I am thinking of getting a tattoo. I know, I have argued against it elsewhere, but here’s my thinking. I could have the Shorter Catechism tattooed on my back, and then the guys at Westminster West would have to believe me, right? And maybe I’d get really sick with ink poisoning with a tattoo that big, and they would visit me in the hospital, and we would have us a Reformed reconciliation. What I mean by Reformed reconciliation is “don’t hold your breath.” I am starting to feel as lonely as one of Ken Sande’s Peacemaker counselors at a Scottish revival.
Seriously, just a few last comments about this particular conference and on to greener pastures with me.
First, my experience with Norman Shepherd is pretty limited. I have read Call of Grace once, and it is a short book. But there is all this yelling and hollering about him, so a fellow like me doesn’t have much to go on. However, the one thing I do have the privilege of going on is my first-hand knowledge of how my words have been handled. And if they have misunderstood just half of his positions as I know they have misunderstood mine, then Shepherd must be one orthodox dude.
Second, the Federal Vision is not a heresy. But if it were, this caliber of critique would not be keeping us heretics up nights. As a case in point, for the record again, here are my positions. I believe in and openly teach:
1. Predestination 2. Total inability. 3. Sovereign election. 4. Particular redemption 5. Resurrecting grace 6. Perseverance of the elect saints 7. Tota et sola fide 8. Tota et sola gratia 9. Tota et sola Scriptura 10. Totus et solus Christus 11. Toti et soli Deo gloria 12. The objectivity of the covenant. 13. And that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are effectual means of salvation for worthy receivers, which is to say, to those who trust in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone according to the gospel found in the Scriptures alone, with all the glory going to God alone.
And what does this position get labeled as in the Westminster Q & A session? Pelagianism. I must say, it is the strangest form of Pelagianism as ever I encountered. This whole controversy is starting to resemble the Jabberwocky on stilts.
Third, various references were made to a book they are working on. I will let you know if they represent my views accurately in that book. They did not in this conference.
Time to soothe my windshield with a little Norah Jones.