Pastor Rick Warren: 'Come as You Are' This Easter Weekend
Christians should be encouraged to "come as [they] are" this Easter season, Pastor Rick Warren wrote in a devotional post this week.
Warren, who oversees Saddleback Church in Southern California, wrote on Tuesday that some Christians may have the misconception that they need to "clean up [their] act" before they can present themselves to Jesus.
The megachurch pastor says that while Christians may think they need to do this, in fact the opposite is true.
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"The truth is, God doesn't expect us to clean up our act before we approach him. The death and Resurrection of Jesus is God's statement on that. Jesus spread out his arms and said, 'I love you this much. Now, just come as you are,'" Warren says, adding that, as Psalm 57:3 notes, God's death on the cross proved his unconditional love for us.
"He will send down help from heaven to save me because of his love (TLB)," the verse reads.
"That's what Jesus did on Easter. And that's why we can bring our messes and failures to God," Warren explains.
The megachurch pastor goes on to say that no matter a person's past, they should come to church on Easter Sunday and present themselves to God.
"There are people you know who think God will never love them because they've made such a mess of their lives. But you know God wants them to come as they are. Help them hear the Good News from Jesus. Invite them to come to church with you this Easter. It's such a simple thing to do, but it can make a difference that will last for eternity," Warren says.
The evangelical leader has published several posts relating to God's grace and mercy ahead of this Easter weekend, as he is set to debut his new series, "The Miracle of Mercy," which seeks to teach Christians "how to receive God's mercy and reflect his mercy to others."
"God's number one characteristic throughout the Bible is mercy. His mercy heals broken hearts, reconciles relationships, restores forgotten dreams, and refreshes tired souls. It's the cure to every insecurity, worry, and fear," the Saddleback website states in a promotion for the new series.
In a March 23 post, Warren writes that while the story of Easter may become boring and repetitive for some Christians, they must remember that they too share a part in God's crucifixion and resurrection.
"[Christians] miss that the story of the Resurrection isn't just Jesus' story — it's our story as well," Warren writes in the post, adding "[…] you are a part of the Resurrection. Jesus' death and Resurrection didn't just prove there was life after death."
"The Resurrection proves you can have life after death, that there's life beyond your grave," he says, highlighting that this fact is the true "promise of Easter."
"As Easter comes our way this year, that's a truth to hang our lives upon. It's great news that Jesus rose from the dead. But what turns that truth from black and white to living color is that one day — if you trust in him — he will raise you from the grave, too," Warren writes.
