The Federal Vision and Union With Christ

Shane Lems writes about The Federal Vision and Union With Christ.

“But apart from sloppy equivocation, purposeful ambiguity, or outright lying, there is no way to harmonize these two positions.  Either union with Christ is inseparable or it is not.  The Federal Vision says it is not.  The Reformed Confessions say it is.  This is one of many reasons why historic Reformed churches have collectively and publicly spoken against the Federal Vision (for two examples, see the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s Report on Justification and the URCNA’s Report of the Synodical Study Committee on the Federal Vision and Justification, among others).”

The Federal Visionists try to escape the contradiction by claiming the “decretally elect” will remain united to Christ as the Confessions describe. So we’re left with two elections and two unions – The intial stages of which unions are identical and carry the same redemptive blessings of Christ. This is the confusing mess that claims to follow the Reformed tradition?

HT: Jason Punches of Somerset Reformed Fellowship

Contra Leithart: No, The Reformation Isn’t Over | The Heidelblog

Contra Leithart: No, The Reformation Isn’t Over | The Heidelblog.

Seriously? Questioning Machen on the Active Obedience of Christ?

D.G. Hart takes Federal Visionist Peter Leithart to task for engaging another typical bout of FV word-wrangling, this time over J. Gresham Machen’s taking comfort in the imputation of Christ’s active obedience. The PCA evidenced itself as being willfully blind by not giving Leithart the left foot of fellowship when they had the chance.

Aside from a certain amount of reverence for Machen, can Leithart really be that tone deaf? This has nothing to do with kicking a man when he’s on his death bed. It does have to do with trying to obfuscate a relatively simple Reformed belief (which is what those of us who observed Federal Vision always thought their MO was — to raise enough questions, debate enough definitions, cite enough biblical texts to wear out their opponents).

If you take seriously the guilt of sin and its ongoing influence in the life of the believer, you would be inclined to take great comfort in the active obedience of Christ.

via Seriously? Questioning Machen on the Active Obedience of Christ?.

 

Keach: Unity Against Distortions of Justification by Faith Alone | The Confessing Baptist

More Particular Baptists fighting the Federal Vision heresy before it was even formed. There’s nothing new under the sun, and that includes attacks on the doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone.

Keach: Unity Against Distortions of Justification by Faith Alone | The Confessing Baptist.

 

Is the FV Controversy Dead?

Pastor Lane Keister comments on a recent post by Doug Wilson and asks, “Is the FV Controversy Dead?“

Cornelius Van Til, Karl Barth, and The Federal Vision

Sean Gerety points out what should be an obvious link between the paradox theology of Cornelius Van Til, Karl Barth, and The Federal Vision.

The Leithart Verdict

Hear that sound? It’s the PCA’s death knell. Pastor Lane Keister reports on The Leithart Verdict.

Former Leithart Prosecutor (now defected to Rome) Jason Stellman believes that because of this verdict, the Roman Catholic “gospel” is now acceptable in the PCA. In the comments section, he writes:

Of course, I am out of accord with the PCA on other, non gospel-related issues (which is why I stepped down). But if that were not the case, and I held the exact same view of the basic biblical gospel that I do now as a Catholic, I probably could have stayed.

Stellman wrote a post of his own: Crap, I Should Have Just Stayed in the PCA!