Rick Warren Teaches Self Love

In the March 2005 Ladies Home Journal, Rick Warren, rather than teaching the Biblical gospel to his audience of mostly unbelievers instead gave his readers advice that could only be classified as man-centered pop-psych that contradicts Biblical truth.

(Click on magazine artwork to see a larger image of the cover)

Listed below are Pastor Warren's salient points from his article entitled "Learn to Love Yourself ". (These are Rick Warren's actual words from the article)

Accept Yourself

God accepts us unconditionally, and in his view we are all precious and priceless. Focus on this and you will not waste any time and effort trying to be someone you’re not.

Love Yourself

[Warren’s wife affirms], “God really does love me without strings attached.” [On this basis we apparently have been given the freedom to love ourselves]

Be True To Yourself

Discover, accept and enjoy our unique "shape" [which refers to Warren’s S.H.A.P.E. program] ….Be content with them [our weaknesses].

Forgive Yourself

God doesn’t expect perfection but He does insist on honesty. When I honestly admit my errors and ask forgiveness in faith, He doesn’t hold a grudge, doesn’t get even, and doesn’t bring it up again. We should practice such a forgiving attitude with ourselves.

Believe in Yourself

Start affirming the truth about yourself! The truth is God has created you with talents, abilities, personality and background in a combination that is uniquely you. It’s your choice. You can believe what others say about you, or you can believe in yourself as God does, who says you are truly acceptable, lovable, valuable and capable.

Doesn't the first sentence of the Purpose Driven Life say, "It's not about you"?

We here at the Museum of Idolatry have no idea which Bible PASTOR Warren was reading from in order to come up with these suggestions.

Maybe we're just a bunch of unsophisicated dolts who are not hip to the 'new thing' God is doing but doesn't God's Word say that 'self love' is the source of humanity's problems instead of the solution?

The Bible that we read doesn't teach us to love ourselves it teaches us to love our Lord. We think the list should have read something like:

• Accept Jesus

• Love Jesus,

• Be True to Jesus

• Receive Jesus' Forgiveness

• Believe in Jesus

***

Please view the comments to this post for a complete Biblical critique of Pastor Warren's article.

Comments

[Val]

Dr. Gary Gill has a great rebuttal to Warren over at his site. Here is what Dr. Gill wrote:

What a disappointment! Not only does Warren not share the gospel, the glory of Christ or any theological truth, he muddies the waters by offering anemic pop-psychology none of which is supportable from Scripture. Briefly, remember that Warren is not writing to believers but to the general populace, which he would have to assume is largely unsaved. With that in mind consider:

To this audience he tells them that God accepts them unconditionally. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are unacceptable to God in our natural state. It would take the death of the Son of God to provide the means whereby we could be accepted by God and only those who are in Christ are acceptable to the Father (Ephesians 1:3-14).

Nowhere in Scripture are we ever told to love ourselves. We are told to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. We are also told to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Some jump on this phrase, “as yourself,” as proof that God commands us to love ourselves. That is not true. The Scriptures tell us we already love ourselves (Ephesians 5:28-29); we do not need to be encouraged to an inordinate self-love that amounts to self-centeredness. As a matter of fact, the only passage in the New Testament that actually speaks of self-love considers it a sinful sign of the last days (2 Timothy 3:2). Christ calls us to deny self (Luke 9:23) not love self.

To tell the unbeliever to accept and be true to himself is to condemn him eternally. Should one who is dead in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) be told to be content with his weaknesses? Warren may be attempting to soothe the troubled hearts of his readers, but he is not pointing them to the Savior.

Not a word can be found in Scripture about forgiving ourselves. This is a modern psychological invention, not a biblical principle. God calls us to confess our sins to Him and He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). We lack the ability and authority to forgive ourselves; that is God’s prerogative.

Rather than believe in self we are told to “believe on the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31). Rather than believe in self Paul confirmed that we are inadequate in ourselves (2 Corinthians 3:5), being mere earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7). Rather than believe in self we are told that anything we accomplish is through God’s strength (Philippians 4:13). Rather than believe in self Paul said that he “boasted in his weaknesses, that the power of God may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

How can this evangelical pastor, who has emerged as the most recognized Protestant leader in the world, one who is looked to for spiritual insight and guidance by millions, miss the mark so widely?

The rest of Dr. Gill's rebuttal can be found at http://www.svchapel.org/Resources/Articles/read_articles.asp?ID=112

[Mrs. Pilgrim]

I can hear the weak justifications coming along: "Oh, but if he'd gone hardcore on the Christian level--saying the things you think he should have said--then the LHJ would NEVER have printed his article! You see, now that the unbelievers know about God's love--and Rick Warren--they'll all go out and buy 'The Purpose Driven Life' and become Christians by the boatload! You're just being an unloving Pharisee! Plenty of time for 'truth' after we've already got a signed commitment..."

[Val]

Mrs. Pilgrim,

You've hit it right on the head. I once talked to one of the pastors at Saddleback about this and he told me that Warren was engaging in 'pre-evangelism'. He told me that Rick would have never been allowed to write for them if he was overtly Christian in what he said.

He told me that I should be thankful that God has given Pastor Rick this opportunity to get people interested in Christianity.

My comment to him was, "How does telling a non-believer a lie about what the Bible teaches get someone interested in Christianity?"

He pretty much shut the conversation down after that and said that Rick Warren is NOT accountable to me and my opinions but to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

[Steve]

"You see, now that the unbelievers know about God's love--and Rick Warren--they'll all go out and buy 'The Purpose Driven Life' and become Christians by the boatload!"

The problem is, unless the gospel is shared for what it is no one will truly know the love of God. The love of God is shown to a person who is "poor in spirit" not thriving in high self esteem. Will they "become Christians by the boatload" by reading Warren's book? God knows, but it seems to me that people are coming into churches by the boatload and saying that they are Christians, but show behavior that is not unlike the world (for example 50% of all that claim to be Christians are divorced yearly). The gospel message when preached in truth and spritually understood will produce in a person a grief for offending God, will bring humility because in spite of our offence the Son of God has come to take on our sin instead of us and the penalty that our sins requires. This has nothing to do with self esteem, but everything to do with esteeming God. Feel good religion of self love (we already love ourselves more than we love God) is not the power of God for salvation. Some "feel" right with God because they feel good about themselves, but are only deceiving themselves. This I think is the issue at hand. If we truly love others we will warn them of the false security of self esteem and self love. Putting the priority on self love is the reason man is under the wrath of God.

[nadine castonguay]

There will be many false prophets and they will bring many people DOWN with them.

[Jessica]

There's nothing wrong with teaching someone to love themselves uniquely as God made them. Of course worship is all about God, of course we should focus on God, but we are kidding ourselves if we believe that people don't struggle with personal image issues. Psalm 139 makes it clear that God made us unique, knows everything about us, which is why we should love who/what we are, and why we should strive to fulfill our purpose. Scripture teaches you to love yourself. That doesn't mean you have to become narcissistic, it doesn't mean that you put yourself before God, what it means is that you love who God created you to be and in that, you are honoring Him.

[Bryan Hupperts]

Perhaps it's time to share the "new thing" God is doing. We need to group Osteen, Warren, and Benny Hinn into one idolatrous heap. Imagine how many copies of this book they could sell!

My Best Purpose Driven Life Because God Wants Me Filthy, Stinking Rich Now!

Back to the prayer closet before the sky falls.

[Brian]

The world is becomming inundated with half truths,myths and middle of the road teachings. Based on the truth of the bible these are never acceptable.
Mr Warren among others feel that giving tid bits of Gods word and tid bits of his love will fullfill Jesus's salvation message. Which leaves the truth of Jesus and the need for repentence diminished, and rips the salvation message into pieces so that it is not truly understood by the sinner, and fails to lead them to the cross as they should be.
God will deal with these wizards of the gospel.
The enemy of our souls is very deceptive and his biggest aid is filtering into the church trying to devide Gods peaple. Pray for these so called preachers and teachers, there is a great price at stake here.
Lets keep the truth, the faith and the message off loving ourselves but we are to die to ourselves so that Christ may live in us and through us.
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." PH.1:21.
Yes he is the message not how we feel about ourselves.

[Eugene Roberts]

Please help me understand what it is about Rick Warren that bug the people so much. I have read Purpose Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life, we have done 40 Days of Purpose and 40 Days of Community in our church and have found it wonderful. We’ve had many conversions, our members have become better disciples of Christ and our church have become very involved in our community because of these campains. If a tree/book/author/pastor is to be judged by its/his fruits, Rick Warren is a great blessing to the church. Why all the fuss?

[Brian]

I understand that Teachers/Pastors such as Mr Warren, have a place in this world if we need to just feel better about ourselves. God can use a Mule to speak to the sinner so lets not fool ourselves.
You have to look past the fluff of "help ourself seminars/books" and recognize the need for a Strong body of christ that will withstand the attack of the enemy of our souls [ long term]. The fundamentals of the Christian faith is not a feel good effort. “Are you so foolish, after beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:3
The teaching of the cross is to point us always toward Jesus and that what we do gives GOD glory.
Unfortunately I fail to see in Mr Warren what it takes to make the body of Christ Strong and eternal. I believe that we are in end times and we must get past ourselves to be effective in this world.
We do not need a book by Mr Warren or his wife that is in addition to the Word of God and to teach the flock on Sunday for weeks on end with anything else but the Word of God.
I am sure that Mr Warren is well intentioned, but the road to hell is paved with just that.
I was saved at a Word of Faith Church [comming from a Catholic background] but I can guarantee you that my growth came not just from one source of teaching or type of teaching. Teachers such as Chuck Swindle, John MacArthur and alike give you the meat of the word, but also the need for alowing God to let his word work in your life VIA the HOLY SPIRIT is without a doubt GODS finger print to show you and lead you in this life. He is the Refiner and we are the CLAY lets not get this Mixed up. To often we lead people to Christ and than we lead them away to mans methods of healing and renewal.
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:1 Peter 1:7
I could go on and on.

[Brad]

I'm glad to see all of the theologically and doctrinally correct experts showing Christ's love to Warren. (Sorry to point out the spec in your eye) Jesus always spoke the truth in love and took issue with the "correct" religious leaders of the day. The forum Warren wrote for is strictly worldly, and we are commanded to reach the lost. Teaching biblically perfect doctrine to someone you'll never meet, in a secular magazine is not going to make people seek more. God's truth is absolute, yes. We can't lie to people to get them to listen, that's for sure. But you don't dump the whole load on them either. You plant a seed. God grows that seed in His perfect time. Warren said nothing blasphemus, he expounded on God's love for us and planted God's image of love in people who may never hear about it. Remember Jesus speaking in parables? The unfettered truth was only for those who were ready to understand.

[A Slave Of Christ]

Once there was a young man who heard quite a bit with the problems in the so called "Church" in America, and he saw the truth behind the allegations, and decided he had better pray.

The young man asked, "God, what's wrong with the "church" in America?"

God replied, "I hate it..."

[Love Jesus]

Don't you have something else more productive to do than to PICK at wonderful, loving people who are sharing the Love of God and the Truth of the Gospel the way Jesus did. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Actually, you should be VERY afraid. You are the EXACT reason why most of the world HATES CHRISTIANS. Pick Pick Pick. You must have a lot to hide for you to want to hurt a beautiful Christian teacher and the Christian faith. What is wrong with you? What are you doing so bad that you have to try to bring others who are doing so much good for the Kingdom, down? Judgmental, legalistic, negative. I just cannot believe you. You are a huge reason why so many people are going to go Hell. Your type of Christianity is worse than Satanism.