Challies on “Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him”
4th July 2005
Tim Challies is about to review a book titled Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him by Richard Abanes. I am looking forward to this review and he states that he will be conducting an interview with the author (Richard Abanes) after he reviews the book. If you have questions you would like to address to Abanes you should email Tim and maybe he will get some of those in for his interview. You can read more about it here.
One thing I would like to say about all this PDL craziness…
I have never quite understood how a book or “movement” can cause so much excitement in the Church. We should be so excited about the Scripture. What can be more exciting than having the Word of God in our hands? What can be more exciting than being able to read it, study it, talk about it, apply it to our lives, and share it with others? I imagine Christians of old would have loved to have the Bible in its complete form which we now have.
If “Christians” spent as much time studying the Scripture as they did on reading/watching/listening to/talking about preachers and their books/movements imagine…. well, just imagine… 
One thing is for sure, we would have far less people that would call themselves “Christians”.
July 4th, 2005 at 13:38
Brian, do you mean (”. . . we would have far less people that would call themselves “Christians”) that this would serve as a “weeding” out process–I mean if people were required to spend time in the Word? It almost sounds like you’re saying that most people in the “church” today aren’t truly believers, i.e. the wheat and the tares scenario. Is this what you’re implying?
Brian, do you believe that once “genuinely” saved always saved? Do you believe there is a certian criteria or threshold a professing Christian must meet in order to substantiate genuine salvation has taken place?
I believe that it is possible to be a believer, and stay a baby/imature, i.e. to quench the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 5). Obviously my belief here is from a “negative” perspective–but the alternative, from my perspective, leads one to a works-righteousness soteriological position; and to a view that reduces “justification” (event) to be synonymous with “sanctification” (process).
I think, naively, many Calvinists today are only repeating their historical roots (see Puritanism), and re-integretating “Roman Catholic” spirituality and soteriology into their salvific schema. It is interesting, when you read up on Puritan’s, such as Richard Greenham, that they overtly asserted that salvation is in fact a process, always “proving” ones election. Today, contemporary Calvinists seemed to be doing the same thing, just covertly (see John MacArthur’s “The Gospel According to Jesus”/Lordship salvation).
Have a great 4th Brian!
July 4th, 2005 at 13:57
Affective,
Not so much a weeding out process. More preaching the scripture and thus not allowing people to feel mistakenly comfortable or mistakenly believe they are Christians. I believe we have a definition problem in this country. Many people believe that going to church, believing in God (any type of God), and being a good person means you are a Christian. I heard a stat recently that like 90% of Americans claimed to be Christians, yet, only 3% of those believed the Bible was the Word of God (inerrant). I think the churches need to get back to teaching the scripture.
Yes, I believe once saved, always saved. I don’t believe in criteria or thresholds. However, I do not profess to be able to judge the hearts of men. Only God knows His elect. I work out my salvation in fear and trembling and I think all Christians should do the same.
I also believe it is possible to never mature as a Christian and in effect stay a baby Christian. Again, my only recourse here is to use the scripture to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching.
Heading out for some barbeque and fireworks in just a bit…God bless bro!
AMDG
July 5th, 2005 at 06:23
The past master, our foe, satan is particularly good at distraction when he cannot perfect distruction in our lives. Considering that we have a lot of resourses in our generation to support and coach our walk on earth, we should also beware that there is also a lot of space for this support, combined with our pride, for the enemy to turn our focus away from the centrality of Christ in our daily walk and the importance of His living word in our lives……The signiifcance of the 4th is something to remember….today more than ever before….Blessings from England
July 5th, 2005 at 07:42
You make a good point overall I believe, that is, Scripture is of much greater value than all other books combined. But I sense a throwing out the baby with the bathwater mentality here. God has called preachers and teachers whose purpose is to point others to the Bible and equip them for ministry.
As to Warren, he does this to a large degree. However, this is precisely why he should not use so many weird translations.
July 5th, 2005 at 10:26
Jason,
I didn’t mean to sound like I was throwing the baby out with the bath water as I don’t agree with that. However, I think it is dangerous to allow someone to believe they are a Christian and feel comfortable just because the Word isn’t being preached and taught enough.
AMDG
July 8th, 2005 at 01:21
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July 31st, 2005 at 00:56
[…] ant enough to go into more detail about the issue. My general comments on it can be found here. AMDG This entry w […]
August 2nd, 2006 at 11:48
It is impossible to remain a baby Christian and be a Christian. Accepting Jesus as Savior only is nothing but carnality and the reduction of Jesus to a mechanism of imputed righteousness, hiding behind Jesus so that the Father won’t see your sins. Who the heck WANTS to be a baby Christian all their lives? Does a person want to wear diapers and suck a binky all his earthly life? That is a form of psychosis, I think everyone would agree. Buckle up, be a man, be a woman, read the Bible, BE THE BIBLE, don’t just be a baby Christian — which is a life of “believing in God” only and not “believing God.” In order to be fully in Christ one has to BELIEVE GOD, not just believe in God. A baby Christian sucks on emotion and feeling all his life, never working out his salvation, preferring spirit-rotting milk to the water of life. Hell’s bells, why bother following Christ if one is not going to follow? Why not just admit that one prefers to “follow one’s own way” and thereby live the neo-satanic existence of “do what thou wilt shall be all of the law” rather than “Father, thy will be done, not mine, in Jesus’ name.”