Rick Warren is actually Roman Catholic

Well, he's actually Southern Baptist, if denominational affiliation counts for anything these days. Who hasn't heard of Rick Warren, especially after the presidential candidates were invited to his church to be interviewed a few weeks ago? For those of you who have been hiding under a rock for the last few years, Warren is the pastor of mega-mega-megachurch Saddleback Community Church in Southern California, and author of several best-selling books, including The Purpose-Driven Life.

But a fellow blogger and acquaintance from Australia made these observations about Warren which are "spot on" as they say down under:

Purpose Driven Pr. Rick Warren, may be Baptist in name but in spirit, he is absolutely Roman Catholic.

Here is what he said in a sermon...

You see it takes more than belief. It takes more than faith to really please God. He says it takes faith that results in loving others. Religion without love doesn't matter. It is not enough to say "I believe". What matters is how I love God and how I love other people, that is the Great Commandment.

Firstly, compare this with Heb 11

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw
near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

What Rick says is denial of [justification by faith alone], this is saved by loving. This is going to damn us because we never love as we ought. There is only one who did that -- and you know his name. Though faith produces love, that love is not the basis of our justification. This is an old error - a guy by the name of Osiander believed like Warren and he was corrected by the Concordists.

We are not reckoned righteous by God based by what is inside us and not even on the basis that Jesus lives inside us. And above all, certainly not because we love (because we don't), we are reckoned righteous through faith on account of what Christ has done at Calvary ...

... He should not be identifying himself as a Protestant, because he is not.