Here below is a tempered response from Dr. Michael Horton on the issue of Desiring God inviting Rick Warren to speak at the 2010 National Conference. (Thanks to Joel de Leon)

Read also:

1. John Piper to Respond on Rick Warren being on DG 2010

2. Updates on John Piper inviting Rick Warren to DG 2010

3. Official Updates from DesiringGod: Rick Warren at DG 2010

It is not our usual course at Modern Reformation or White Horse Inn to comment on the invitations of other organizations for their conferences. However, we’re starting to receive questions about our views of Rick Warren’s professed adherence to Reformational theology because an interview in Modern Reformation was posted byJustin Taylor and cited in the comments of his blog as supporters of John Piper wrestle with his recent decision to invite Rick Warren to an upcoming Desiring God conference. So our team felt that some clarification was needed.

In 2004, Rick Warren graciously accepted our invitation to respond to some Modern Reformation questions in our “Free Space” section, where we engage with various voices, often outside of our usual circles. We do interviews like this regularly, encouraging conversation, asking questions that we know our readers are wondering. It’s in our feature articles where we analyze trends and arguments, and I among others have challenged Pastor Warren from time to time. Our magazine is not just a platform for a few voices or churches. We’re trying to spark conversation—and, yes, to guide conversation toward a modern Reformation. Part of that means that we let others speak for themselves. Yet I think it’s pretty clear to everybody where we land on the main issues.

Speaking first for myself, I admire Rick Warren’s zeal for reaching non-Christians and concern for global challenges. I respect him for giving away much of his income for charitable purposes.

At the same time, I believe that his message distorts the gospel and that he is contributing to the human-centered pragmatism that is eroding the proper ministry and mission of the church. Judging by The Purpose-Driven Life, Pastor Warren’s theology seems to reflect run-of-the-mill evangelical Arminianism, especially with its emphasis on the new birth as the result of human decision and cooperation with grace. There are also heavy traces of Keswick “higher life” teaching throughout the book. None of this disqualifies him from being an evangelical statesman. After all, much the same can be said of Billy Graham. After pointing out how difficult it is to define an evangelical theologically, historian George Marsden famously surmised that it’s “anyone who likes Billy Graham.” Today, perhaps, it’s anyone who likes Rick Warren.

Obviously, Rick Warren believes that he is simply translating the gospel in terms that the unchurched can understand.  However, the radical condition of sin is reduced to negative attitudes and behaviors and the radical redemption secured by Christ’s propitiatory death and resurrection are reduced to general and vague statements about God giving us another chance. His central message seems to be that you were created for a purpose and you just need to fulfill it. Even at Easter he can say, “…And of course, that purpose now becomes greater — and in fact, I think that’s really what the message this week of Easter is, is that God can bring good out of bad. That he turns crucifixions into resurrections. That he takes the mess of our life, and when we give him all the pieces, he can — God can put it together in a new way” (”Larry King Live,” CNN, March 22, 2005). I heard him say on a network morning program last Christmas that Jesus came to give us a mulligan, like in golf—a chance for a “do-over” in life.

Read the rest: HT

Though I would’ve appreciated further comments from Dr. Horton on John Piper’s ill decision, specifically, on inviting Rick Warren, Dr. Horton’s reiteration of how theologically polar-separate Orthodox Christianity is from those of Rick Warren’s stripe tells volumes of his position. That’s encouraging since one of the things most needed at this time is a greater clarity of Truth and error—the likes of which Rick Warren advocates.

Brethren, let us continue in both prayer and supplication plead this case to the throne of grace, as well as continue faithfully heralding the purity and clarity of the text of Scripture.

And I reiterate from a previous post:

Brethren, pray diligently for the sheep. And in the words of Dr. Piper himself, “we have our hope in our Sovereign God.”

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

—Hebrews 4:14-16

And of course, brethren, let us not be so proud as to say that if we were in Dr. Piper’s shoes we would do any better. Nay, apart from God’s grace we would do far worse. Let us simply pray in humble submission to God’s will and dependence to God’s grace and find comfort in the fact that He knows His sheep. He feeds His sheep. He keeps His sheep. And He layeth down His life for His sheep. The God of all the earth will do right. Rick Warren and John Piper are but men, dust of the earth. We have a Sovereign King that infallibly saves and keeps those who are His.