Let me say before I begin that I love Charlie Kirk (1993-2025). I am so sad that his precious life was cut short, way too short. I followed his college campus debates on YouTube and enjoyed his wit, intellect and profession of the Christian faith. That being said, my heart wants to believe that he went to Heaven, but as a born-again fundamentalist Baptist preacher I am concerned from Charlie's own statements regarding what he was trusting in for salvation.
The Mormons loved Charlie Kirk because he sinfully called them “brothers and sisters in Christ.” Charlie Kirk's faith teacher, former Pastor Rob McCoy of Gospel Speak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks, California, teaches hardcore Lordship Salvation! Their so-called “church” requires turning from your sins and surrendering to Jesus as “Lord” of your life to be saved. That is a cult! The sad truth is that 99% of professed Christians today are not saved at all. They are merely living the Christian life in Jesus' name, but they've never actually been born again by the Holy Spirit of God in response to childlike faith in the Gospel.
Charlie Kirk was very ecumenical, which in itself does not indicate that he wasn't saved. However, something is wrong when Roman Catholics (the biggest hellbound religious cult on the planet) and Mormons support Charlie's religious beliefs because he was so vague. I've heard him say repeatedly that he gave his life to Jesus as a young boy, but that is not how you get to Heaven. My point in writing this article is to raise awareness that Lordship Salvation is not the Gospel.
Pastor M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965) gets it 100% correct:
I have read and watched every social media source I could find this week, searching for any information to confirm that Charlie Kirk was indeed a born-again believer, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find it. The $64,000 question is: Did Charlie Kirk rest in the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ through Calvary's cross alone for salvation; Or, did Charlie believe that following Jesus as “Lord,” giving his life to Christ to serve Him, and turning from his sinful ways were necessary to be saved. If the latter is true, Charlie did not go to Heaven, based on our text Scripture passage from Matthew 7:21-23.
I am sincerely concerned whether Charlie went to Heaven or not. In fact, most religious people do NOT go to Heaven, they go to Hell (Luke 13:23-24). Romans 1:16b says that the Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” to all who believe it's message. If the Gospel is tampered with at all and not explained accurately, it can lose its saving effect. Please carefully notice the following verses:
Mark 7:13, “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
1st Corinthians 1:17, “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.”This is a harsh reality dear reader, and a real tragedy which is going on in many so-called “Christian” churches and Bible colleges today. Every Bible-believing church should give a clear presentation of the Gospel and invitation to accept Jesus Christ alone as Savior by personal faith, plus nothing. Sadly, a counterfeit plan of salvation is being preached today from nearly every social media outlet, Bible college, Missionary board, rescue mission, book and church.
2nd Corinthians 11:3, , “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
I've already had some people get upset with me for daring to question Charlie Kirk's salvation, but you are a fool if you merely ass-u-me that anyone who professes faith in Jesus is saved. Clearly, according to the inspired Word of God, most people who profess faith in Christ are not saved. Anyone who follows the core teachings of Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Church of Christ, Lutherans or Seventh-Day Adventists are NOT saved!
I still haven't heard Charlie Kirk give a clear salvation testimony. In every case he adds Lordship to the Gospel, which is not God's simple plan of salvation. President Donald Trump is considered by most churchgoers to be a born-again Christian, but I assure you according to his own statements that he is not a Christian. Donald Trump has repeatedly said publicly that he hopes his works will qualify him to be good enough to get to Heaven. Born-again believers don't talk about doing works to merit eternal life!
I haven't heard Charlie Kirk make such statements, but I have heard him in every case when he testifies about his Christian beliefs that he gave his life to Christ as a child. That is not how you get to Heaven. Judas Iscariot was one of Christ's very apostles, yet died in his unbelief and went to Hell forever. I am not saying that I think Charlie Kirk went to hell, so please don't anybody go put words in my mouth. I am simply pointing out for the sake of all observers that making Jesus Lord of one's life is NOT a part of God's simple plan of salvation. Nor is giving your life to Jesus a part of God's simple plan of salvation. If you foolishly think dear reader that you cannot be saved without accepting Christ as the “Lord” of your life, you are not saved!
I hate the Satanic fraud of Lordship Salvation, which evil disease has crept into nearly every Bible college, rescue mission, the White House, social media outlet and church today. Like the Apostle Paul, who said he was “set for the defence of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17b), I’m a stickler for a clear presentation of the Gospel.
Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold said it well...
“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!”Salvation is not a sinner promising to turn from sin, sorrow for sin, nor giving their life and heart to Jesus so that He will save them. This is the deadly heresy of LORDSHIP SALVATION. Salvation has nothing to do with our promises or gifts to Christ. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Salvation is simply a needy sinner accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as satisfactory full payment for the forgiveness of our sins. We simply trust in Jesus alone to save us (Acts 16:30-31; Romans 4:1-7; 1st Corinthians 15:1-6, Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).
Charlie boldly told the world about his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior. But that's the problem, you don't have to receive Jesus as your “Lord” to be saved, you simply take Him as your Savior. Although many religious people will want to debate this issue, Matthew 7:21-23 speaks for itself. These unsaved heathens were religious people. They did many “wonderful works” in Jesus' name. They prophesied (preached) in Jesus' name. They said they'd even cast out devils in Jesus' name. Yet, Christ denied knowing them as His redeemed sheep. They made the fatal error of serving Christ to work their way to Heaven, instead of resting solely in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross to pay for their sins. Satan's greatest weapon is con people to live the Christian life without ever being born again.
Since Charlie continually spoke about giving his life to Christ as a boy, and trusting in Him as his Lord and Savior, it can be concluded that at best Charlie was vague. Granted, he wasn't a theologian or a religious minister, I understand. And please understand that I did not write this blog to cast a negative reflection about Mr. Kirk, not at all. I am writing this blog to emphasize the need for clarity in the Gospel message.
“I mean, I'm nothing without Jesus. I'm a sinner. I fall incredibly short of the glory of God. We all do. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade, and it's the most important decision I've ever made, and everything I do incorporates Jesus Christ.” [emphasis added] —Charlie Kirk, 2024, during an interview with Russell Brand
Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1951) taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. Consider the following awesome quote by Pastor Ironside...
“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 …Bravo and well said Pastor Ironside!
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 tract: 'What Is The Gospel?'
What greatly concerns me is that hundreds of millions of people are now paying close attention to the aftermath of Charlie's assassination. They are studying his life and watching his videos, learning about his religious beliefs more than ever, but they are being misled to think that you must receive Jesus as your Lord to get to Heaven. I fully agree with Pastor Jack Hyles, who said he was sick of the Lordship Salvation mess!
Another helpful excellent quote is from Pilgrim's Progress author, John Bunyan...
“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)
Charlie, like so many who profess faith in Jesus today, utterly failed to distinguish and separate between SERVICE (discipleship) versus SALVATION (sonship). If you combine the two, the result is a false gospel which simply cannot produce the required new birth to enter into God's Kingdom (John 3:1-7). We simply do not know if Charlie Kirk was BORN AGAIN, because of his obscured and vague profession of religious beliefs. You can get upset with me if you want, but the inspired Word of God says that I am right, and as Charlie would say: “PROVE ME WRONG!”
John Bunyan is so right, by Charlie Kirk not differentiating between sanctification and justification, he unintentionally cast stumblingblocks before the people. I understand that he was not a theologian, but he influenced hundreds of millions of people. I humbly think it is sad and tragic that such an extremely popular man, who professed faith in Jesus Christ, failed to clearly present the Gospel of free grace to the world. For Charlie to say that he gave his life to Christ in fifth grade is religious mumbo-jumbo, not biblical teaching. It certainly is not the Gospel. No one has ever been saved who followed, served or gave their life to Jesus!!!
You simply cannot shew me any place in an inspired King James Bible where it requires receiving Jesus as your “Lord” to get to Heaven. 1st Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” To get to Heaven, you must take Jesus as your SAVIOR alone. Please read...
(by Pastor Jack Hyles, 1926-2001)
Just as many right-wing Christians are enamored with President Donald Trump, idolizing him, thinking he can do no wrong; so also do many Christians and right-wing conservatives idolize Charlie Kirk. I am all for having heroes, but not if it means turning a blind eye to the fact that Charlie Kirk seemed to trust in a Lordship type plan of salvation, which is unbiblical.
If you truly understand the biblical Gospel, then ye don't have enough information to know if Charlie was saved or not. I may learn more information in the future about his beliefs. But right now I CAN safely say at a minimum that Charlie's testimony can easily be misused to claim that he trusted in the Devil's lie of Lordship Salvation. This is what happens when people use unbiblical phraseology; such as, “I gave my life to Christ.” Not one Scripture teaches this is how you get born again. Faith alone in the GOOD NEWS (Gospel) of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen, without adding any works of self-righteousness is the only way to be saved.
The woeful sin of today's neo-evangelicals like Charlie Kirk is obscuring God's simple plan of salvation, mudding it down with embellishments that make the grace of God of none effect. Again, I am not saying that Charlie went to Hell. I am saying that due to his careless (no doubt sincere) use of religious terminology, it is difficult to discern what he actually believed. To say that Charlie Kirk trusted in Jesus as his Lord and Savior agrees with the Statement of Faith of every hellbound pseudo-Christian religious cult on the planet!
"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." —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, Hebrews; Zondervan Publishing House, 1959 (p. 117)
What a beautiful and doctrinally sound quote. Bravo Dr. Martin Ralph DeHaan!!! I love Pastor DeHaan by the way, he is one of my favorite preachers, along with Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951). These men were both 100% free grace Gospel preachers! It sickens me that most preachers today have been deceived by the Devil, preaching a counterfeit plan of salvation that does not match up to what the Bible teaches.
God knows that I didn't write this blog to cast a negative shadow over Charlie Kirk. I am however disappointed with Charlie that he didn't present a clear Gospel message to the world. There is no room for speculation or guesswork concerning how to get to Heaven, because the inspired Holy Bible plainly defines 'THE GOSPEL' for us...
1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
The bad news is that we humans are all guilty hell-deserving sinners (Romans 3:19-20; Revelation 20:11-15). The Gospel (Good News) is that God loves us so much, that He gave His only begotten Son to die on a cross to pay for the sins of the world (John 3:16). Anyone who comes to God by faith (taking God at His written Word), to accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that Jesus resurrected from the dead three days later, is saved. Nothing more is required nor permitted, lest the Gospel be made of none effect.
When Charlie Kirk speaks of trusting Jesus as his “Lord,” and that he “gave his life to Christ,” it confuses the lost world, muddying God's simple plan of salvation. I challenge you dear reader, if you are a child of God, to make sure you always present the Gospel in its simple pure form; and whatever you do, please avoid using unbiblical jargon that obscures God's plan of salvation. I know it is easy to pick up on statements and clichés to repeat them like a parrot, but this is how Satan has effectively crept damnable false teachings into Bible colleges and churches today, corrupting them (2nd Peter 2:1).
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