False gospel in Chick Publications tracts

The gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) is being misrepresented in the tracts put out by Chick Publications. I am not saying that nobody has ever gotten saved off these tracts, God will always use His word (Isa. 55:8-11, 1 Pet. 1:23), but the tracts are putting misinformation into the gospel of the grace of God.

Chick Publications tracts give this as the plan of salvation:

"NOBODY ELSE CAN SAVE YOU. 
TRUST JESUS TODAY!

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. " (Rom. 10:9) 

1.) Admit you are a sinner. See Romans 3:10
2.) Be willing to turn from sin (repent). See Acts 17:30
3.) Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried and rose again from the dead. See Romans 10:9-10
4.) Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour. See Romans 10:13

WHAT TO PRAY
Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour."

The problem with that plan of salvation is that it is not in the Bible. They printed a scripture reference next to what they said so that you would THINK that it was out of the Bible, but it isn't.

Steps 1-3 are fine, but the scripture reference they gave in step three (Rom. 10:9-10) does NOT say anything about Christ dying for your sins on the cross. In fact, Romans 10 does not mention the blood atonement of Christ at all. READ IT, you won't find Christ's blood atonement anywhere in Romans 10. And that is dangerous ground if you are trying to give somebody the gospel.

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

1 Corinthians 2:
[1] And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
[2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 15:
[1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
[2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
[4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

So there is the "gospel of the grace of God" as defined by the apostle of the Gentiles by the inspiration of God (Rom. 11:13, 1 Cor. 14:37). The gospel is that Christ died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead three days later.

To receive the atonement (Rom. 5:9-11) you just simply trust Christ believing that gospel--that is not a work (Rom. 4:5) and if you do that you will be "sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" "unto the day of redemption"

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,

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

....that is it! You do not proceed past step three as given in the Chick tract. Yet the tract tells you that you must do something else other than trust Christ and believe the gospel. "Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour " NO NO NO. If you did step 3 (trust Christ believing His finished work) then you are SAVED and SEALED. Christ entered your heart when you put your faith in Him (Eph. 3:17) and you do not have to "pray" anything or "invite" anybody. The "sinners prayer" is not anywhere in the Bible and no preacher in the New Testament ever gave an "invitation" to come down to the "altar" and "pray" for Christ to save you.

You were told to "believe", not "pray" (John 1:7, John 1:12-13, John 3:15-18, John 3:36, John 5:24, John 6:29, John 6:35, John 6:40, John 6:47, John 8:24, John 11:25-26, John 12:46, John 20:31, Acts 4:12, Acts 4:32-33, Acts 5:14, Acts 8:37, Acts 10:43-45, Acts 11:17, Acts 15:7-11, Acts 13:38-39, Acts 16:30-31, Acts 26:18, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 2:8-9, Ephesians 3:16-17, Ephesians 4:30, Ephesians 4:32, Philippians 3:3-9, Colossians 1:13-14, Colossians 2:6-23, 1 Thessaloninas 4:14, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 2:3-6, 2 Timothy 1:9, Galatians 2:16-21, Galatians 3:1-26, Romans 3:10-31, Romans 4:1-25, Romans 5:1-21, Romans 8:8, Romans 10:1-5, Romans 11:6, 1 Corinthians 1:17-21,1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Titus 3:5, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:5, 1 John 5:10, 1 John 5:13)

Ephesians 1:13 did not say "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye prayed the sinner's prayer,..."

Ephesians 3:17 did not say "that Christ may dwell in your hearts by prayer..." (it was "by faith" )

Romans 10:9 did not say that you had to pray to be saved, it just said that "IF" you did than you will be saved--but not because you confessed but because you believed and spoke from the "abundance of the heart" (Rom. 10:9-13, Matt. 12:34, Gal. 3:1-3, Eph. 1:13, Eph. 3:17, Acts 13:38-39, Acts 15:7-11, Acts 16:30-31).

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

Salvation is dependent on the sinner BELIEVING, not confessing. 

Note: Matthew 10:32 says that confession before men is needful to be saved, but it is in the context of Israel (vs. 5-6) in the tribulation (vs. 16-39) enduring to the end to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (vs. 7) and it is not a grace age passage of scripture. 

Also see

How to go to hell....Baptist style. 
http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-go-to-hellbaptist-style.html

Must we pray to be saved?  
http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/must-we-pray-to-be-saved.html

--Eli "Hoss" Caldwell

Note: "Repenting" is simply a change of mind and is not "turning from sin". God is said to have "repented" 20+ times in the Bible and He certainly has never "turned from sin". Then there are all the references to repenting that have nothing to do with sin. Nobody has to turn from sin to be saved, they just have to change their mind (repent) about what they have been previously trusting (works, religion, etc.) and decide to trust Christ (Eph. 1:13). No person (saved or lost) has ever turned from sin, at least not completely nor permanently. See Galatians 5:16-17 for the "two natures of the believer" as we call it.