Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

MISSION to the CREC

The Covenant of God

Throughout history God made covenants with man. A covenant made by God is "an unchangeable divinely imposed legal agreement between God and man that stipulates the condition of their relationship." (Berkhof, Systematic Theology) These covenants are essentially conditional promises, God promises blessing if the covenant conditions are kept and God threatens curses if they are broken. (Grudem, Systematic Theology) For example the covenants with Adam, Abraham and Moses, the primary condition was obedience. There are also unconditional covenants, the covenant God made with Noah and the New Covenant are unconditional..

Conditional vs. Unconditional Covenant: CREC teaches that the Covenant of Grace requires "persevering faithfulness" for maintaining covenantal blessings, suggesting that God's promises are conditioned on ongoing obedience rather than solely on Christ's work. For instance, CREC proponent Rich Lusk states, "The covenant is not unconditional. It requires persevering faithfulness. " King's Congregation, a CREC church in Meridian ID, has in their confession, "We deny that the New Covenant abolishes either the requirement of sustained covenant faithfulness by God’s people or the curses of the Covenant upon those who are unfaithful. Both the blessings and the curses of the New Covenant are intensified over those of the Old Covenant. We deny that God’s requirement of sustained covenant faithfulness is contrary to salvation by grace through faith or the security of the salvation of God’s people. The PCA rejects this as undermining the unconditional nature of the Covenant of Grace in the Westminster Standards (e.g., WCF 7.3), where perseverance is grounded in God's immutable decree and effectual calling, not human effort. This CREC view is seen as reintroducing elements of the covenant of works into the Covenant of Grace, collapsing the bi-covenantal framework

Though it is common in Reformed theology to use the term covenant of grace both broadly and narrowly – that is, to speak of it entailing everyone who is baptized into the Christ-professing covenant community (broad) and in reference to those who are elect members of the invisible church, united to Christ by the Spirit through faith (narrow) – nevertheless, the Confession never speaks as if all those who are in the covenant of grace broadly considered (the visible church) are recipients of the substance or saving benefits of the covenant of grace narrowly considered (the invisible church). This is a vital distinction, and so those who deny or confuse it, or who assert that the benefits of the covenant of grace accrue to all who are baptized, even conditionally, do err and are out of accord with both the Scriptures and the Confession (LC 61; Rom. 9:6, 11:7).

The New Covenant, as described in the Bible (particularly Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:6-13), is a divine agreement mediated by Jesus Christ, replacing the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law) with better promises based on grace, faith, and Christ's sacrifice. It is established through Christ's blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:15) and applies to all who believe in Him, offering internal transformation rather than external obedience to laws. Note that unlike the Old Covenant (e.g., Deuteronomy 28), which explicitly lists conditional blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, the New Covenant emphasizes unconditional blessings for believers through Christ's redemptive work. However, it includes warnings of judgment (often framed as "curses" in some interpretations) for rejection, hypocrisy, or apostasy.

Blessings of the New Covenant

These are the positive promises and benefits extended to those who enter the covenant through faith in Christ. They focus on spiritual renewal, forgiveness, and eternal relationship with God. Core blessings from Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8 include:

Internal transformation: God writes His laws on believers' hearts and minds, enabling obedience through the Holy Spirit rather than external rules (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10; Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Personal knowledge of God: All covenant members, from least to greatest, will know God intimately without needing intermediaries (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:11).
Full forgiveness of sins: God will be merciful to unrighteousness and remember sins no more, providing complete redemption (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12; Hebrews 9:15).

A Conditional Covenant The root of the CREC heresy is an erroneous doctrine of the covenant. The doctrine of the covenant being developed by the movement teaches that God graciously makes His covenant with all the children of believers alike. In the sphere of the covenant, regarding all baptized babies without exception, grace is universal. The movement is one of covenantal universalism . But the covenant is conditional. Whether the covenant is continued with a child, whether a child continues in the covenant, whether a child continues to enjoy union with Christ and covenant grace, and whether a child is finally saved by the grace of the covenant depend upon the child’s faith and obedience. The movement is full-fledged Arminianism in the realm of the covenant. In short, the error whence all the denial of sovereign, particular, irresistible grace springs is a covenant doctrine that refuses to permit God’s election to control covenant grace and salvation. [Hebrews 6 and similar] passages simply speak of the undifferentiated grace of God [Lusk, 275, 276; the emphasis is the author’s]. God truly brings those people into His covenant, into union with Christ. They are “in Him,” to use Jesus’ words in John 15. They share in His blessings (think of Hebrews 6). They experience His love, but that covenant relationship is conditional. It calls for repentance and faith and new obedience. God’s choice was not conditional, but life in the covenant is [Barach, 37]. To be in covenant is to have the treasures of God’s mercy and grace and the love which He has for His own Son given to you. But the covenant is not unconditional. It requires persevering faithfulness.... The covenant is dependent upon persevering faith [ Wilkins, 64, 65; the emphasis is the author’s]. Our salvation covenant with the Lord is like a marriage. If we persevere in loyalty to Christ, we will live with Him happily ever after. If we break the marriage covenant, He will divorce us [Lusk, 285, 286].

The root of the CREC heresy is an erroneous doctrine of the covenant.

For the CREC the covenant is much more than a promise of salvation; the covenant is salvation. The covenant is nothing shy of a vital, saving relationship with God in Christ. Covenant means relationship. That is the standard CREC definition., “Covenant as it relates to man, simply and perhaps too simplistically stated, is the relationship of love and communion with the living, Triune God” In fact, covenant is a real relationship, consisting of real communion with the Triune God through union with Christ. The covenant is not some thing that exists apart from Christ or in addition to Him (another means of grace)—rather, the covenant is union with Christ. Thus, being in covenant gives all the blessings of being united to Christ. . . . Because being in covenant with God means being in Christ, those who are in covenant have all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. Union with Christ means that all that is true of Christ is true of us.

The main difficulty with the CREC, the home of Federal Vision, is an unbiblical view of the covenants that is not in line with the historic Reformed position. They blur the lines between the visible church (all those who are members of an earthly church) and the invisible church (all those who are truly united to Christ through faith and thus members of the church from Heaven’s perspective), by teaching that all who are baptized are objectively in the covenant of grace and united to Christ. In their system, there are two types of elect people. There are those who have a decretal election (chosen from eternity by God’s unchanging decree) and those who have only a covenantal election (chosen by God to belong temporarily to the covenant community). The decretally elect will never fall away, but the covenantally elect can and do fall away. What ensures that a person is decretally elect? Not faith, but faithfulness. In other words, all members of the church are truly in the covenant objectively, but they must do something to continue in it. If they do not continue in faithfulness, they will fall from grace. Worship in this context is no longer a gathering in which God’s people, by faith, receive from God through the means of grace (word and sacraments), but more of a synergistic event where God renews His covenant with those who remain faithful to it. This “covenant renewal” is formalized by weekly communion. This sounds a lot like Roman Catholicism, which teaches that a person is in by baptism and must continue by obedience and participation in the Eucharist (communion) at Mass. This is why, in the Roman Catholic system, a person must repeatedly receive the sacrifice of Christ. In fact, Peter Leithart (a current minister in the CREC and one of the original signers of the Federal Vision) has publicly called for more unity within the larger church, including with Roman Catholicism. Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) READ MORE

For the CREC the covenant is much more than a promise of salvation; the covenant is salvation. The covenant is nothing shy of a vital, saving relationship with God in Christ. Covenant means relationship.

“Covenant as it relates to man, simply and perhaps too simplistically stated, is the relationship of love and communion with the living, Triune God” (Wilkins).7 “The covenant is a personal-structural bond which joins the three persons of God in a community of life, and in which man was created to participate”

In fact, covenant is a real relationship, consisting of real communion with the Triune God through union with Christ. The covenant is not some thing that exists apart from Christ or in addition to Him (another means of grace)—rather, the covenant is union with Christ. Thus, being in covenant gives all the blessings of being united to Christ. . . . Because being in covenant with God means being in Christ, those who are in covenant have all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. Union with Christ means that all that is true of Christ is true of us

Wilson denies justification by faith alone: first, by teaching that we enter the covenant by faith and continue in the covenant by our faithfulness (our works); and second, that baptism actually brings a person into true union with Jesus Christ.

If you are Christ's, then you are in the New Covenant Unconditionally

The New Covenant: Conditional or Unconditional- Salvific or Non-Salvific

5 SOLAS of the REFORMATION

"The Truth Will Set You Free"

The more you grasp the Truth of God's Word, the simpler it becomes to identify the errors as you read or hear them.

The Five Solas summarize the Core Theological Beliefs of the Reformation.

1. Sola Scriptura:
Latin for "Scripture alone". This principle asserts that the Bible is the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice, not human traditions or interpretations.
2. Sola Gratia:
Latin for "Grace alone". This principle emphasizes that salvation is a free gift from God, not earned by human merit or works.
3. Sola Fide:
Latin for "Faith alone". This principle highlights that salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ, not through any combination of faith and works.
4. Solus Christus:
Latin for "Christ alone". This principle asserts that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity, and salvation is found only in Him.
5. Soli Deo Gloria:
Latin for "To God alone be the glory". This principle underscores that all glory and honor belong to God alone, and the purpose of life is to glorify Him.

Faith Alone - Good Works

Faith is a Gift from God - Faithfulness is a Work

Sustain Covenant Faithfulness is not a Requirement for Salvation it is the Result of being Saved by Grave Alone through Faith Alone

True-God promises to save everyone that believes. False-God promises salvation to all on the condition they believe.

Faith is not a prerequisite or condition unto salvation but a gift of God and a God given instrument whereby we appropriate the salvation in Christ.

These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith; and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that having their fruit unto holiness they may have the end eternal life.

(James 2:18 , 22; Psalms 116:12 , 13; 1 John 2:3 , 5; 2 Peter 1:5-11; Matthew 5:16; 1 Timothy 6:1; 1 Peter 2:15; Philippians 1:11; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 6:22)

Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ; and that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is necessary an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit, to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure; yet they are not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a special motion of the Spirit, but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.

(John 15:4 , 5; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 6:11 -12; Isaiah 64:7)

Please don't confuse Justification and Sanctification

Works are not part of your Justification

Matt 7:21-23

What Others are Writing

-- "The true children of the Reformation will be appalled at the arrogant dismissal of the teachings of all the Reformers. In such a dismissal of these men whom God used to reform the church, there is a pride and conceit that staggers the imagination. Theological pygmies stand in the shadows of the giants of the sixteenth century and criticize them for being so tall."

"But worse: the way is paved for a return to Rome, something many Protestants have already done. If justification is not by faith alone, then the church can find no reason not to apologize to Rome for the sins of the sixteenth century and to rush back into the embrace of the pope. But let it not be forgotten: along the way back to Rome, one will have to pass by the graves of countless martyrs who died excruciatingly painful deaths in their commitment to the truth of sovereign grace. These graves will be the silent accusers of all who repudiate their glorious heritage."

"The claim to have discovered something new and interesting and to be more biblical, of course, attracts attention from, if I may be blunt, naive evangelicals who do not know the Reformation or the history of Reformed theology and exegesis in the first place but who are perhaps attracted to the doctrine of predestination and disposed toward novelty already.

The difficulty with the claim to be reforming the Reformed churches, of course, is that the CREC ends up advocating views already considered and rejected by the Reformed churches. Most of what the CREC is peddling is little different in substance from what the medieval church taught and from what the Remonstrants taught in reaction to the Reformation doctrine of justification sola gratia, sola fide."

The CREC should remove the Reformed from their name because they do not teach the Reformed doctrine of salvation. John Calvin, "Justification by faith alone is the hinge on which all true religion turns."

If your church teaches God requires sustained covenant faithfulness for salvation that is Catholic doctrine not Reformed.

Catholic church: "Good works are considered evidence of true faith and are necessary for salvation. Good works are seen as fruits of faith and evidence of a genuine relationship with God. They are not a means of earning salvation but are essential for its fulfillment.";