The man who claims to be the representative of Jesus Christ on earth, the man who holds a golden cup in his hand filled with abominable things, Pope Francis, will be visiting Philadelphia in September for the World Meeting of Families. The World Meeting of Families is a Vatican-sponsored event held every three years to promote family ideals. The event, according to their website is:
Held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, the World Meeting of Families is the world’s largest Catholic gathering of families. Each World Meeting of Families has a theme that energizes and enlivens the event while adding great depth of meaning to our understanding of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 is “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society.
And guess who won’t miss an opportunity to yoke up with them? It’s none other than the evangelical pope himself, Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. Warren will be teaming up with Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, for the keynote session at the event on Friday before the pope’s visit. This isn’t the first time that the ecumenical author of the Purpose Driven Life has yoked up with unbelievers to promote some kind of social agenda, all while compromising the Gospel. Late last year, he, along with Russell Moore, made a trip to the Vatican for the same reason. As JD says…
The only reason a Christian should go to the Vatican is to preach the Gospel or be burned at the stake…
Warren, last year, referred to the pope as “Holy Father,” and referred to pope Francis as “our Pope.”
So why does Rick Warren continue to compromise the Gospel in order to push an ecumenical social agenda? Because Rick Warren really doesn’t see anything wrong with it. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Rick Warren really does not understand the purpose of the Gospel. Rick Warren’s focus as a so-called pastor has been solidly on social issues, such as disease control, promoting traditional family values, and giving people a warm feeling of “purpose” in their lives. While not all of these things are all bad, these problems stem from an issue of sin–and Rick Warren likes to only treat the symptoms of sin, rather than the root.
This is why Warren (and Russell Moore, for that matter) can team up with Roman Catholics. Their main focus is only on treating the symptoms of the sin. Rick Warren can pass out condoms in Africa alongside Catholics, Mormons, Atheists, whoever, and claim he has served some purpose. Russell Moore can call for the confederate flag to be removed in South Carolina, because, like Warren, he sees the symptoms of the sin as the main problem. To them, this is the Gospel. So in this sense, they all share the same Gospel–the social Gospel. They don’t ever talk about the root of the problems however, which is our fallen, depraved state, and our need for a savior.
The only real solution to the problems that Rick Warren is desperately trying to solve has already been solved, yet he doesn’t acknowledge this. Jesus Christ died to take the wrath for our sin, so that we might be freed from it. The Gospel, the good news of Christ Crucified, buried, and raised to life, is the solution that all people need to hear. Those who are trying to tear down traditional family values and destroy marriage, those who are pro-choice and promote the slaughter of innocent children, those whose hearts are so hard, that they don’t think twice about opening fire on a church congregation, regardless of race–these people need the Gospel.
True Christians cannot unite with Roman Catholics, and other unbelievers on the Gospel, because we don’t share the same Gospel. The Roman Catholic Gospel is a false Gospel, yet, in order for Warren to unite with them, he must compromise the true Gospel. He must set the Gospel aside, and focus only on what is apparently in common and this is why Scripture clearly forbids these types of unions.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
[Contributed by RC]
