Hi Todd,
Thanks for this.
Osiander is already being rehabilitated by some in the Reformed community. that trend will only continue as folk increasingly find forensic categories distasteful.
According to the revisionist view, as it turns out, he wasn't so bad after all! Never mind that Luther rejected his views, the Lutheran confessionalsits rejected his views, and Calvin expanded the '59 Institutes considerably in order to reply at considerable length to Osiander.
You're right about the connection. Not all FVists are doing the same thing as Osiander, but some are on the same trajectory. First union with Christ swallows up the forensic then union turns into "ontic union," (as I've heard some say), then it will be that we're infused with the deity of Christ (Osiander).
I would guess that Lusk will be a prime candidate for this view as will Jordan, and perhaps Barach (who has repeated Jordan's view about maturity in place of merit) as none of them have much time for imputation. Cue the music for
Bogart: "If you're Reformed, where's your doctrine of the merits of Christ imputed to sinners?"
FV: "Merit, we ain't got no doctrine of merit, we don't need no doctrine of merit, I don't have show you no stinking doctrine of merit."
rsc