In response to my post, “False Prophet of Purpose Driven Fame,” Mr. Abanes wrote:
You wrote: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (anathema, or eternally damned). As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.“
ME: I would encourage you to be very careful with how you direct this accusation at another individual — I would also encourage you to not believe everything you read on the internet, have a knee-jerk reaction, or join a bandwagon.
This galatians condemnation is reserved for those who “preach a false gospel” (i.e., salvation by any other means than by grace). Contrary to most of what is said about Rick Warren, he absolutely preaches salvation by grace alone through faith alone in th life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Second Person of the one and only Triune God, who nailed our sins to the cross in His body.
I have attended Saddleback church for 15 years, was on staff for 2 years, know Rick Warren personally, have taught doctrinal/anti-cult discernment classes at Saddleback, and have written a book on Rick Warren explaining EXACTLY what Warren teaches/believes. I suggest you read “Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him.”
If you want to see my credentials as an apologist, or look at my books, feel free to visit my website at abanes.com.
Dear friend, please, please be careful in making these kinds of charges against a fellow believer, not to mention a pastor who has led many people, by God’s Holy Spirit, to the Christ of the Bible. He may not use the words you like, or teh style you appreciate, or the traditional approach — but he is getting through to a whole new generation and segment of society who need Christ. And they are coming to Christ in droves. Personally, I am rejoicing over what God is doing.
I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
in Christ,
Richard Abanes
I appreciate your comment. However, it was only after much study of God’s word, Warren’s teaching, and godly counsel that I came to such a conclusion. According to PDL (it’s at the end of chapter 7, if I remember correctly), one must pray a prayer that goes something like, “Jesus, I believe you and I receive you.” In that chapter on salvation, there is no talk of the wickedness of man and our utter helplessness without the salvation that comes by repentant faith in Christ. There is no talk of turning from sin to obey the Savior. A gospel message devoid of those things is antinomianism, a damnable heresy condemned by the early church. A person is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and NOT of works lest any man should boast. Though we are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves is never alone. 100% of the time, it is followed with continued obedience to Christ. Not only does Warren fail to talk about genuine repentance and the cost of discipleship (“If any man wants to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”), he advocates designing the worship service on the Lord’s Day, not based on the commands and principles taught in Sacred Scripture, but after the “felt needs” and likes and dislikes of the “unchurched.” Unconverted, unregenerate man is not merely “unchurched.” He hates God. Scripture says to be carnally minded is enmity with God. Christ has to reconcile man to God because we are His enemies outside of Christ. Our thoughts are only evil continually. Unchurched man has no idea what church should be like, and it is utter folly to take away God’s worship to tickle the ears of those who hate Him. Not only is Rick Warren a heretic, but he has given countless people a false concept of the God of the Bible, a false assurance of salvation, an excuse to remain in their sin and still think they’re right with God (after all, they prayed the stupid prayer), and ultimately helped them do nothing but go to hell. Undoubtedly, God has seen fit to save some inspite of Warren’s false, watered down “gospel” message, and for that He should be glorified. In His sovereign power, He has used even that mess to bring some to salvation. This is not just a matter of using different words to say the same thing. The fact of the matter is, Rick Warren preaches another gospel than the gospel according to Jesus Christ. I would urge him to repent of his wickedness in twisting the word of God and misleading many, and to began preaching the one true gospel of Jesus Christ, the mighty to save.
To: Mary Jo and Richard,
I write this a lover of Christ, saved by Grace, a member of Saddleback Church, and one who views this issue from both of your perspectives. I am member of Saddleback Church and I believe there is no salvation without confession and repentance.
I was saved at a Saddleback Men’s retreat in 1999. I was not a believer and a friend took me to the retreat. I heard a message from Kenny Luck (Saddleback’s Men’s Pastor) on how to escape sexual sin, by confessing the sin, begging for forgiveness, and asking Christ to come into my life and be my savior. This repentance from sin was the first step in my salvation, exactly as Christ described it. In the 8 years since that day, my life has been completely transformed, and I thank Jesus every day for what He did for me.
Rick does not talk about sin. Rick may have mentioned sin at one or two sermons over the years, but he clearly explains salvation from belief in Jesus. If Rick had titled his book, “The Purpose Driven Life, a Life without Sin” how many copies would have been sold? Rick knows exactly what he is doing, He is a fisher of men. He tries to hook them, and leaves their maturation of faith to others. If anyone doubts this, all they had to do was listen to Rick’s Christmas message. God bless Rick, as he clearly explained that we can turn from our old life (sin?) and take a Mulligan (golf’s second chance). I know that message reached many us-saved and they turned to Christ. That was the most evangelistic I have ever heard Rick be. I know personally that dozens of un-churched sinners attended those Christmas services and have turned to Jesus. I pray that Bible believing Christians will come along side those new believers and help them grow in repentance and salvation.
So I think you are both right, Mary Jo as you say, Rick does not teach salvation through repentance from sin. Richard, you are also correct, God has chosen to use Rick Warren in mighty ways. Rick has opened the door to salvation, and the resulting obedient service to our Lord. As for me, I pray the God will use me to work with Rick, and help new believers at Saddleback to understand exactly why Jesus died for us, and the need for confession and repentance.
May God bless all of our efforts to serve Him.
Larry Stevens
A Blast of the Trumpet Against False Peace
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0301.htm
“Peace, peace, when there is no peace.”—Jeremiah 6:14.
Here is an excerpt:
MINISTERS ARE FEARFULLY GUILTY if they intentionally build up men in a false peace. I cannot imagine any man more greatly guilty of blood than he who plays jackal to the lion of hell, by pandering to the depraved tastes of vain, rebellious man. The physician who should pamper a man in his disease, who should feed his cancer, or inject continual poison into the system, while at the same time he promised sound health and long life such a physician would not be one half so hideous a monster of cruelty as the professed minister of Christ who should bid his people take comfort, when, instead thereof, he ought to be crying, “Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion: be troubled, ye careless ones.”
Thanks for sharing your passion for God’s truth, Mary Jo. :) I agree with you about the necessity of showing people the utter depravity of man’s sinful nature as we evangelize to others. I truly believe in order for us to appreciate the Good News, we have to know and understand the gravity of our sins first. We must hear the Bad News first. No patient would care for a cure when they don’t even believe they have an illness. Regrettably, often times we like sugar-coat the truth so as to not offend people. It is unfortunate, indeed.
I love what the 17th century Puritan, Thomas Watson, aptly wrote concerning true repentance:
“The eye is made both for seeing and weeping. Sin must first be seen before it can be wept for. Hence I infer that where there is no sight of sin, there can be no repentance.”
I would recommend Thomas Watson’s book The Doctrine of Repentance if anyone happens to be interested. :-)
Thanks for letting me occupy some space on your blog to write this, Mary Jo. :-)