An Evangelical Introduction to the Federal Vision (for Brits!)

Since the Federal Vision (FV) seems to be a growing matter of interest and, to some, concern in this country, here is Rev'd Dr Steve Jeffery seeking to introduce Evangelicals in the UK to the ongoing FV conversation (downloadable PDF file). Steve does this by expounding and giving some background to "A Joint Federal Vision Statement" issued in 2007. Steve hopes that British Evangelicals wont feel the need to fall out over all this as some Reformed types in the States have.

Agree with FV enthusiasms or not, Steve concludes that:

The Statement stands demonstrably within the Reformed tradition at every point.

And again:

every single affirmation and denial within the Statement lies firmly within the Reformed tradition. At no point could an evangelical justifiably charge the FV with being beyond the bounds of historical Reformed orthodoxy. FV theology is Reformed theology.

Further, Steve claims that:

it is abundantly clear that FV advocates do not in fact hold a number of the views ascribed to them by their critics. The FV does not represent a denial of justification by faith alone, an Arminian rejection of unconditional election and the preservation of the saints, or a reversion to Roman Catholic views of baptism and the Lord's Supper. It does not undercut the distinction between the visible and invisible church, or downplay the importance of Christ's second coming, or capitulate to the so-called 'social gospel', or deny the distinction between God's covenant with Adam and the covenant of grace, or confuse justification with sanctification, or reject the imputation of Christ's obedience or righteousness, or undermine the possibility of Christian assurance, or entail a legalistic obsession with good works at the expense of free grace. Let us be clear: none of these doctrinal errors is found in the FV. These are misunderstandings of the FV.