) cease from a lifestyle of sin,
follow Jesus Christ and produce works in your life to validate that faith
and truly be saved. Literally, Ingram is foolishly teaching that faith plus
works equals salvation, or works salvation! This is Catholic dogma! This is
what Jehovah's Witnesses teach!
Beware of the John MacArthur crowd who've all
been poisoned with his false doctrines. As clever as they may be, and crafty
in their various approaches to bolster MacArthur's damnable heresies, the
truth of the inspired Words of God puts them all to silence and shame!
Eternal life is a free gift, without works of righteousness! Ingram, like so
many false teachers these days,
confuses the saved
life with the crucified life. You can't die with Christ until you've
first been made alive in Christ. Dying to self is NOT part of saving-faith.
Ingram combines the ROOT with the FRUIT of salvation. In so doing he has
corrupted the gospel. When we trust Jesus, we have the saved life. The
crucified life is entirely different and has nothing to do with getting
saved. Ingram is a false prophet!
Please understand that I did not publish this
article online to be unkind; but rather, to take a Biblical stand for the
Lord against the lies, deceptions and perverted teachings concerning
salvation which have crept into our churches today. False prophets are
nothing new. We read in the New Testament about a group of Lordship
Salvationists who tried to corrupt the Church in Acts 15:1 and 24,
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said,
Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
...Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have
troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be
circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.”
Concluding Remarks In Defense Of
The Christian Faith
The fact that many professed Christians are not
genuine Christians does not give anyone the right to change the Biblical
plan of salvation. The solution is not to corrupt the gospel in an attempt
to force people to live right; but rather, to mentor new converts as the
Lord teaches, “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). The Great Commission is more
than just getting people saved, it also includes mentoring new converts,
teaching them to win souls too.
Chip Ingram's perverted understanding of the
gospel is epidemic in our churches these days, because it is being spread by
psuedo-Bible colleges like Moody Bible Institute. By the way, Moody
just cancelled their century-old ban against booze, smoking and gambling for
all faculty and staff members. Can you imagine paying money to have a
college Bible professor who plays the Devil's games, drinks liquid Devil and
smells like he's been to Hell? Harry Ironside would have another
heart-attack if he were alive today!
Woe unto the Lordship Salvation crowd who say
“Lord, Lord,” but do not obey God's will concerning salvation. Instead of
trusting the gospel 100% as the Bible teaches, Chip Ingram ADDS a validation
requirement. In order to validate your faith, Ingram foolishly says that you
must believe TO THE POINT (in his own words) that you are compelled to give
up your sinful ways, forsake the sinful world and follow Jesus Christ as
Lord.
The problem with Chip Ingram, Paul Washer, Ray
Comfort and other proponents of Lordship Salvation is that they are right in
their diagnosis but wrong in their remedy. They are correct that a lot of
religious people are not saved, because they are trusting in some emotional
experience, a prayer, a church, an organization or ascribing intellectually
to the philosophy of Christianity. Christianity did not begin as a
relationship with Jesus Christ. Judas had a personal relationship with Jesus
and still went to Hell in his unbelief. Christianity began as a new birth, a
second, spiritual, birth by the Holy Spirit of God. The second that you
receive the gospel as full-payment for your sins, you are saved. The Holy
Spirit comes to live (indwell) within your body.
But tragically, when Christianity went to
Greece it became a philosophy. When it went to Rome it became an
organization. When it spread throughout Europe it became a culture. And when
Christianity came to America it became a business! Chip Ingram makes the
grievous theological error of adding works to faith as validation of
salvation. That is a false plan of salvation. The Bible teaches that faith
brings immediate salvation, that is, a man's faith is COUNTED for
righteousness in Christ Jesus. We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! We are
saved by grace through faith plus or minus nothing!
Many people have adopted the philosophy of
Christianity, but they have never been born-again by the Spirit of God. Many
people are churchgoers, having churchianity without Christianity. They have
religion without truth. There are all sorts of religious people in the
world, who falsely profess to know God, but they do not. Many falsely claim
to know Christ, but they deny the saving power of the gospel (2nd Timothy
3:5; Romans 1:16). In this matter I agree with Paul Washer, Ray Comfort and
Chip Ingram; but we disagree on the remedy. The remedy is to PREACH THE
WORD, as I am doing. We need to teach people what the Bible says. But the
answer is not to corrupt and change the gospel in an attempt to force people
to live a righteous life. Lordship Salvation is a false gospel rooted in the
damnable heresies of John Calvin
(1509-1564), aka, Calvinism. John
MacArthur is a 5-point Calvinist!
Do you know what the Bible teaches is the
validation of our salvation? 1st John 3:24b, “And hereby we know that
he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”
If you have the Holy Spirit in you, then you are saved.
Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
It's not how you live that determines whether you're saved or not;
but rather, have you been born-again by the Holy Spirit of God, Who lives in
you if you are saved. The Holy Spirit is my best friend, Who has lived in me
since I got saved at age 13. I love the Holy Spirit, Who is called “the
Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9).
SDA Book “The Great Hope”
Exposed!
"But to him
that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." —Romans 4:5
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?
