Purpose Driven Life critique (cont.)

But that is exactly what he is doing. He seems to miss the real meaning of Philippians 3:13, "For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” The work God wants to do in us begins by God putting the will to do His will within us, and then He gives us the power to do that will. It is all His work. We simply respond by faith, not by works first. This is the thrust of such passages as Romans 1:16 and Galatians 2:20. If God does not accomplish the work, we certainly will not be able to do it

Warren also promotes the popular notion that a Christian needs a group or a godly friend to whom to be accountable. He underscores the need by saying, “some problems are too ingrained, too habitual, and too big to solve on your own” (p.213). He overlooks the invitation by Christ to "Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29). It appears that Warren is saying that God needs help to take care of His children. He further states that you are not going to solve your problems on your own (p.214). That is true, but the One you need is not another Christian friend who has his own "issues to deal with" but the One Who said, "…Without ME ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

"Discipleship” Warren says, "is the process of conforming to Christ" (p.219). That is true. However, the example of Christ is that He went to the Father in every situation, even during the greatest trial of His life, facing the cross in the garden. Why then should one counsel a brother to go to another man? Instead of going to the Giver of life, he wants them to seek the help of fallible man. This is not to say that God does not use other members of the Body of Christ, but our first move must be toward the Lord. Then as we wait on Him for His directions He will resolve our problem in His way.

To add to the evidence that this is, in truth, a self-help book, Warren says that the only way to develop the habits of Christ-like character is to practice them (p.221). On the same page he says that "repetition is the mother of character and skill.” It is here that he introduces spiritual disciplines. Warren is saying by so much that the Christian life is not a genuinely new life with access to life-changing supernatural power— rather, it is nothing more than disciplining ones self to be more like Jesus, a process that never really finds a stopping point, for it never really works. Therefore, according to the author, we must review the lessons we have learned lest we forget them.

Finally, Warren concludes that we must live purpose-driven lives that are committed to worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, and the ministry of fulfilling our mission on earth. But where do we find this in the Word of God? Like all the Christian self-help books, this book is filled with exhortations for the reader to do in order to obtain the Christian life God desires. While the writer states that Jesus lived a purpose-driven life, Warren overlooks the fact that Jesus' purpose, as stated in John 5:19, was that, "…the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” Jesus also said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father Who hath sent Me" (John 5:30).

Jesus was the quintessential picture of a life lived, and was always looking to the Father for His next move. He lived His life in peaceful, joyful obedience, not in self-effort, striving and working at His relationship with the Father. Thus, it was lived in utter dependence upon His Father.

The lesson is plain, once you leave Christ, even a little bit, and replace Him with something else, as good as that something may seem to be, you are slowly but surely moving away from Him. And, if we continue on this road long enough, we will have forgotten the place Christ should be in the church and we won’t even know He's missing.

But He is missing, and with Him we are missing the wonderful movement of the Spirit with His convicting work and the attendant revivals and miraculous works. In vain we attempt to recapture by our own efforts what only Christ can do through His Spirit. So we find today that the Church is striving to replace the Blessed with His blessings. And they are not even aware of what is wrong.

"Warren also promotes the popular notion that a Christian needs a group or a godly friend to whom to be accountable. He underscores the need saying, “some problems are too ingrained, too habitual, and too big to solve on your own (p.213). "

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