MacArthur has become much less dispensational.
I urge you to check out J.I.Packer, C.H. Spurgeon, John Piper, Presbyterian doctrine and Baptist doctrine, to see if they teach sanctification before justification.
I can tell you now that none of them do.
You are in disagreement with those whom you say teach the truth.
And I can tell you where you get it wrong, so that when you check them out,
you will understand what they are saying.
You are using "righteousness" to mean "right action/sanctification" in Ro 1-5.
That is not how Paul uses "righteousness" in Ro 1-5..
He uses it to mean a legal position of right standing before God, because our sin is now forgiven
through faith by grace, not forgiven by sanctification.
Check out C.H. Spurgeon's sermons on justitification.
You can find them on the internet.
J.I.Packer, Knowing God, p 141:
"Is there any way of deliverance then, from the wrath to come? There is, and Paul knows it.
'Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from (God's) wrath through him.' (Ro 5:9)
By whose blood? The blood of Jesus Christ. . .and what does it mean to be 'justified'?
It means to be forgiven, and accepted as righteous. And how do we come to be justified?
Through faith--that is, self-abandoning trust in the person and work of Jesus. . .If we are
Christ's through faith , then we are justified through his cross, and the wrath will never
touch us."
Note that we are "accepted as righteous," not that we are righteous (sanctified)."
Note that justification means "to be forgiven," it does not mean sanctification.
Note that it is through faith, not through sanctification, that we are justified (position of righteous).
p. 230:
"If it is truth about God, taught by God that you are after, you will find Romans gives you all
the main themes integrated together: God, man, sin, law, judgment, faith, works, grace,
creation, redemption, justification, sanctification, the plan of salvation, election, reprobation,
the person and work of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the Christian hope, the nature of the church,
the place of Jew and Gentile in God's purpose, the philosophy of the church and world history, the
meaning and message of the OT, the significance of baptism, the principles of personal piety and
ethics, the duties of Christian citizenship--et cetera!"
Packer's list above follows the order of the book of Romans.
Note the order of redemption, justification and sanctification.
None, absolutely none, of the authors whom you like teach sanctification before justification.
You think sanctification comes first because you think justification means actual righteousness.
It does not. In Ro 1-5, it means a position of righteousness, not actual righteousness.
The new birth gives the changed heart.
The changed heart then comes to faith.
At faith one is justified (sins forgiven, position of right standing before God,
made righteous--2Co 5:21, by the imputed righteousness of Christ--Ro 5:18-19),
At justification one is then sanctified (actual righteousness) through the obedience of faith
by the power of grace.
The NT order is
new birth-->changed heart-->faith-->justified-->sanctified (through obedience of faith)
Check out your favorite authors.
You misunderstand them, for they do not teach sanctification before justification.
Check out Presbyterian and Baptist doctrine.
You misunderstand them, for neither presents sanctification before justification.
I urge you to check out J.I.Packer, C.H. Spurgeon, John Piper, Presbyterian doctrine and Baptist doctrine, to see if they teach sanctification before justification.
I can tell you now that none of them do.
You are in disagreement with those whom you say teach the truth.
And I can tell you where you get it wrong, so that when you check them out,
you will understand what they are saying.
You are using "righteousness" to mean "right action/sanctification" in Ro 1-5.
That is not how Paul uses "righteousness" in Ro 1-5..
He uses it to mean a legal position of right standing before God, because our sin is now forgiven
through faith by grace, not forgiven by sanctification.
Check out C.H. Spurgeon's sermons on justitification.
You can find them on the internet.
J.I.Packer, Knowing God, p 141:
"Is there any way of deliverance then, from the wrath to come? There is, and Paul knows it.
'Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from (God's) wrath through him.' (Ro 5:9)
By whose blood? The blood of Jesus Christ. . .and what does it mean to be 'justified'?
It means to be forgiven, and accepted as righteous. And how do we come to be justified?
Through faith--that is, self-abandoning trust in the person and work of Jesus. . .If we are
Christ's through faith , then we are justified through his cross, and the wrath will never
touch us."
Note that we are "accepted as righteous," not that we are righteous (sanctified)."
Note that justification means "to be forgiven," it does not mean sanctification.
Note that it is through faith, not through sanctification, that we are justified (position of righteous).
p. 230:
"If it is truth about God, taught by God that you are after, you will find Romans gives you all
the main themes integrated together: God, man, sin, law, judgment, faith, works, grace,
creation, redemption, justification, sanctification, the plan of salvation, election, reprobation,
the person and work of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the Christian hope, the nature of the church,
the place of Jew and Gentile in God's purpose, the philosophy of the church and world history, the
meaning and message of the OT, the significance of baptism, the principles of personal piety and
ethics, the duties of Christian citizenship--et cetera!"
Packer's list above follows the order of the book of Romans.
Note the order of redemption, justification and sanctification.
None, absolutely none, of the authors whom you like teach sanctification before justification.
You think sanctification comes first because you think justification means actual righteousness.
It does not. In Ro 1-5, it means a position of righteousness, not actual righteousness.
The new birth gives the changed heart.
The changed heart then comes to faith.
At faith one is justified (sins forgiven, position of right standing before God,
made righteous--2Co 5:21, by the imputed righteousness of Christ--Ro 5:18-19),
At justification one is then sanctified (actual righteousness) through the obedience of faith
by the power of grace.
The NT order is
new birth-->changed heart-->faith-->justified-->sanctified (through obedience of faith)
Check out your favorite authors.
You misunderstand them, for they do not teach sanctification before justification.
Check out Presbyterian and Baptist doctrine.
You misunderstand them, for neither presents sanctification before justification.
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