A good friend of mine (with a definite sense of humour), sent me the following. I am sure you will understand that it is written somewhat ‘tongue-in-cheek’, but its value is unmistakeable. So, how to understand the view espoused by the “Federal Vision – Doug Wilson crowd”? Read the (suggested) Short, Shorter Catechism of Federal Vision.
Q.1 What is faith?
A. Faith is obedience to the law of the gospel.
Q.2 What is the gospel?
A. The gospel is God’s law that everyone who believes and obeys Jesus will be saved (if they are faithful)
Q.3 What is the perseverance of the saints?
A. It is when a person is faithful to the laws in the covenant.
Q.4 What is the covenant?
A. It is God’s unconditional, free promise that if we obey, we will be saved.
Q.5 What is grace?
A. Grace is a free, unmerited gift that God gives us when we are faithful.
Q.6 Can a person lose his salvation?
A. No one can lose their salvation unless they are unfaithful to the law of the gospel.
Q.7 What is God’s law?
A. God’s law is that Jesus died for us and we have to obey Him.
Q.8 What is Justification?
A. Justification is God declaring us righteous when we obey the gospel by faith alone, not by works.
Q.9 What is Sanctification?
A. Sanctification is when we are faithful to God’s gospel.
Q.10 What is repentance?
A. Repentance? Never heard of it.
Q.11 What is regeneration?
A. Regeneration is what happens when a person is baptized.*
* Or as Doug Wilson defines it: “A Christian … is anyone who has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by an authorized representative of the Christian church.”