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How to Discern a Faithful Reformed Church: A Warning to Families Looking for Sound Doctrine
- Jeremy Lyerla
- Jul 28
- 18 min read
Updated: Aug 9
Introduction: A Gospel at Stake
Across the country, more families are seeking churches that are doctrinally grounded, liturgically rich, family-integrated, and covenantally serious. Often, they are directed toward churches influenced by Doug Wilson and the broader Federal Vision (FV) movement. These churches may appear robustly Reformed, with their emphasis on “covenant,” rich liturgy, classical education, and strong community life.
However, we must lovingly but firmly warn that many of these churches are not Reformed in any confessional or theological sense.
“Many young families are being told they are joining a Reformed church, when in fact the theology being taught is not Reformed at all. It is a hybrid of Arminianism and Roman Catholicism, wrapped in covenantal language.”
—Heritage Covenant Church
I pray this post demonstrates that Reformed Is Not Enough by Doug Wilson teaches core tenets of Federal Vision theology and warns families that churches promoting it are not confessionally Reformed, despite appearances.
Wilson’s book, Reformed Is Not Enough: Recovering the Objectivity of the Covenant, has become foundational to the movement. While it avoids the term “Federal Vision” in places, it promotes the core doctrines of Federal Vision theology. As Reformed Christians committed to the Three Forms of Unity—the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort—we believe these teachings depart from the Reformation and subvert the biblical gospel.
This article aims to help families discern whether they are joining a truly Reformed church. It highlights the doctrinal departures in Reformed Is Not Enough, the continuing influence of Federal Vision theology, and the practical dangers of joining churches that affirm these errors.
Visual Comparison: Reformed Theology vs. Federal Vision
Doctrine | Historic Reformed View | Wilson / Federal Vision |
Election | Unconditional and eternal | Conditional on covenant faithfulness |
Perseverance | Certain for the elect | Covenant members can fall away |
Baptism | Sign and seal, received by faith | Brings into real union with Christ regardless of faith |
Justification | By faith alone | By faith and covenant faithfulness |
Church | Visible/invisible distinction | Visible = true church (objectively) |
Substantial Differences
Though Federal Vision theology uses familiar language, this chart illustrates how it teaches something substantially different from the Reformed confessions.
1. Election and Covenant Confused
One of the most foundational errors in Reformed Is Not Enough is the confusion between God’s eternal election and outward covenant membership. Doug Wilson presents covenant inclusion through baptism as the basis of salvation, making election conditional on human faithfulness rather than God’s sovereign grace. This not only undermines the gospel but introduces serious pastoral concerns for families raising children within the church.
“Baptism brings each recipient into a real covenant relationship with God, one which will be his salvation or his condemnation.” (p. 101) Wilson
Wilson collapses the biblical and confessional distinction between God’s eternal election and His outward covenant administration. In his framework, election becomes conditional upon covenant faithfulness—shifting the basis of salvation from God’s sovereign grace to human perseverance.
The Canons of Dort affirm:
“Election is the unchangeable purpose of God whereby, before the foundation of the world, He has out of mere grace...chosen...a definite number of particular people.”(Canons I.7)
Francis Turretin maintains:
“Election is not made to the covenant, but in Christ. Though all in the external covenant receive the signs, only the elect receive the thing signified.”
Heinrich Bullinger, Second Helvetic Confession:
“Although many are called by the outward ministry, all are not elect. Not all who are of the visible church are of the invisible church.”
David Engelsma warns:
“The Federal Vision identifies election with the historical, conditional covenant... This makes final salvation uncertain and man-dependent.”(Heresy at the Root, p. 24)
By making the covenant conditional, Wilson shifts salvation’s foundation from sovereign grace to human effort—a critical departure from Reformed orthodoxy.
For your family: If election is confused with covenant membership, your children may assume they are saved merely because they were baptized—minimizing the need for genuine faith and personal conversion.
Biblical Support:
Romans 9:6 – “Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.”
Ephesians 1:4 – “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world.”
Reflection Questions:
Does our church distinguish between covenant membership and election?
Do we assume our children are saved simply because they belong to the church?
Scenario:A father tells his son, “You’re baptized, so you're one of God’s people. Just stay in the covenant.” The boy, never taught to seek Christ personally, grows up assuming salvation—without regeneration.
2. Real Apostasy from Union with Christ?
Wilson’s theology asserts that individuals can be truly united to Christ and later fall away—teaching real apostasy from saving union. This flatly contradicts the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. By making salvation contingent on covenant obedience, it replaces the comfort of God’s preserving grace with the fear of losing Christ, producing an unstable and performance-based spirituality.
“We must insist on the reality of covenant apostasy—real branches can be cut off from Christ.” (p. 102) Wilson
Wilson teaches that individuals genuinely united to Christ can fall away. This contradicts the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which affirms that true believers are preserved by God’s power to the end.
The Canons of Dort clarify:
“True believers, according to the Word of God, do not wholly fall from faith and grace... God is faithful, who... does not permit them to lose faith totally and finally.”(Canons V.3, V.8)
John Calvin writes:
“Although hypocrites seem to have the beginning of faith, they do not have the root. But God preserves His own... so they do not totally fall away.”(Institutes, III.24.6)
Engelsma observes:
“The Federal Vision makes covenant faithfulness the condition for remaining in Christ. This returns us to the theology of Rome.”(p. 41)
Wilson’s teaching replaces God’s preserving grace with human performance.
For your family: If true believers can fall away, your children may live in fear and performance-driven anxiety, rather than resting in Christ’s finished work.
Biblical Support:
John 10:28 – “No one will snatch them out of my hand.”
Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”
Reflection Questions:
Does my church teach that true believers can fall away?
Are my children learning to trust in God’s promises or fear their failures?
Scenario:A teenage girl worries daily: “What if I mess up and God removes me from Christ?” Rather than resting in Christ’s righteousness, she sees covenant membership as a tightrope of conditional grace.
3. Sacramentalism: Baptism as Union with Christ
The Federal Vision’s view of baptism, as articulated by Wilson, borders on sacramentalism by attributing union with Christ to the act itself—regardless of faith. This reverses the Reformed understanding that baptism is a sign and seal of grace received by faith alone. Such teaching confuses the nature of the sacraments and misleads families into placing hope in ritual rather than regeneration by the Spirit.
“The water of baptism, rightly administered, brings the baptized into covenant with God.” (p. 70) Wilson
“Baptism means that the one baptized has a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, has been grafted into Christ… baptism is efficacious. But the efficacy of the sacrament is not tied to the moment when it is administered. By means of baptism, this efficacious grace is conferred on the elect at the appropriate time, the time of conversion, and it is the applied grace of their baptism.” Wilson
“Baptism is not a sign that points away from itself, but a means through which God actually works. It is through baptism that we are brought into union with Christ and justified in Him.” (Reformed Is Not Enough, p. 103)
This statement underscores several critical issues:
Wilson claims that baptism is objectively efficacious, not merely symbolic.
He equates baptism with union in Christ, covenant membership, regeneration, and justification—though he contends that full effect is only completed at conversion.
He merges sacramental theology and covenant theology in a way that departs from historic Reformed teaching, which holds sacraments as signs and seals of grace received by faith, not as means of grace in themselves.
Wilson’s view implies that baptism itself unites a person with Christ—regardless of personal faith. This sacramentalism echoes Roman Catholicism and deviates sharply from Reformed doctrine, which teaches that sacraments are signs and seals, effective only when received by faith.
The Heidelberg Catechism states:
“Is then the outward washing with water itself the washing away of sins? No, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sin.”(Q&A 72)
Zacharias Ursinus writes:
“The sacraments confer nothing unless they are received by faith. They are not physical causes of grace, but signs and seals of grace promised.”
John Calvin affirms:
“It is the Spirit who makes baptism effectual to the elect alone.”(Institutes, IV.14.17)
Engelsma cautions:
“Federal Vision sacramentalism grants grace where there is no faith. This makes the sacraments effective apart from the Holy Spirit’s work.”(p. 33)
By making baptism itself convey grace, Wilson undermines both the role of faith and the monergistic work of God in regeneration.
For your family: If baptism is believed to unite someone to Christ apart from faith, it gives false security. Your children may believe they are saved simply because they were baptized, even if they never repent or believe the gospel.
Biblical Support:
Acts 2:38 – “Repent and be baptized…”
Romans 6:3 – “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”
Reflection Questions:
Does our church teach that baptism is effectual without faith?
Are we encouraging faith or relying on rituals?
Scenario:A young man lives as a pagan but clings to the idea that he is “in covenant with God” because he was baptized as a child. No one has ever called him to true faith and repentance.
4. Visible vs. Invisible Church: A Flattened View
A key distinction in Reformed ecclesiology is the difference between the visible and invisible church. Wilson rejects this, claiming that all in the visible church are truly members of Christ. This blurs the line between outward profession and inward reality, dulling the call to examine one’s faith and undermining the gospel’s transformative demands.
“We are not to peel the onion of the church to find the ‘real’ Christians. The visible church is the true church.” (Wilson p. 83)
Wilson rejects the vital Reformed distinction between the visible and invisible church. Scripture and confessions teach that not all in the visible church are truly saved. The visible church includes both wheat and tares, while the invisible church consists only of the elect.
The Belgic Confession teaches:
“We distinguish between the true church and the false church... Hypocrites are mixed in with the good.”(Articles 27–29)
Calvin writes:
“There is a difference between those who truly belong to Christ and those who only outwardly appear to.”(Institutes, IV.1.7)
Engelsma adds:
“Federal Vision ecclesiology fails to distinguish between outward profession and inward reality. This confuses law and gospel, and destroys the comfort of assurance.”(p. 37)
For your family: If the visible church is equated with the true church, it removes the urgency of self-examination. Children grow up thinking that church attendance equals salvation, even if their hearts are far from Christ.
Biblical Support:
Matthew 13:24–30 – Parable of wheat and tares
2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.”
Reflection Questions:
Does our church distinguish between visible and invisible church membership?
Are we training our children to examine themselves in light of the gospel?
Scenario:A family assumes that their kids are believers because they go to church. But no one asks about their hearts, their faith, or their love for Christ. The distinction between appearance and reality is lost.
5. Presumed Regeneration and False Assurance
Wilson’s doctrine of presumptive regeneration teaches that all baptized children should be regarded as Christians until proven otherwise. While appearing to uphold covenant promises, this view can short-circuit the gospel’s call to repentance and faith. By presuming salvation, it offers false assurance and leads many children to grow up religiously confident but spiritually unconverted.
“A man who is baptized is a Christian. Period.” (Wilson p. 38)
This assertion exemplifies the Federal Vision doctrine of presumptive regeneration—the idea that baptized children should be considered Christians until proven otherwise. While intending to affirm God's covenantal promises, this view undermines the necessity of personal faith and can lead to presumption.
The Heidelberg Catechism reminds us:
“True faith is not only a sure knowledge...but also a wholehearted trust.”(Q&A 21)
Ursinus writes:
“Faith is not assumed. It is worked in the hearts of the elect alone, through the Word and Spirit.”
Calvin is explicit:
“We do not take for granted that all who are baptized are elect... Baptism is a sign, not the thing itself.”(Institutes, IV.15.14)
Engelsma:
“Presuming regeneration in the baptized breeds false assurance and minimizes the call to repentance and faith.”(p. 50)
For your family: If children are assumed regenerate without signs of faith, they may never hear the call to repent and believe. Presumption replaces discipleship, and false assurance may harden hearts.
Biblical Support:
Luke 13:3 – “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Acts 3:19 – “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”
Reflection Questions:
Are my children being taught to presume they are saved—or to trust in Christ?
Are we guiding them to genuine repentance and faith?
Scenario:A child says, “I don’t need to believe in Jesus—I was baptized, and Dad says that makes me a Christian.” No one has told him the gospel demands a response of faith.
A Counterfeit Gospel in Reformed Language
One of the most spiritually dangerous aspects of Federal Vision theology is that it uses Reformed terminology while emptying those terms of their historic meaning. Words like “covenant,” “grace,” “church,” and even “Christian” are redefined in ways that subtly reflect the teachings of Arminianism (salvation dependent on human response) and Roman Catholicism (sacraments conferring grace apart from faith). Though these churches may sing psalms, celebrate the Lord’s Supper weekly, and recite creeds, they have abandoned the Reformed faith at a doctrinal level.
By making election conditional, perseverance uncertain, and justification contingent on covenant loyalty, they teach a gospel of cooperation between God and man rather than the monergistic grace taught in Scripture and confessed at the Synod of Dort. It is not enough to claim the word “Reformed”—one must adhere to the theology of the Reformation. Anything less is a counterfeit.
Practical Implications: Why This Matters for Your Family
Each of the five theological errors addressed above leads to significant real-world consequences in the life of your family and church community.
If election is made conditional, then your assurance of salvation will rest not on Christ's finished work but on your performance within the covenant.
If true believers can fall away, your children will grow up fearing that one misstep could sever their union with Christ.
If baptism is believed to unite to Christ automatically, then gospel preaching becomes muddled and grace becomes mechanical.
If the visible church is equated with the true church, your church may fail to practice proper discipline and fail to distinguish between hypocrites and true believers.
And if baptized children are presumed regenerate without personal faith, then the call to repentance and trust in Christ is muted from the earliest years.
These errors do not just reside in theological abstraction—they affect how churches preach, how families disciple, and how souls are shepherded. Sound doctrine matters because eternity matters.
Federal Vision by Another Name
While Wilson has distanced himself from the term "Federal Vision," Reformed Is Not Enough remains one of the clearest expositions of its theology. The 2007 Joint Federal Vision Statement, which Wilson signed, affirms every point summarized above.
These churches increasingly attract young men and families seeking conservative values, strong preaching, and classical education. But many are being misled.
“Many young families are being told they are joining a Reformed church, when in fact the theology being taught is not Reformed at all. It is a hybrid of Arminianism and Roman Catholicism, wrapped in covenantal language.”
—Heritage Covenant Church
A Pastoral Warning to Families
As pastors and elders, we have spoken with many sincere families—especially fathers trying to lead well—who have joined Federal Vision churches because they wanted structure, community, and reverent worship. Over time, they discovered a different gospel.
Some were told their baptized children were regenerate and should not question it. Others struggled with assurance because they were taught that their covenant membership could be lost if they weren’t obedient enough. Others discovered that justification by faith alone was downplayed in favor of covenant loyalty.
If you are considering a church, or are already in one that sounds like this, take pause. Theology is not secondary. Doctrine determines discipleship, family life, and eternity.
How to Discern a Faithful Reformed Church
Use this checklist to evaluate your current or potential church:
Family Church Evaluation Checklist:
Does the church affirm the Three Forms of Unity or Westminster Standards without qualification?
Is justification by faith alone clearly taught, preached, and protected?
Are the sacraments presented as signs and seals, not regenerating ordinances?
Are children taught to believe and repent, not presumed regenerate?
Does the church affirm the perseverance of the saints
Is there a clear distinction between the visible and invisible church?
If the answer to any of these is "no," the church may be Reformed in appearance but not in doctrine.
A Call to Return
“Let no one take you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition...”(Colossians 2:8)
Reformed Is Not Enough is a gospel-subverting theology. It confuses the law and the gospel, redefines election and covenant, and erodes the biblical understanding of grace.
“Wherever the covenant is made to depend on man’s fulfilling of conditions, grace is no longer grace.”—John Owen
At Heritage Covenant Church, we affirm that Reformed theology is not a cultural aesthetic or liturgical preference. It is the biblical gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
We urge you to return to the rich and faithful teachings of the Reformation. Examine your church not only by its language, but by its doctrine and confessional commitments.
“Salvation is of the Lord.”(Jonah 2:9)
Reformed in Name, But Not in Gospel?
Some claim that movements like the Federal Vision represent a bold step forward in applying Reformed theology to the modern world. But upon closer examination, their theology doesn't advance the Reformation—it reverses it. By redefining grace, faith, election, justification, and the sacraments, they end up retracing steps backward toward the very errors the Reformers rejected.
Though cloaked in the language of covenant and liturgy, their theology echoes the Roman Catholic and Arminian doctrines the Reformation opposed:
Baptismal Regeneration: Roman Catholicism teaches that baptism confers regenerating grace ex opere operato (by the act itself). Federal Vision similarly teaches that baptism unites one to Christ and grants regeneration—until covenantal unfaithfulness breaks the union.
Conditional Election: Arminius taught that God elects based on foreseen faith and perseverance. Federal Vision teaches that baptism brings people into Christ, and only those who remain covenantally faithful “stay” elect.
Cooperative Justification: Rome and Arminius both denied the sufficiency of Christ’s imputed righteousness. Federal Vision theology similarly makes justification partly dependent on covenant faithfulness.
The Reformers spoke with one voice against this kind of theology.
John Calvin stated:
“As soon as the smallest portion of the glory of justification is transferred to man, just so much is taken from the glory of divine grace.”, Institutes III.XI.7
Francis Turretin echoed the same when he warned:
“The covenant of grace is not established with all the baptized, but only with the elect... those who remain in unbelief are in the covenant only externally.”—Institutes of Elenctic Theology
The Canons of Dort were penned precisely to counter such dangerous confusions:
“Election is not founded upon foreseen faith... but upon the mere good pleasure of God.”(Canons of Dort I.10)
And later:
“The true doctrine having been explained, the Synod rejects the errors of those who teach that the perseverance of the true believers is not a fruit of election.”(Canons of Dort V.9)
A Sobering Call
To adopt a system that mirrors Arminian uncertainty and Roman sacramentalism—while calling it “Reformed”—is not simply a mislabeling. It’s a departure from the heart of the Reformation itself.
The goal of true Reformed theology is not to rebuild Rome with Reformed bricks, but to continually reform according to the Word of God, in full dependence on the grace of Christ alone.
As the Belgic Confession testifies:
“We detest the error of the papists... who make men believe that the sacraments confer grace of themselves... and that the truth and substance of these sacraments is in them.”(Belgic Confession, Article 33)
Practical Implication:Churches that adopt Federal Vision theology may still sound "Reformed," but they are leading families and children into a system that undermines assurance, confuses the gospel, and blurs the line between grace and works.
Let us not return to Rome and Arminius by another name.
Not Advancing the Reformation—But Returning to Rome and Arminianism
Churches influenced by Wilson claim to be continuing the Reformation—but in truth, they’re reversing it.
Rome also confused justification with sanctification.
Rome also claimed baptism regenerates.
Rome also tied assurance to performance.
Likewise, these doctrines lean toward Arminianism—where perseverance and final salvation depend on man’s faithfulness rather than God’s preserving grace.
Belgic Confession Art. 22 — “We always hold fast this foundation… that we do not doubt but we shall forever remain in it.”
To redefine justification, assurance, and regeneration is not Reformed. It’s Romanized. It’s Arminianized
A Final Word
We write not to attack those within these churches, many of whom are sincere and devout Christians. We write as pastors, elders, and fellow believers who love the church and are deeply concerned about the spiritual health of families being drawn into theological systems that, while outwardly attractive, subtly dismantle the gospel.
Doctrine is not a matter of preference—it shapes your understanding of salvation, your assurance in Christ, and the way you raise your children. Before joining a church that calls itself “Reformed,” examine whether it teaches:
Justification by faith alone
Election by God’s sovereign grace
Regeneration by the Holy Spirit, not baptism
Assurance grounded in Christ’s promises
“The sacraments do not confer grace by themselves, but are signs of the grace already given by Christ through the Spirit.”—Heinrich Bullinger, Second Helvetic Confession.
At Heritage Covenant Church, we are not interested in merely appearing Reformed. We are committed to being Reformed—in doctrine, worship, and life.
We invite all who are weary of performance-based religion to return to the gospel of Christ alone. Come join a church where your family will be nourished by the Means of Grace, formed by confessional doctrine, and called to trust in Christ, not covenantal performance.
“Let no one take you captive by philosophy and empty deceit…”(Colossians 2:8)
“Salvation is of the Lord.”(Jonah 2:9)
Denominational Reports on Federal Vision Theology
Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Report of the Committee to Study the Doctrine of Justification (2006) This 89‑page study critiques Federal Vision doctrines and reaffirms justification by faith alone in line with the Westminster Standards.
Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
PCA Ad Interim Study Committee Report on the Federal Vision (2007) A 36‑page report unanimously declaring FV teachings on justification, election, and sacraments contrary to the Westminster Confession.
United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA)
Synod London 2010 Report on Federal Vision & Justification A confessional Reformed denial of FV, based on Three Forms of Unity standards, adopted without dissent.
Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS)
RCUS Study Committee Report (2006) Formally rejected FV theology, particularly its errors regarding covenant, justification, and sacraments.
Excursus: The URCNA Declares Federal Vision Contrary to the Reformed Confessions
In 2012, the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) concluded an extensive study of Federal Vision theology. Their findings were unequivocal:
“The teachings of the Federal Vision movement contradict the Three Forms of Unity on the doctrine of justification by faith alone and other core tenets of the Reformed faith.”—URCNA Synod 2012, Recommendation 8.
The URCNA Federal Vision Study Committee identified several fundamental theological errors in the movement, including:
The denial of the biblical and confessional distinction between the visible and invisible church;
A view of baptism that implies regeneration and union with Christ apart from saving faith;
A redefinition of covenant that undermines the doctrines of election and perseverance;
A flattening of the ordo salutis (order of salvation), which compromises the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
The committee summarized:
“The Federal Vision denies justification by faith alone, confuses the law and the gospel, and introduces a conditionality to covenant membership that is incompatible with the Reformed confessions.”
This is not merely a difference in theological emphasis—it is a departure from the Reformed faith. The URCNA, standing firmly upon the Three Forms of Unity, declared that Federal Vision theology must be rejected as contrary to Scripture and our confessions.
Warning to Families:
If a church holds to, promotes, or is influenced by the theology of Doug Wilson’s Reformed Is Not Enough, it is not aligned with the Reformed faith as historically and confessionally understood. Let the clarity of the URCNA be a safeguard for families seeking a truly confessional Reformed church.
Answering Common Rebuttals from Federal Vision Advocates
As churches and families discern the dangers of Federal Vision theology, it is important to be prepared for the common rebuttals often raised in defense of Doug Wilson and others who hold to similar positions. Below are key rebuttals and faithful responses, rooted in Scripture and the Reformed confessions.
**Rebuttal 1: "We Don’t Call Ourselves Federal Vision."
Answer:
Rejecting the label while affirming the content does not resolve the theological issues. The concern is not the terminology but the doctrine. As the CRCNA and other confessional Reformed bodies have stated, the teachings themselves—such as conditional election in the covenant, baptismal regeneration, and redefined justification—are contrary to the gospel of grace.
“Presenting yourself as Reformed while rejecting its confessional roots is misleading and, at best, dishonest.”
Scripture: Galatians 1:6-7 – “...turning to a different gospel...”
**Rebuttal 2: "You’re Misrepresenting Wilson."
Answer:
The critiques in the post rely on direct quotations from Doug Wilson’s Reformed Is Not Enough, not secondhand caricatures. The theology expressed in those quotes—such as baptism bringing justification and regeneration—is presented as core to his covenant theology. If defenders believe he is being misunderstood, they must demonstrate how these quotes do not mean what they plainly say.
Example quote: “Baptism brings us into the objective covenant. It is our regeneration, our justification, and our new birth. It is our adoption.” (Reformed Is Not Enough, p. 103)
**Rebuttal 3: "You’re Overreacting. It’s Just a Different Emphasis."
Answer:
The difference is not mere emphasis—it is substance. The Federal Vision redefines key doctrines: the nature of justification, the covenant of grace, assurance, and the role of works. These are not minor matters. The Apostle Paul reserved his sharpest rebukes for gospel distortions (Galatians 1). The CRCNA, OPC, PCA, RCUS, URCNA, and other Reformed denominations concluded this is not a “disagreement among brothers” but a dangerous doctrinal shift.
“Synod declares that the teachings of the FV...are not in harmony with what the Reformed confessions teach.” – CRCNA Synod 2009
**Rebuttal 4: "This View Encourages Covenant Faithfulness and Obedience."
Answer:
So do the Reformed confessions—but without confusing obedience with the ground of justification or assurance. Encouraging obedience is vital, but it must flow from the finished work of Christ and never be a condition to remain “in” the covenant. The Federal Vision subtly shifts the focus from Christ’s sufficiency to man’s faithfulness.
Scripture: Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God...”
Confession: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60 – “Only by true faith in Jesus Christ... God grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ...”
**Rebuttal 5: "We Just Want to Emphasize the Objectivity of the Covenant."
Answer:
Reformed theology already affirms the visible/invisible church distinction and covenantal responsibilities. What Federal Vision does is make covenant inclusion synonymous with salvation, which removes the need for regeneration and personal faith. This is not Reformed; it returns to Rome’s sacramentalism and Arminian conditionalism.
"Baptism brings each recipient into a real covenant relationship with God, one which will be his salvation or his condemnation." – Reformed Is Not Enough, p. 101
In summary, Reformed theology calls for charity and clarity—but also for truth. Families should not be shamed for asking hard questions about doctrine. The future of their children’s souls may depend on it.
Jude 3 – "Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."
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