True Discernment

“Rick Warren envisions coalition of faith,” McConkey wrote on his website following Warren’s appearance Saturday evening. “Where in the Bible does it say we are to combine with false religions to do good works? In James 2:14-26, faith in Christ is first and works second. In Warren’s theology, works are first and faith is second because as he does his works, he is not telling people that Christ is the only way!”

and

Warren said Muslims and Christians should be partners in working to end what he calls “the five global giants” of war, poverty, corruption, disease and illiteracy.

I dont see anywhere in God”s Word where we are supposed to build “coalitions” with false Religions. In actual fact we are to avoid official associations with false religions as it gives the appearance of approval of those false religions. What really irks me about people like Mr. Warren is they seriously impune the soverignty of God and the power of his word! They seem to think that speaking the word of God to unbelievers is somehow inferior or unable to save people! So he must share his own false “good news”.  Which is nothing more than dead Humanistic “works” which God through is word has already shown to not be able to save anyone!

2 Corinthians 6:14-15:

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

Unfortunately Mr. Warren’s coalition is a faith in man and not in God! We are not to work with false religions to try and solve the world’s problems. We cannot solve the world’s problems!

Mr Warren is blind in regards to God and his word and hence is ignorant in the extreme!

Romans 8:22:

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

All of creation has been subjected to the penalty of sin due to Adam’s fall. This reveals itself in scientific facts such as “the entropy” increasing disorder in the physical world and universe. And Mr. Warren can not do anything about this!

Now if you as an individual see a Muslim lying on the road having been beaten and robbed, what do you do as a Christian? You do as Jesus taught in the parable of the Good Samaritan!

A supporter of Rick Warren contacted me and said the following quite unbelievable statement:

“He carefully considers the opportunities that God has given him to address these audiences.  These are folks that Jesus died for, but would never enter a church to hear the Good News.”

I was quite astonished at this statement as this person did not seem to know what the True Good News is:

John 3:16-21:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

 This supporter seemed to think that the “good news” was Rick Warren engaging with other religions to do “works” .

This is truly an epic tragedy! Christ came to die for the world’s sins, and those who believe in him are imputed with his Righteousness so we dont have to think that we have to try and earn our way to Heaven via “works” because WE CANNOT!

Ephesians 2:8-10:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Yes as followers of Christ we are to be doing “good works” but those that are ordained by God beforehand, and through Christ Jesus, which means you have to be a believer in Christ Jesus to know what “good works” he wants you to walk in for HIS glory not our own!

You can not separate out what you believe are “good works” from the sharing of  Jesus Christ and then say you are sharing the Good News! No where in Scripture do we see Jesus Christ or the Apostles separating out “Good Works” from the sharing of who Jesus is and how a person can be saved through Christ Jesus!

In actual fact if you are not sharing who Christ Jesus is, and how a perosn can be saved by faith in him, then you are deceiving people! You are robbing them of hearing the REAL Good News that will save their eternal life!

from The Washington Times:

The Rev. Rick Warren, one of America’s best-known evangelical Protestant pastors, pleaded with about 8,000 Muslim listeners on Saturday night to work together to solve the world’s greatest problems by cooperating in a series of interfaith projects.

“Muslims and Christians can work together for the common good without compromising my convictions or your convictions,” Mr. Warren said during an evening session of the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) at the Washington Convention Center.

“I am not interested in interfaith dialogue but interfaith projects,” said the pastor of the 24,000-member Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., who is widely known for his bestseller “The Purpose-Driven Life.”

“Talk is cheap … but love is something we do together,” he added. “As the two largest faiths on this planet – more than 1 billion Muslims and 2 billion Christians – as Muslims and Christians, we must believe in this. As more than half the world, we must do something to model what it is to live in peace, to live in harmony.”

His 25-minute speech, which was met with light applause at several intervals, included three suggestions: create a coalition to end religious stereotyping, work together to restore civility to American society and take a common stand against attacks on freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Criticizing the media as being “clueless as to what you believe as well as what I believe,” Mr. Warren called for a “coalition of people of good will to say we are not going to allow this stereotyping of anyone. It is the truth that sets us free and we’re not going to allow this.”

ISNA U.S. President Ingrid Mattson introduced the pastor as a “distinguished guest” whom organizers wanted to invite because of his worldwide charitable projects.

Noting that Mr. Warren gives away 90 percent of his salary, she added, “Here is someone who, in charitable giving, is very stiff competition.”

The pastor, who usually dresses in informal Hawaiian shirts, arrived in a beige suit and yellow tie. He began his speech with the common Arabic greeting “Asalam alakum,” or “Peace Be Upon You.” Mr. Warren said he was “deeply humbled and honored by this invitation,” then cracked a few jokes about his unworthiness in being there.

Although he is an evangelical pastor, Mr. Warren was sparse in his mentions of Jesus and God. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet but not God incarnate.

“My deepest faith is in Jesus Christ,” the preacher said at one point. “I am committed not only to the good news but the common good. Scripture says ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ I am commanded to respect everybody.”

The session, held in a cavernous hall with huge screens hanging from the ceiling, began 40 minutes late with a melodious chant from the Koran. Next were several videos, presentations, tributes, speeches and a lengthy session of fundraising.

Several speakers talked of progress among America’s millions of Muslims, culminating with their being recognized by President Obama – whose father was Muslim – in his inauguration speech.