DISCUSSION OF RICK WARREN’S THE PURPOSE DRIVEN® LIFE

Here are my thoughts, comments, and questions as I read for the first time the above referenced book. It well may be that questions that I raise in one section are answered in a subsequent section.

3. Does the book place its primary emphasis on God’s grace in our justification through faith or upon God’s sovereignty and man’s obedience?

4. Does Warren treat the Scriptures as the sole source and norm for his teachings?

5. Does Warren emphasize God’s sacramental actions in His plan and work of man’s salvation?

Before I even opened the book, I noted on its outside cover that the commendations are only from Reformed theologians.

The opening sentence on page 9 places this book on the same level as the Scriptures in that apparently the Holy Spirit is going to work with Warren’s word in the same manner that the Holy Spirit works with the Word. In addition, his description of “life’s most important question: What on earth am I here for?” is wrong. Man’s most important problem is: What is the answer to my sinful condition? The rest of the introductory paragraph seems to state that the answer is for my life to be “fixed” rather than for me to be put into Christ’s death, where I die also and into His resurrection where I receive new life. “Fixing” means that man was not completely corrupted by original sin, and therefore some good untainted by sin must remain in him so as to allow him to cooperate in his own salvation or to require some help from God in his own salvation. Therefore, “fixing” implies that we are not saved solely on account of the Person and word of Christ Jesus.

His encouragement to set aside forty days “to figure out what God wants you to do with the rest of [your days]?”, page 9, appears to take me out of “give us this day our daily bread” and to claim control over the rest of my life for myself, according to my view and plan. In addition, on page 9, if Warren is going to set his book against God’s use of forty days, he is inviting every believer to test his teachings against the Scriptures. Therefore, if Warren’s teachings are contrary to that which is revealed in the Scriptures, then St. Paul’s anathema of Galatians 1:8,9 would apply.

Warren’s list of forty day events reads as if it was the forty days, rather than God, that worked any change in the particular people or was used by God for His purpose in saving man. In particular, “Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.” is an incorrect statement evidencing that willingness to misuse the Scriptures concerning the two natures of Christ as one Person, particularly during His humiliation. The Scriptures say that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil after forty days and forty nights. There is not a single word about His being empowered by the forty days in the wilderness. Note particularly Luke 4:1 which clearly states Christ Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” before He began the forty days in the wilderness.

Warren’s use of Romans 12:2, and particularly his choice of the translation he selects, would seem to separate this verse from the preceding verse, which emphasizes that our motivation is to be one of a faithful response to what God has done for us, and His grace and mercy. Our good works, rightly understood, are only pleasing to God because the sin that taints them is forgiven. They are but our feeble attempt to respond to the free gifts we receive from Him, particularly His declaration that we are justified by reason of the vicarious satisfaction of Christ Jesus. I would invite every reader to lay this book against Romans 12:1,2 and to test this book against God’s “good, pleasing and perfect word” as revealed in the Scriptures.

In Warren’s request that the reader “interact with” this book, page 10, I note that he does not suggest that this book be tested against the Scriptures. Nor does he suggest that readers pray that they only hear God’s word and reject all false teaching as they go through this book.

On page 11, Warren says “Real spiritual growth is never an isolated, individualistic pursuit. Maturity is produced through relationships and community.” Certainly, I am baptized as an individual into the death and resurrection of Christ and gathered into the Body of Christ, i.e. I am baptized as an individual into a membership. His second sentence forgets that this is a world dead in its sin in that it omits that God uses believers to encourage and console one another in Christ. The “communion of saints” (Third Article, Apostles’ Creed) is made one through faith. That community of believers shares the Word of God with each other and witnesses the object of its one faith, that being Christ Crucified, to the world in which it presently resides. Spiritual maturity for the believers is solely a work of God through that same Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17,18). Believers are God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

Warren’s statements that he had prayed for the reader emphasizes “to do” and not the obedient life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus. Christ is the believer’s hope. My joy must be found in Him.

Warren’s “covenant” would seem to state that man’s problems can be solved by man under law.

The translation Warren chose for Proverbs 11:28 on page 15 is again a translation that avoids saving faith and imputed righteousness, as defined by the Scriptures. This translation should be compared to those in NASB and even the NIV, for example. The portion omitted in Jeremiah 17:7,8, also on page 15, is also worthy of note. That portion adds “And whose trust is the LORD” (NASB). Our trust, which is faith, is imparted by the Lord and is from Him only. It is important that we remember that the righteousness of Christ Jesus is imputed to us through Saving Faith, solely by God’s grace.

Similarly, the translation chosen for Colossians 1:16 on page 17 is poor, to the point of missing the intent of the verse in the context of the preceding verses in that it bypasses the redemptive work of Christ Jesus and points instead to some generic ideas concerning God. The quote from Bertrand Russell pushes the reader towards God’s sovereignty and not His grace. Without reconciliation to God, any examination of life is vanity and meaningless.

On page 17, Warren says “Its not about you.” In one way, Warren is correct. However, through faith, the story of God’s plan and work of man’s salvation becomes my story, a story that He promises will proceed into eternity with Him sharing His glory and kingdom with me and all believers.

The use of Job 12:10 on page 18 is again the use of a poor translation. The NASB and NIV reference to “in His hand” (NIV) do not twist God’s Words so as to make it appear that this verse places God’s sovereignty to a position of dominance over God’s Grace. All of creation continues on until Christ’s Return only by the grace and mercy of God.

On page 18, we encounter strong reformed Calvinist theology. We see the emphasis and beginning with God, as Creator, and not God who redeems us and re-creates us in Christ. The statement “You were made by God and for God…” would indicate we are headed towards reformed Calvinist teaching that God made man for man to be obedient and to give glory to Him, rather than God made man for God to give to man out of His grace. We also see this in “…life is about letting God use you for his purposes….” A Christian’s life is a life coterminous with and always in the present reality of his baptism. I live in and only by the Person and Word of Christ Crucified.

The paraphrase used on page 18 of Romans 8:6 is very poor. Romans 8:1 states “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (NASB) No-where in the Book of Romans can you find that “attention to God” does anything for solving the problem of sin. As Warren criticizes the self-centeredness of most self-help books, I wonder whether or not there is anything more self-centered than an attempt to find salvation anywhere else than solely in the Person and work of Christ Crucified.

Again, the paraphrase chosen to translate Matthew 16:25 is dangerous. Matthew 16:25 should be taken in its context, particularly with Matthew 16:24 where Christ speaks of believers taking up their own cross and following Him. “Self-sacrifice” is not an adequate translation of “whoever loses his life for me will find it” (NIV). The life of a believer remains a life in the cross, trusting in God’s grace.

Warren’s description of the Bible on page 20 misses the central teaching of the Scriptures, justification. The Bible is God’s revelation of His gracious plan and work of our salvation, including forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life. Warren’s description is consistent with reformed Calvinism.

Again, the version/paraphrase chosen for 1Corinthians 2:7 on page 20, indicates a lack of understanding of what God is saying, particularly with Warren’s use of “what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us”. Perhaps 1Corinthians 2:2 should have been considered: “For I resolve to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (NIV).

Warren’s statement on page 20 that God “is the source of [life]” is certainly correct, but Warren does not seem to understand that the Bible is the story of “God’s re-creation” of His people through Word and sacrament. Man must not only “turn to God’s Word” it is God’s Word that works the creation of new life. Man is incapable of following Warren’s advice that man “must build your life on eternal truth”, page 20, because man is corrupted by sin to the point that he is unable to contribute or cooperate in God’s work of man’s salvation.

The paraphrase of Ephesians 1:11 used by Warren on page 20 is again a very poor paraphrase. An adequate translation puts the focus on God’s nature, attributes, and work, and not on an effort or work on the part of man. Accordingly, Warren’s three insights from this verse are not centered in the Person and work of Christ Crucified. God’s Word puts us into the benefits of the work of Christ Crucified, through the means or instrument we know as faith, which is also only a work of God. The concept of “a relationship with Jesus Christ”, page 20, is misleading in the context employed by Warren in that Warren has already removed the central teaching of justification.

The fact that “God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him.”, page 21, is incomplete in this context. God was, within Himself, planning and working our salvation from the hopelessness of sin, as His free gift of the benefits of Christ person and work from before creation. Our purpose then is to be the passive recipients of the benefits of work done solely within and by God, Three Persons, One God.

Language like “a much larger, cosmic purpose”, page 21, without the right context within Christ Crucified, is an emphasis on the sovereignty of God while disregarding the grace of God.

The quote from Andrei Bitov, on page 21, presents the thought that man can, of his own will and power, walk into God’s light, without regard to the Gospel of Christ Crucified. Christ is the true light who came, comes, and will come again to us. (John 1:1-5, 9, 14)

The paraphrase of Colossians 1:16b, on page 21, is again a twisting of God’s Word away from the right emphasis on the essence, attributes, and work of God by forcing an emphasis on man’s cooperation and contribution to his own salvation, which denies Christ Crucified His office of sole Mediator.

As I conclude this Chapter One, I see no possible benefit of trying to build any right understanding upon this book. It has already established a foundation contrary to the Gospel as revealed in the Scriptures and stated very clearly an attempt to pursue a way of salvation that fails to give due honor and praise to Christ Crucified. This book’s apparent utility is only in the exercise of discerning the subtleties of false teachings.

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[2] Chemnitz, Martin, Loci Theologici, Volume II, translated by J.A.O. Preus, St. Louis, MO., Concordia Publishing House, 1989, page 480.

[3] Ibid., page 490.

[4] Melanchthon, Philip, Loci Communes 1543, translated by J.A.O. Preus, St. Louis, MO. Concordia Publishing House, 1992, page 91.

[5] Chemnitz, page 523.