Rick Warren has developed a series of Christian Life And Service Seminars that are available to and widely implemented by thousands of churches. There are four segments in his C.L.A.S.S seminars. The first one is CLASS 101 Membership. In the first section of the booklet, he deals with the subject of salvation and asks the question, "What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?"
Printed below in green text is a paraphrase of that new member discipleship material. The accompanying passages of Scripture are all in the New King James Version and are printed in red text. In the paraphrase, I have tried to set aside my preconceived understanding of biblical salvation and my bias regarding Rick Warren, and attempted to read and reiterate the content from an unchurched and scripturally ignorant "seeker" point of view.
YOUR SALVATION
“For you are all sons of God
“For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized
For as many of you as were baptized
into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free,
there is neither male nor female,
there is neither male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:26-28
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
Galatians 3:26-28
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
Are you happy? Does your life have meaning or purpose? Are you satisfied?
Those are some of the most important, basic questions anyone can ask.
What is it that would really make you happy? Some people think that acquiring lots of things would make them happy. Others try to achieve happiness in pursuing and experiencing life’s pleasures. And others want to have notoriety, respect, or prestige.
These are not bad things. Did you know that God wants you to be happy? He loves you and He created you in His own image so that He could enjoy a relationship with you. You see He really wants for you to have the same things you want.
Jesus said, “…I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
God created the world for your use, your enjoyment, and your pleasure. You are special.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Gen. 1:27-28
“…God…gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Tim. 6:17b
An eternal, loving relationship with God, a guilt-free conscience, a peaceful, and full life, purpose, self-confidence, security, health and strength, personal satisfaction, and freedom; all the benefits you want in life are freely yours to enjoy if you live in harmony with God’s purpose for creating you. It is not about just living; it is about living the lifestyle God wants for you. That is the abundant life Jesus came to tell us about.
So then what is the problem? Why are you not happy? Well, the answer is really simple. You want to satisfy your own desires instead of letting God make you happy. You want to do it your own way. That self-sufficient attitude is what the Bible calls sin.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own
way…” Isaiah 53:6
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
That attitude, that desire to do it your own way, breaks your relationship with God. And when that happens, you are outside of His will. Then you are on your own, insufficient and unable to make yourself happy, and fearful about the future.
The ultimate consequence of that sin attitude is death.
“For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23
Now there are two kinds of death. The first kind is physical death and everyone will experience that.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27
But there is another kind of death. It is a spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Rev. 21:8
The one thing you need most in life is an eternal, personal relationship with God. How can you have that? Well God has graciously made a simple way for you to enjoy that relationship. It is a gift; He has provided it free of charge, without cost. But, here again is the same problem. Most people want to pay their own way for that relationship. They will sincerely try real hard to create that relationship in all the wrong ways. They do that by trying to live right, and clean, and do good works. They try to kick bad habits. They try religion. And they try to keep the Ten Commandments.
Trying to pay your own way is that same attitude again, of wanting to do it your way that the Bible calls sin. And sin is what keeps you from a personal relationship with a God who desperately wants you to be happy. And, not only that, it will result in your eternal separation from Him.
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:28
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Eph. 2:8-9
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according toHhis mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
So how can you have that personal relationship? How can you enjoy the good life here and now, and forever?
Jesus Christ said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, no one comes to the Father, except THROUGH ME.” John 14:6
Here is GOOD NEWS! Your sin problem (the attitude of wanting to do things your own way) that has resulted in your broken relationship with and eternal separation from God has already been taken care of by Jesus.
“For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
God did that for you because He loves you and He has a wonderful plan for you and He wants you to know and love Him.
“But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Tim. 2:5
God has done everything He can to restore your relationship with Him. He took the first step. He made the effort. He took the initiative. Now all He wants is to enjoy you and love you. He is patiently waiting for you to decide to accept what He has done for you.
Are you ready to accept Him? Are you ready to make a decision? Before you can make an informed decision, there are some things you should understand.
Those are some of the most important, basic questions anyone can ask.
What is it that would really make you happy? Some people think that acquiring lots of things would make them happy. Others try to achieve happiness in pursuing and experiencing life’s pleasures. And others want to have notoriety, respect, or prestige.
These are not bad things. Did you know that God wants you to be happy? He loves you and He created you in His own image so that He could enjoy a relationship with you. You see He really wants for you to have the same things you want.
Jesus said, “…I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
God created the world for your use, your enjoyment, and your pleasure. You are special.
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Gen. 1:27-28
“…God…gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Tim. 6:17b
An eternal, loving relationship with God, a guilt-free conscience, a peaceful, and full life, purpose, self-confidence, security, health and strength, personal satisfaction, and freedom; all the benefits you want in life are freely yours to enjoy if you live in harmony with God’s purpose for creating you. It is not about just living; it is about living the lifestyle God wants for you. That is the abundant life Jesus came to tell us about.
So then what is the problem? Why are you not happy? Well, the answer is really simple. You want to satisfy your own desires instead of letting God make you happy. You want to do it your own way. That self-sufficient attitude is what the Bible calls sin.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own
way…” Isaiah 53:6
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
That attitude, that desire to do it your own way, breaks your relationship with God. And when that happens, you are outside of His will. Then you are on your own, insufficient and unable to make yourself happy, and fearful about the future.
The ultimate consequence of that sin attitude is death.
“For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23
Now there are two kinds of death. The first kind is physical death and everyone will experience that.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27
But there is another kind of death. It is a spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Rev. 21:8
The one thing you need most in life is an eternal, personal relationship with God. How can you have that? Well God has graciously made a simple way for you to enjoy that relationship. It is a gift; He has provided it free of charge, without cost. But, here again is the same problem. Most people want to pay their own way for that relationship. They will sincerely try real hard to create that relationship in all the wrong ways. They do that by trying to live right, and clean, and do good works. They try to kick bad habits. They try religion. And they try to keep the Ten Commandments.
Trying to pay your own way is that same attitude again, of wanting to do it your way that the Bible calls sin. And sin is what keeps you from a personal relationship with a God who desperately wants you to be happy. And, not only that, it will result in your eternal separation from Him.
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:28
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Eph. 2:8-9
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according toHhis mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
So how can you have that personal relationship? How can you enjoy the good life here and now, and forever?
Jesus Christ said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, no one comes to the Father, except THROUGH ME.” John 14:6
Here is GOOD NEWS! Your sin problem (the attitude of wanting to do things your own way) that has resulted in your broken relationship with and eternal separation from God has already been taken care of by Jesus.
“For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
God did that for you because He loves you and He has a wonderful plan for you and He wants you to know and love Him.
“But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Tim. 2:5
God has done everything He can to restore your relationship with Him. He took the first step. He made the effort. He took the initiative. Now all He wants is to enjoy you and love you. He is patiently waiting for you to decide to accept what He has done for you.
Are you ready to accept Him? Are you ready to make a decision? Before you can make an informed decision, there are some things you should understand.
- We are all in the same condition. We all have that “I want to be in charge” sin attitude that has broken your relationship and keeps you from the glorious life that God wants for you.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 - Because of that attitude, you are in danger of the second death, which is eternal separation from God in hell.
“For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23 - God sent his only son to die in your place for your sin attitude.
“But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 - God loves you so much that He made this way to forgive you for your sin and to save you from eternal separation from Him.
“The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 - God offers all this - the benefits of a personal relationship with Him now and the promise of eternal life. That is the GIFT of SALVATION. It has all been paid by Jesus. He died in your place. But, like all gifts, it is not yours until you receive it. The decision is up to you.
Here is how you can receive it:
- You must speak audibly; that you accept Jesus into your life and you must believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 - You must call out to God to save you.
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
That’s all there is to it! That is what it means to be a Christian. It is so simple that most people miss it. Just believe and trust Jesus to save you. If you just did that and you invited him into your heart, then “welcome to the family.” Because you have made that decision; because you invited Jesus into your life, there are several things that God has just now, miraculously done for you:
- He has given you eternal life.
“And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:11-13 - He has forgiven all your sins.
“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:14 - He has given you new life and placed you into the family of God.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13 - He has placed His Spirit in you, He has guaranteed a place for you in heaven, and you will never be in danger of losing your relationship with Him.
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Eph. 1:13-14
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I asked a couple people I know to read and comment on it. Their analyses were kind of spooky. One man said, "Well, it sounds a little strange but basically I don't disagree with it." Another said, "It is biblically based."
That's where I freaked out. There are just too many Christians who really think that the test of legitimate doctrine is that something is "biblically based."
But that is the wrong test. When Satan tempted Eve in the garden, his argument was "biblically based." He used the Word of God with just a little bit of a tweak. The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is "biblically based." All kinds of nutty practices and doctrines are "biblically based." the fact of the matter is that ALL HERESY IS BIBLICALLY BASED.
The important test of a teaching has nothing to do with its biblical basis; it has everything to do with its doctrinal soundness. We are commanded to "rightly divide the Word of Truth." That implies that it is possible to wrongly divide it.
Rick Warren's CLASS 101 presents a heretical, unbiblical, anemic, man-centered, false gospel where anyone can simply choose to accept Jesus without repentance or obedience.
Don't Worry; Be Happy!
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