Pastor Chip Ingram's False Gospel

Galatians 1:6-7, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Heresy has crept into most churches today. This tragically includes our Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches. One of the deadliest false teachings today is the idea that a person cannot be saved unless they turn away from their sinful ways. The Bible teaches that all men are guilty sinners (Romans 3:10-23). There is a penalty for sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). This includes the second death (Revelation 21:8). God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross to pay our debt of sin (John 3:16), so that all sinners could freely have eternal life if we want it. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In the following sermon titled, “Jesus Explains His Message - Part 2,” Chip Ingram falsely teaches that a person must forsake their sins to be saved. Like all false teachers, Mr. Ingram is deceptive. He claims that salvation is by grace through faith alone, but then he conditions salvation upon changing your life. That is works! Chip Ingram and Jehovah's Witnesses agree! In the preceding audio sermon, Pastor Ingram predicates salvation upon receiving Christ not only as one's Savior, but also your Lord. Chip says you must surrender your life to Christ as your [what he calls “CEO” (Chief Executive Officer)]. In Chip's false plan of salvation, he says you must turn from your sins and ask Jesus to come into your life. You must be willing to follow Him as your Lord and Master. Chip leads people to pray a prayer to be saved. Chip Ingram makes this heretical statement in his sermon:

Four, eternal life begins the moment you receive Christ as your Savior and Lord. See, today is the day of salvation. Moments from now, moments from now. It’s not something that is going to happen after you die. You can have the encounter that Jesus wanted for Nicodemus. You can be washed in the water, admit, Oh, God, I am not perfect and I am actually messed up in some areas and I need You. And I receive the life of Christ and His death on the cross as sole payment for my sin. And I am asking You to come into my life and be my Savior and the Lord and the CEO, He’ll do it. —Pastor Chip Ingram, 'Jesus Explains His Message, Part 2' [emphasis added]

False prophets like Chip Ingram mishandle the Gospel. Like all false prophets, they get it half right, mixing truth with lies. Chip Ingram is right that the Gospel means Christ died, was buried and resurrected the third day (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Unfortunately, he requires MORE for salvation, which makes him a false prophet. Not one verse in the Bible teaches that a person must turn away from sins to be saved. No where are we commanded to pray a prayer to be saved. No where are we directed to ask Christ to come into our life to be saved. No where are we required to surrender to Christ as Lord and CEO to be saved. To a naive religious person these additional requirements may seem harmless, but to a learned Bible student, you know that adding even the slightest human effort to God's free grace cancels it. Salvation is not partial faith in Christ plus something else! Chip Ingram perverts the Gospel of free grace

Pastor Ingram Gets Repentance And John Chapter 3 Wrong

I am surprised how many Bible teachers get John chapter 3 wrong concerning the meaning of “water.” Jesus plainly tells us that the water refers to “the flesh.”John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Verse 6 explains Verse 5, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Church of Christ falsely claim that the water refers to baptism. Likewise, Chip Ingram falsely claims that the water refers to repentance. As I just showed you, Jesus said the water refers to being born of the flesh. To be saved, you simply need to be born of the Holy Spirit!

Here are some heretical teachings by Mr. Ingram:

“And the water meant what? Repent. People were going to him [John the Baptist] to say, “My life is messed up. I’m not the kind of dad, I’m not the kind of mom, I do have greed, I covet in my heart, I do sleep around, I do cheat. The stuff that comes out of my mouth, I have unresolved anger issues,” all the stuff that we have! Multitudes were coming out and John said, “You have to repent,” and the word is: metanoeō. “Have a change of mind.” And they were coming to be baptized to say, “I want that old life and that old junk – I want it washed away and I want to walk with God now.” And that was preparation. So, you prepared and realized, Now what you need is the Spirit of God with the power to do that.” —Pastor Chip Ingram, 'Jesus Explains His Message, Part 2' [emphasis added]

This is all very subtle. Chip has a totally wrong mindset concerning salvation. He is claiming that the people John baptized were all hungry to get rid of the sins in their life, and they desired for Jesus to save them so they could stop living that way. Folks, that is a counterfeit plan of salvation. In reality, John was preaching repentance to the people, so they would recognize their sins and see their desperate need FOR THEIR SAVIOR—not to clean up their lives, but so that they could be delivered from the curse of sin and Hell. John was simply preaching the law to prepare the people, pointing them to Christ who would save them (Galatians 3:24-26). The difference is this folks—In Chip's theology, the emphasis is upon a changed life; but in Bible theology, the emphasis is upon salvation itself.

Chip Ingram is a subtle teacher of the lie of Lordship Salvation (i.e., Calvinism repackaged). To the naive person it sounds good, but Chip is wrong in his understanding of the Gospel. Eternal life is a gift from God, which is not conditional upon a willingness to change your life, nor a willingness to let God change your life. John the Baptist did baptize the people for repentance, but it was only to PREPARE them to receive the coming Savior...

Matthew 3:4-6, “And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”

Carefully notice that the people only CONFESSED THEIR SINS, they didn't forsake them. No one is capable of forsaking their sins! If you listen to Mr. Ingram's sermon (or read it), he says that getting saved WILL change a person's life. That is the lie of Calvinism! Just because you receive the 'Good News' (Gospel) of Christ crucified, buried and risen, doesn't automatically mean that your life will change in the least externally. Chip says when you get saved, all of a sudden you'll be sweet, kind and nice to everyone. Folks, that is not true! 

Chip Ingram Is teaching Junk Theology

Here is the junk theology I am warning you about from Chip Ingram:

“And the eternal God of the universe says, “If you will open the door of your heart and turn from your sin and invite Christ and believe on Him, the Spirit of the living God will come permanently to live in you, seal you with His Spirit, give you spiritual gifts, direct your life, make you a part of a family, and transform you little, by little, by little, by little – that two, three, and four years from now, people will be astounded.” Why are you so kind? Why are you so others centered now? What happened to that addiction you had? You used to be a workaholic, crazy person. What happened to you? Because Christ’s will live His life out through you.” —Pastor Chip Ingram, 'Jesus Explains His Message, Part 2' [emphasis added]

That is junk theology! Chip is a theological liar when he says God demands that you “turn from your sin”! You cannot show me that from the inspired King James Bible!!! Furthermore, you don't have to “invite Christ” because He is already inviting you! Jesus has already paid for everyone's sins on the cross with His precious blood, freely offering eternal life to anyone who that BELIEVES. 1st 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.” John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” It is that simple friend, just believe and you are saved! Contrary to the lies being sold to you by Chip Ingram; God is NOT demanding that you turn from your sins, nor that you invite Christ, nor that you ask Him into your life, nor that you make Him your Lord and C.E.O., nor that you pray a prayer, nor anything else! God simple commands us to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31b). 

Everybody responds differently when they get saved. Some people change immediately, but others never change. Chip Ingram and Ray Comfort would accuse them of never being saved, claiming they failed to repent. That is not what “repentance” means. Chip is correct that repentance (the Greek noun metanoia) means “a change of mind,” but then he adds meaning to the word by implying that it will result in a change of mind which leads to a changed life (which is a false meaning). Repentance is a change of mind unto the Gospel itself, and doesn't have anything to do with a believer's behavior after they get saved. We are taught in Romans 12:2b that we are “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As a new believer desires the sincere milk of the Word, they will grow (1st Peter 2:2). To require a person to commit to change their life at the time of salvation is to pervert the Gospel. 

I have nothing person against Pastor Ingram in California. He seems like a nice person. I simply have a duty as a Christian to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3b). The quickest way for Satan to hinder a person from getting saved is to obscure and confuse the clarity of the Gospel message.