John Piper Endorses Doug Wilson


June 2009

John Piper has gone from defending Doug Wilson (and N. T. Wright as seen around the 43 minute mark of the video at http://theresurgence.com/driscoll_piper_chandler_2008-02-26_video_tnc_qa) to inviting him to come and speak at his Desiring God National Conference titled “With Calvin in the Theater of God” (information at http://www.desiringgod.org/events/). Piper even gives his rationale for why he invited Wilson, which can be seen at http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/. As part of his rationale, he quotes Doug Wilson giving an analogy about the difference between “good advice” and “good news.” Piper draws the conclusion from this analogy that Doug Wilson has the Gospel right. He even has a video of Wilson’s testimony immediately after his rationale.

 

Further, in the June 2009 edition of Christianity Today, Piper continues his teaching on “future justification”:

 

Present justification is based on the substitutionary work of Christ alone, enjoyed in union with him through faith alone. Future justification is the open confirmation and declaration that in Christ Jesus we are perfectly blameless before God. This final judgment accords with our works. That is, the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives will be brought forward as the evidence and confirmation of true faith and union with Christ. Without that validating transformation, there will be no future salvation.

 

 

Notice the last sentence – “Without that validating transformation, there will be no future salvation.” Our “present justification” is not enough to save us; rather it is our works done in union with Christ, which will determine our “future justification” and salvation. Peter Leithart has said the said the same thing. In fact it is one of the teachings of the Federal Vision. Is it any wonder that Piper has invited Wilson, the leading proponent of the Federal Vision, to speak with him at a conference?