Charlie Kirk Was No Friend To Lost Sinners

2nd Corinthians 4:3-4, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Before I say anything, let me say that I humbly think Charlie Kirk (1993-2025) is an American hero! God bless Charlie's wife and two children. My heart goes out to them all.

That being said, as a born-again Christian myself since age 13, and a fundamentalist Baptist preacher all my adult life, I am gravely concerned about the negative influence Charlie is having on the world for Christ. You read right, negative influence. The tragic and senseless murder of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, has compelled thousands of young people to attend church. Although that may superficially seem like a good thing, it is a bad thing when you consider that 99% of churches today are preaching a counterfeit plan of salvation of partial faith in Christ plus works (aka, Lordship Salvation).

The Danger Of Using Unbiblical Terminology

Part of me wants to believe that Charlie Kirk was just careless with his words. In his tract, “What Must I Do To Be Saved?,” Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980) says that repentance to be saved means to “turn away from sins, earnestly, with all your heart, and trust Jesus to save you” which careless words I hate. Kindly said, Dr. Rice spoke foolishly in ignorance. But elsewhere Dr. Rice wrote in his helpful commentary on the book of Acts, “One who turns from sin to God has done so by trusting in Jesus Christ.” So, clearly Dr. Rice did NOT think you must be willing to forsake your sinful bad habits to get to Heaven, which would be reformation, not repentance. Brother Rice was indeed saved, but he poorly chose his words in this case. 

You cannot shew me one place in an inspired King James Bible where it says to repent “of your sins” to be saved. Acts 20:21 says to repent (think differently) “toward God.” 2nd Timothy 2:25 says to repent (change your mind) to acknowledge “the truth.” Those who errantly teach that Bible repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of behavior are preaching another gospel (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4), which cannot produce the new birth (John 3:1-7).

I believe Dr. Rice was saved because he explained what he meant by turning from sin, which he clearly did NOT think means to forsake sinful bad habits to get to Heaven. That would constitute “works” according to Jonah 3:10. Likewise, I am not sure what Charlie Kirk believed about salvation. Did he believe like John R. Rice did? Or did Charlie literally think you cannot be saved unless you forsake your sinful behavior and serve God? There is a fine line between faith and works. Adding even the slightest work to faith negates grace according to Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” From nearly every pulpit today we are hearing a false gospel that says salvation is by grace alone, but you must do something to obtain it from God. That is impossible!

The Bible in the hands of an idiot is the most dangerous weapon mankind has ever faced. I heard in the news yesterday that young people by the droves are now attending church in response to Charlie's assassination and his influence for Christ. What greatly concerns me about Charlie Kirk is that he is a poster boy for Lordship Salvation. By saying that he “gave my life to Christ in fifth grade” says nothing. That is not how someone gets saved. By saying that he “accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior” is misleading at best, implying that more than faith is required to get to Heaven. Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

I am still the fence about where Charlie went in the afterlife, simply because I don't know what he really believed. I am careful not to be dogmatic without knowing more information. The $64,000 question is: Did Charlie believe more than faith is necessary to be saved? 

Regardless, Charlie Kirk spoke with confusing words, using unbiblical jargon that obscures the true Gospel of free grace. The Mormons and Catholics love Charlie, because he refused to tell them the truth that they are unsaved members of dangerous religious cults. I cannot help but conclude that for the sake of further building and protecting his Turning Point organization, Charlie surreptitiously avoided offending different religious groups. That is not wisdom dear reader, it is foolish from Heaven's point of view. This world is literally dying in sin and going to Hell. There has never been a greater need than right now to preach THE TRUTH!

As a side note, I am glad that ABC fired Jimmy Kimmel. I feel sick that tens of thousands of kooky liberal leftists are defending Jimmy, saying that he has a right to free speech. But there is also something called “decency” in society. For anyone to joke, make light of and even cheer the assassination of one of the best men our country ever produced is inexcusable. I hope they fire the other Charlie Kirk haters too. I like what one man said, “Speech is free, but the consequences aren't.” Private companies and institutions do not have to honor free speech laws (within legal limits). They can fire people who say and/or do outrageous things that may damage their company's reputation.

Please avoid using confusing unbiblical terminology when presenting the Gospel; namely:

1. Repent of your sins
2. Give your life to Christ
3. Become a Christ follower
4. Live a changed life
5. Accept Jesus as your “Lord”
6. Perform sacraments
7. Get water baptized
8. Be willing to turn from your sinful bad habits
9. Surrender your life to Jesus
10. Live for others
11. Live a lifestyle of repentance
12. Invite Jesus into your life
13. Join a church
14. Confess your sins to a priest
15. Repeat a 'Sinner's Prayer'
16. Exchange all that you are for all Christ is
17. Invite Jesus into your heart
18. Ask God to make you part of His family
19. Forsake a lifestyle of sinning
20. Faithfully serve Christ

The truth dear reader is that you may do all of these aforementioned things (works), and yet never be born again and still go to Hell forever.

Charlie Kirk Obscured The Gospel

Anyway, I am sad about Charlie Kirk. It is bizarre that a homosexual punk who was raised Mormon, assassinated Charlie while answering a question from a Mormon student. Then again, it is Utah, which is Mormon country. Tyler didn't kill Charlie over politics, he murdered him because he stood for decency and morality, and because Charlie was right!

The reason why I say that Charlie Kirk was no friend to lost sinners is simply because he refused to tell Roman Catholics and Mormons the truth about their false religions. By coddling and hobnobbing with hellbound religious cults, we can only do more damage than good. When Ravi Zacharias (a false prophet) preached to the Mormons in 2014 in Salt Lake City, Utah, they gave him a standing ovation at the end of his watered-down pathetic sermonette. The reason why the Hellbound Mormon cult honored Ravi is because he surreptitiously avoided steeping on their toes, and he wickedly called them his “Brothers and Sisters in Christ.” In my humble opinion, Charlie Kirk is just as guilty as Ravi Zacharias, coddling the cults. A demon's favorite activity is to make lost people comfortable in their false religion.

Please understand that I didn't write this blog to cast a negative reflection upon Charlie; but rather, to draw attention to the reality that “if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” I humbly believe that every redeemed child of God has an obligation to warn lost sinners. In Luke 8:15, the mature believer is the one who bears much fruit. God wants all of His dear children to share the Gospel with lost sinners, so that others may be saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ (John 20:31).

As much as I love Charlie Kirk and am thankful for his stand for decency, Christianity and the nuclear family, I am saddened today that millions of hellbound Roman Catholics and Mormons don't know anything more about going to Heaven, than that Charlie accepted Jesus as his “Lord and Savior” and “gave his life to Christ in the fifth grade.” Ladies and gentlemen, every pseudo-Christian cult on the planet agrees with those two statements. Neither of those statements constitute, 'THE GOSPEL' (an excellent tract written by Pastor Harry Ironside, 1876-1951). If we as born-again saints don't warn lost sinners of God's coming judgment upon the wicked in the everlasting Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8), no one else will do the job folks!

Charlie Kirk has often said publicly he gave his life to Christ in fifth grade, but we do NOT give our life to the Lord to be saved. Jesus gave His life on the cross for us to be saved. 1st John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Christ died on a cross to pay our debt of sin. He doesn't require that we exchange or trade our lives to be saved. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15-18, 6:23). Remember that Judas Iscariot also gave his life to Christ.

I understand that a lot of people talk about giving your life to the Lord when talking about salvation. But actually, that’s not biblical. Jesus gladly gave His life for us, so that we could be saved. Amen. We ought to give our lives to the Lord AFTER we are saved BECAUSE we are saved, but NOT to be saved. And we need to stop using unbiblical terminology when talking about salvation, so that we don’t confuse anyone about how to be saved. Amen. God loves people and I do too. My goal is just to be a blessing to others for Christ.

No one is a true friend to lost sinners who changes, obscures or embellishes God's simple plan of salvation.

Now Is A Good Time To Clarify The Gospel

We read in 1st Corinthians 11:19, “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” I love that Scripture truth! The Apostle Paul is saying that false prophets and false teachings are necessary, so that Christian men who are learned in the Scriptures can ne identified; so that those learned men can refute false teachings. Put another way, false prophets provide a blank white canvas upon which the truth can be painted. Christians should wisely use Charlie Kirk's death as a time to share the free grace Gospel, and warn others about the dangers of Satan's Lordship Salvation heresy.

Dear friend, I dare say that 99% of churchgoers today have never been born-again. John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” There are no exceptions! I've heard Pastor John Hagee falsely teach that Jews do not need to be born-again because they have their own special covenant with God, but he is oh so wrong. Jesus warned that everyone MUST be born-again to enter into God's Kingdom. In John chapter 3, Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, a religious leader of the Jews, and a Jew himself. In fact, Jews do NOT have a special covenant with God which excludes them from being born-again.

The dear Savior also confirmed that only a few people are saved. Luke 13:23-24, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Ironically, the vast majority of the world's population is religious. But religion never saved anybody. My father used to wisely say, religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world. My Dad was right. Manmade religion blinds men from the truth of the Gospel. This is what is meant in 2nd Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” That “power” according to Romans 1:16 is THE GOSPEL.

One of the most effective truths that I use when witnessing to lost people is to explain to them that Bible Christianity and manmade religion are two very different things. Salvation cannot be found in any religion; but rather, by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Biblical truth and religious dogma are often at odds. Such is the case with Lordship Salvation, which is religion and not Bible truth. Mark 7:9, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

Kindly said, Charlie Kirk's religious terminology was not in agreement with biblical teaching. God's simple plan of salvation is that we are saved by faith alone without works. That means you don't have to receive Jesus as “Lord” of your life to follow, serve and obey Him in other matters. Serving Christ is discipleship, not sonship. It is sanctification, not justification.

Here is my favorite preacher's quote, which plainly shows that Pilgrim's Progress author John Bunyan fully understood the danger of not putting a clear difference between service and salvation...

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Well said Brother Bunyan! That was Charlie Kirk's dire error, he failed to differentiate between discipleship and sonship, which ecumenical amorphous testimony caused the pseudo-Christian cults to follow, praise and support him. If Charlie was saved, his Gospel was hid from lost sinners (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4). Hundreds of millions of churchgoers worldwide have given their lives to Jesus Christ, and they follow Him as their “Lord” (saying “Lord, Lord”) and doing “many wonderful works” in Jesus' name (Matthew 7:21-23); but they have never been born-again by resting completely in the finished redemptive work of Christ through Calvary's cross.

John Bunyan is absolutely right, by failing to put a difference between service and salvation, it corrupts the truth of God's Word and casts stumblingblocks before the people to hinder them from being saved. As much as I love Charlie Kirk and still think of him as an American hero, the fact remains that he failed to put a difference between discipleship and salvation. Consequently, the truth of a free grace Gospel was hidden from the lost.

The Incompatibility Of Lordship Salvation With The Gospel Of Free Grace

The following are some helpful preacher's quotes shewing the difference between service versus salvation...

“It is an inexcusable error to confront sinners with problems that concern the Christian life and call upon them to make promises regarding them. An unsaved person is never called upon to surrender himself to God. The saving act is in no instance represented as our 'giving ourselves to God'; it is, on the contrary, taking His Son as our Savior.” —Charles Ryrie, “Balancing the Christian Life”; Moody Press, Inc., 1969 (p. 170)

“Eternal life is free. Discipleship is immeasurably hard. The former is attained by faith alone, the latter by a faith that works... the former brings with it the righteousness of God so that a man is 'justified freely by his grace' (Romans 3:24). The latter develops a personal righteousness, based on good deeds, so that a man was also 'justified by works' (James 2:24). The former constituted the believer God's workmanship, the latter fulfilled the wonderful purpose for which he had been created. The former cost man nothing, the latter could cost him everything, including life itself.” —Zane C. Hodges, “The Hungry Inherit”; Moody Press, Inc., 1972 (p. 114, 115)

“There is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel, to be a disciple one obeys the challenge to a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ; discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk. Salvation can't be lost because it depends upon God's faithfulness, but discipleship can be lost because it depends upon our faithfulness.” —M.R. DeHaan, “Hebrews”; Zondervan Publishing House, 1959 (p. 117)

“There are those who, in their zeal to get people to turn from their sinful ways and receive the Lord, almost put repentance on a par with believing... Repentance, as it relates to Christ, means to change our minds about Him, who He is and what He's done to provide forgiveness and deliverance from our sins. When we place faith in Jesus as having taken our place personally on the cross and borne the penalty due our sins, then we're automatically repenting, because we couldn't accept Him in this way without having had to change our minds in some way concerning Him.” —Hal Lindsey, “The Liberation of Planet Earth”; Zondervan Publishing House, 1974 (p. 136, 137)

“Discipleship is frequently equated with salvation and often erroneously made a condition for becoming a Christian." —Dwight J. Pentecost, “Design for Discipleship”; Zondervan Publishing House, 1971 (p. 11)

“Certainly discipleship is a most important aspect of our relation to Christ, but it belongs to the sphere of Christian life rather than entrance upon that life... One does not become a disciple in order to become a Christian, but because he has become a Christian by faith in the Savior, it is fitting that he embark upon a life of discipleship.” —Everett F. Harrison, “Must Christ Be Lord to Be Savior? No.”; Eternity, September 1959 (p. 14)

“There is no more piously subtle abrogation of the Gospel than to tell a Sinner that he must not only believe in the Savior, but dedicate himself to do God's will, crown the Savior Lord of his life, etc., etc. Obviously, dedication and service are highly desirable, but they are the privilege and the duty of the saved, never a condition of salvation for the unsaved (cf. Romans 12:1, 2).” —Merrill F. Unger, “God is Waiting to Meet You”; Moody Press, 1975 (p. 117, 118)

Charlie admitted moments before his assassination that half of his Turning Point staff are Mormons. In sharp contrast, for telling the truth the apostles in the Bible were persecuted, arrested, imprisoned, beaten, threatened and ultimately martyred.

Dear reader, the inspired Word of God defines “THE GOSPEL” clearly in 1st Corinthians 15:1-6 as Jesus DEATH on the cross for our sins, His BURIAL, and His physical RESURRECTION from the dead three days later. This is “the gospel,” the POWER OF GOD by which all who BELIEVE IT are instantly, irrevocably and forever saved (Romans 1:16). Giving your life to Christ is NOT a part of the Gospel. Taking Jesus as the “Lord” of your life is NOT part of the Gospel. Repenting of your sins is NOT a part of God's simple plan of salvation.

“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, “WHY GRACE CAN SAVE THE WORST MAN!”

I encourage you dear friend to make sure you know the clear Gospel, so that you'll know you're saved, and can show others how to be saved also. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU. We must stay true to the simplicity of the Gospel. Repentance regarding salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief. We must earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3).

Thank you for reading my blog. Jesus is precious!!!