A One World Religion? Ask Rick and Bill

We live in dangerous days. The apostle Paul warned Timothy that there would come a day when people would no longer put up with “sound doctrine” and I believe that we are now seeing the fuller implications of the apostle’s words. For me, it’s sad to see that for so many, they are easily swayed by a pastor or teacher based upon the size of his church or the success of his books and not even consider some of the things which they willing endorse. Okay, I must let the cat out of the bag as I am righteously annoyed at two of America’s more prevalent pastors who espouse such “expertise” in church growth----even giving conferences and offering the “struggling” churches resources by joining their “association.” But for the latest endorsements for Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, I must be obedient in exposing the error of their Christian beliefs.

There is a new movement called “Christ-Islam” which endeavors for Christians and Muslims to join together on the basis of “loving God and loving each other” for the sake of world peace. The movement which is called “A Common Word Between Us” http://www.acommonword.com/ holds to the belief of unity of the faith based on what both the Bible and Qur’an teaches. It states: “Not only can A Common Word Between Us give them a starting point for cooperation and worldwide co-ordination, but it does so on the most solid theological ground possible: the teachings of the Qu'ran and the Prophet r, and the commandments described by Jesus Christ u in the Bible. Thus despite their differences, Islam and Christianity not only share the same Divine Origin and the same Abrahamic heritage, but the same two greatest commandments.”

 

Any student of God’s only Word to man, the Bible, should be able to understand that the teachings of Islam and the teachings of the Bible are not compatible. In a document entitled “A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You” the following is endorsed by the mentioned names above as well as many other in the evangelical community:

 “What is common between us lies not in something marginal nor in something merely important to each. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God and love of neighbor. Surprisingly for many Christians, your letter considers the dual command of love to be the foundational principle not just of the Christian faith, but of Islam as well---That this common ground consists in love of God and of neighbor gives hope that deep cooperation between us can be a hallmark of the relations between our two communities.” (http://www.yale.edu/faith/acw/acw.htm. see the names of those endorsing at the bottom of this document).

 I know that it sounds rather “Kumbaya-ish” that we would show “our love” to Islam by recognizing that they also have a love for God and a love for each other just as we Christians are commanded to do; however, this has nothing to do with “love” but rather a blurring of the lines of truth which promote the idea of a “one world religion.” Islam and Christianity do not serve the same God. We do not share the common belief that we are of the same “Divine Origin.” John 1:1 states very clearly that man’s divine origin came from JESUS CHRIST who was “The Word” that He was with God in the beginning. Islam vehemently opposes the deity of Jesus Christ. How then can Christians promote the idea that we are on the same page with Islam when it comes to “loving God?”  Furthermore, do we, as Christians, believe that Muslim’s are lovers of God when they deny that Jesus Christ is Lord? Does the God of the Bible see them as one’s who love Him? No, the reality is that Islam is far from God and is incapable of offering Him true worship because they have denied Jesus Christ. By evangelical pastors believing that we can “join together” on the common ground of “loving God and loving our neighbor” is being deceptive in their witness to Muslims making them feel as if they are lovers of God while being on the pathway to eternal damnation! 

We cannot have “Peace” apart from the “Prince of Peace” who is Jesus Christ! Peace is not the absence of war but it is the presence of Jesus! By these “leaders” endorsing this idea, they are promoting deception by eliminating the truth about Christ and proposing that there is “another way” by which we can accomplish God’s plan on earth. Sorry Rick and Bill, but give me chapter and verse where it says that to “love others” means to lower the standard of truth in God’s Word. The truth in this matter is that there is no “compromise” when it comes to proclaiming who Jesus Christ is and by us softening our beliefs by coming under the name of “God” and “love” rather than the name of “Jesus Christ,” it diminishes the power of the gospel. Paul himself said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of JESUS CHRIST for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”(Romans 1:16). It’s not the gospel of “God” as everyone has a “god” whom they serve. Islam serves a “god” who demands his followers “perform” acts of goodness in order to be given an opportunity to enter into heaven---and knows nothing of true love. Allah is not a god that reaches to man. So, Rick, Bill and others, why would you profane the holy Name of my God by portraying Him in the same light as the god of Islam? There is a greater agenda----one that calls for “global peace” apart from Christ, one that calls for the “unity of man” apart from Christ”, and one that calls for the “worship of one god” apart from Christ---its called the moving toward a one world religion and as for me, I’m not buying it!

The Purpose Driven Lie

Our society loves the latest “buzz.” When someone who has something “new” to say has made their mark in our world, it seems as if they are propelled to the forefront societal thought. Not only does this phenomenon happen in the world but also and unfortunately, this happens within the church; however, once these individuals are placed in the “spotlight” of the Christian arena, it does not take long to discover the motivating force that exists behind their assent to the mountain top of Christian “pop-culture.” With that said, one individual in particular had indeed made his mark upon the landscape of the church in America and in many ways, he has shaped the way that church has re-defined worship. 

A few years ago, I attended a church that went through Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. At the time, I thought that it was a good idea for the church to spend the forty days in a focused study that somehow might prove beneficial to the Body. Since that time, I have come to recognize that the theology of Rick Warren is anything but Biblical. How can I make such claims? After all, that book has helped so many people discover that they are valued and that they serve a purpose in the Body of Christ. What about the news story of the hostage who used The Purpose Driven Life to touch the heart of her captor? Wasn’t that a “God” thing as well? I have a good friend who ga uges the theology of a Christian writer with a very simple thermometer: if it is on the New York Times best seller list and the world “loves it” then it must not be “Christian.”  According to Jesus, that makes sense as he assured us that the world would “hate us” and everything that is associated with Him. 

I do not know Rick Warren personally, but I can see the fruit of his life which he has chosen to put on display. Currently, Warren is attempting to find common ground among the world’s major religions and to somehow join us together in the name of “peace.” Believe it or not, this has everything to do with the Purpose Driven Life. Central to the book’s theology is “unity.” It was designed for churches to come together by a common means and experience life together and embracing our various differences which make us unique as God’s people. Enter the spotlight on Mr. Warren, and we can discover that he sees that God’s people extend beyond the confines of Christianity. Just like his book, we can comfortably accept our differences and celebrate our unique contributions which help us to discover the “purpose” for our lives in relation to God----whoever your god may be.

I’m not writing to demean or discredit Rick Warren but I am coming against the mentality what he has advocated to the Christian faith and is now infecting the church like a killer pandemic. First and foremost, God doesn’t believe in the Purpose Driven Life! He believes in the Christ Driven Life! Because without Christ at the very center of all we do, life has no purpose! The church has become too concerned with finding a “bridge” that will connect us with the world. God never called the church to “connect” with the world on any grounds. In fact, he has called us to “Come out from among them and be separate.” Too much of what the church does is in finding ways for people to discover their “purpose” in life. The Bible from cover to cover explains that very simply---to glorify God with all of our life! In other words, our purpose is to worship Jesus Christ. 

The early church did not look for “common ground” with those in the world; rather, they preached the gospel. The Gospel message is not one of common ground between the world and the church. It is a declaration that the world has no ground to stand on while the church has the only ground that will keep them from falling into a “bottomless pit.”  Because we have embraced the Purpose Driven theology, we have in essence created the church to be a place that is more concerned with people finding significance, purpose, and value for their lives than for people finding that they only thing in life which has significance, purpose, and value is Jesus Christ. It has become a place where we discover ways to conform to the Gospel to our lives as opposed to our lives being conformed to the Gospel. 

Perhaps the biggest problem in the Purpose Driven mentality is its position on “unity” at all costs. While unity is important to the Body of Christ, it should never compromise the Word of God for the sake of “peace.” There are certain “differences” we can embrace in the church such as our gifts, personalities, and preferences; however, there are also absolutes which cannot exist as “differences” in the church. Sin is sin and should be dealt with as being “wrong” and not dismissed as having a different view which we need to “respect.” Erroneous beliefs and false doctrine should be exposed and those whose job is to confront it should not be “afraid” of offending the wayward party. Finally, worship should be pure and not centered upon pleasing the ear of men for the sake of making people feel “comfortable” in our pews. After all, the goal of worship is not for unity or for the church to discover their purpose on this earth. It is to glorify God and in that, unity will come and purpose will be found; but to approach worship in any other way will result in another item to the long list of destructive theologies which has sought to destroy the true purpose of the church.