The Gospel, Period.

Lutheran minister and professor Rod Rosenbladt has a short message entitled “Christianity in Five Verses,” made available by New Reformation Press. It is quite possibly the most succinct and clear presentation of the gospel I’ve ever come across. In rapid-fire succession, Rosenbladt identifies and dismisses many of the “gospels” presented by many churches today, contrasting them with the true gospel of the imputed righteousness of Christ alone. If you have a spare 22 minutes, you must listen to this excellent presentation.

From the website’s description:

This powerful lecture goes right to the center of what the Christian faith is, cutting through all the claptrap and fluff that so often diverts us from the core message of the Scriptures. Dr. Rosenbladt clearly and concisely lays down Gospel right from the text of the Scriptures and contrasts this message with what often masquerades as the Gospel. This is a must-listen for every Christian, but especially for pastors and teachers charged with teaching and preaching God’s Word, and for those actively involved in sharing their faith with others.

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Sola Fide or Sola Fidelity? (via Wes White)

Wes White has produced another excellent post highlighting what I believe to be the single most significant issue in the Federal Vision Controversy. Does the Bible present a salvation by Faith Alone? Or perhaps is it by Faithfulness Alone? These questions are at the heart of the gospel, and we must answer them correctly. Pastor White begins his post,

The Federal Visionists want to replace the great sola fide (faith alone) of the Reformation with a doctrine of sola fidelity (justification by faithfulness alone). What’s wrong with a doctrine of sola fidelity? The answer is simple. If we adopt or allow the Federal Visionist sola of sola fidelity, then our justification becomes primarily about what we bring to God and not what we receive from Christ. This eviscerates our doctrine of justification.

Let me illustrate this point. The FV doctrine is that trust is loyalty or faithfulness. It is one thing to say to my wife, “I trust you.” It is something entirely different to say, “I will be loyal to you.” The former is about what I receive from my wife; the latter is what I give. When we turn faith into faithfulness, justification becomes about what we give to God instead of what we receive from Him.

You can read the rest of this post here.