Rick Warren speaks to unbelievers

He did worse than not preach the Gospel, he told them a lie saying, "God smiles" when they just be themselves, when the truth is they're going to hell on a greased pole for just being themselves.

Yeah, mine and God's, 1 Cor. 3:11.

Others don't know the Scriptures as well as they should.

**Implied insult removed**

 

According to your theology, they are what God decreed...so why wouldn't He be smiling? Do you honestly think God frowns when the unrighteous treat others good (and I'm not talking about their works of righteousness counting as anything).

 

Psalms 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

Doesn't sound like God is smiling at them to me.

 

I don't believe God is angry when a lost person feeds the poor, nor does that verse imply doing so is wickedness.

 

Even that good deed that the lost person does is sin in God's sight. Anything that does not spring forth from a desire to glorify God is sin. It's a crazy standard, but "all of our righteouss deeds are as filthy rags." Recgonizing God's standard for righteoussness as being THAT high, makes us appreciate Christ.

 

Um, the televangelists you mentioned earlier are "name it and claim it" charlatans who have bilked their followers out of millions--by promising that God will bless them if they give to their ministry.

You implied Warren does that. He doesn't. If you have issues with him, OK then...but don't lob accusations that aren't based in fact.

 

I honestly believe what the Scriptures say. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, Heb. 11:6.

The surprising thing about this is that one does not have to be a theologian to expose fundamental flaws in the talk. It was punctuated with secular humanism throughout, and the lie is exposed in the light of the sincere milk of the word. Even a babe in Christ should see it.

 

I have not seen anyone criticizing a lost person helping others. What is in error is to leave that lost person lost. But in the end scripture says just what Arron says it says. It is impossible to please God without faith. The actions of the lost have no eternal value. And Rw's ecumenicalism make everyone "OK" where they are at. That is another gospel.

 

Sin is the breaking of God's Law. God commands us to love your neighbor as yourself. The unrighteous doing that is not sin. Your bolded above is in regards to justification, btw. I agree the unrighteous are not justified by doing good works, but they are not sin nonetheless.

 

Hrm.. I was thinking about this and I think you are right. I do think the lost commit 'good deeds', but wouldn't you agree that even those good deeds are tainted by sin? To me, they certainly seem like good acts. Just not sure about this though.(note, apart from the atonement all that is left is wrath. That is why it was wrong for him to speak about God smiling on our good deeds like that).

I'm not sure which view is correct. I know that some teach that ALL that a lost person does prior to conversion is sin. Any thoughts?

 

Break one commandment, and you're guilty of all 2:10. There's no pleasing God just here and there.

 

The gospel has always been preached to people from different "contexts" than the one when Jesus was on earth. As long as the message is true to Christ's teachings it makes no difference except it speaks to a new generation.

 

Your right about one thing, the "claim it, name it" crew gets money for nothing. RW gets money for a self-help book that provides nothing but generic cliche rhetoric that leads people to search within themselves for the answers to life's questions, not seeking guidance from the One who has the answers.

Either way, both groups are leading people further astray.

 

Did I say he should have preached a sermon? I didn't think I did.

If you are going to mention God and His word at least do it right or don't bother at all. If I don't have an answer to a question, I don't make one up to please the ears of the one asking.

Do you receive a merit badge for defending him so?

 

What about Cornelius?

The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God."