Why Federal Vision is a Dangerous Error

The following is from an article by by Mitch Cervinka:

"Federal Vision" (FV), also known as "Auburn Avenue Theology" (AAT), is a modern heresy promoted by certain Presbyterian pastors, including Steve Schlissel, Douglas Wilson, Steve Wilkins, Peter Leithart and others. This heresy was carefully analyzed recently by the Ad Interim Study Committee on Federal Vision, New Perspective, and Auburn Avenue Theologies of the Presbyterian Church in America, which produced a report that very fairly and insightfully analyzes and exposes the errors inherent in FV theology.[1] I heartily commend it for your consideration.

The essence of FV is that salvation must be viewed from two perspectives: 1) the "decretal/eternal" and 2) the "covenantal/historical". When discussing the "decretal/eternal" perspective, the advocates of FV seem to affirm an orthodox understanding of historical/Biblical Reformed theology, such as represented by the Westminster Confession of Faith. However, when discussing the "covenantal/historical" perspective, the FV advocate comes across as Arminian or Pelagian—teaching that water baptism truly unites us to Christ, that those who are truly united to Christ can later fall away and be lost, that elect people can fall away and be eternally lost, etc.

One of the great problems of FV, therefore, is that it describes salvation in two contradictory ways which can only confuse or mislead the people of God:

1. it makes salvation appear to depend on our faithfulness rather than upon Christ's faithfulness
2. it teaches us to trust in external performances and earthly relationships—water baptism and church membership—rather than in Christ alone for our salvation
3. it gives false assurance to those who are not decretally elect
4. it deprives those who are decretally elect of the assurance that is rightfully theirs in Christ
5. it blurs the meaning of such important Biblical terms as "elect", "redeemed" and "regenerate"
6. it places too much emphasis on the church as the agent of our salvation
7. hence, it minimizes Christ as the object of our confident faith and deprives Him of the glory that is rightfully His

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