Discover the More Abundant Life in Christ

Mark VanOuse

Hebrews Glory of The New Covenant series graphic

Hebrews Pt 04: The Offering of The Son so that We Can Be Sons – Chapter 2 (part 2):

/

Our podcast study, “Hebrews: the Glory of the New Covenant” continues with chapter 2. In this podcast, we cover the second part of the chapter, exploring:

  • 6 reasons why Jesus, by the grace of God, had to taste death for everyone.
  • Of the many things that Jesus accomplished by His perfect person, life, work, sacrifice and death is making us son (heirs) of God. Sons that He is not ashamed of!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

Hebrews Pt 04: The Offering of The Son so that We Can Be Sons – Chapter 2 (part 2): Read More »

image courtesy of graur codrin

Why We Would be Ashamed of The Gospel

/

Many of us are familiar with Romans 1:16

[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (NKJV)

Why would Paul, inspired of the Spirit, say “I am not ashamed“?

Obviously, the Spirit selected that word “ashamed” for an important reason. It isn’t “I am not afraid of the Gospel” or “I am not intimidated by the Gospel”, but “I am not ashamed“. The problem of shame is brought to light.

Most of us have thought that the problem was being ashamed of the Gospel itself. That we are afraid to speak to others about the Gospel because we don’t want to look like “religious fanatics” or they won’t like us anymore. But the context of the following verses — indeed, chapters — opens up another possibility. …

Why We Would be Ashamed of The GospelRead More »

Why We Would be Ashamed of The Gospel Read More »

How to Approach The Word of God: GOD First

/

By Mark VanOuse

 

How should a person approach God’s holy Word, The Bible?  What should they be looking for?

Fundamentally, The Bible is about GOD, not me or anyone or anything else.

This is tremendously important. Most Christians approach the Bible as being about them, not God. They go to the Bible to “learn about life” or “how to live the Christian life”. …

How to Approach The Word of God: GOD FirstRead More »

How to Approach The Word of God: GOD First Read More »

The Two Realities of the Believer Seen in 1 Corinthians 1:30

/

By Mark VanOuse

1 Corinthians 1:29-31 (NKJV)

[29] that no flesh should glory in His presence.[30] But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—[31] that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

I am now seeing that verse 30 here, which I have loved for years, contains both realities of the believer: being in Christ and Christ in the believer.
The “in Christ” part is very clear:
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus
How glorious this is! The wonderful fact that I am IN CHRIST is because God did it. “OfHim are you in Christ Jesus”. All of the wonderful treasures, infinite privileges of being in Christ are all mine, because God was the One who baptized me into Christ in the first place!
And yet this incredible verse reveals also the second great reality of the believer: Christ in us the hope of glory. How is Christ in us seen in this verse? …

The Two Realities of the Believer Seen in 1 Corinthians 1:30Read More »

The Two Realities of the Believer Seen in 1 Corinthians 1:30 Read More »

Hebrews Glory of The New Covenant series graphic

Hebrews Pt 03: Don’t Neglect So Great a Salvation – Chapter 2 (part 1)

/

Our podcast study, “Hebrews: the Glory of the New Covenant” continues into chapter 2. In this podcast, we cover the first part of the chapter, examining:

  • The problem of neglect and drifting away.
  • This isn’t about bad news: it is great news: we have so great a salvation!
  • Jesus was made lower so that He might taste death for everyone
  • The reasons why the grace of God required Jesus to taste death for everyone.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

Hebrews Pt 03: Don’t Neglect So Great a Salvation – Chapter 2 (part 1) Read More »

Hebrews Glory of The New Covenant series graphic

Hebrews Pt 02: God Expressing All Through His Son – Chapter 1

/

In this podcast, we study Hebrews chapter 1. We discover:

  • God Himself is the start of Hebrews, just like Genesis 1:1
  • God is a speaking God and now speaks through His Son, Jesus.
  • Jesus is the full and perfect expression of the Father
  • The “so much” better of the New Covenant described in Hebrews begins.
  • The greatness and excellence of the Son. Here in Hebrews 1 is some of the clearest teaching in all the Bible about divinity of Jesus Christ.
  • The point of all this is that Christ is all. Christianity is not about “how to be a Christian” it is about Christ and faith in Christ alone.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

Hebrews Pt 02: God Expressing All Through His Son – Chapter 1 Read More »

Hebrews Glory of The New Covenant series graphic

Hebrews Pt 01: Intro

/

This is the first installment in our Hebrews the Glory of the New Covenant series. In this introduction, we cover:

  • Hebrews has a lot to do with covenants. What is a covenant? Why would God make a covenant when He has perfect and infinite integrity?
  • The Old Covenant: the covenant of law. Based on man’s performance and proves man to be a sinner and a failure.
  • The New Covenant: the covenant of grace. Hebrews is chiefly about the New Covenant. It is based on the perfect person and finished work of Jesus Christ.
  • How the New Covenant offers “so much more” than the Old Covenant.
  • The importance of the context of Hebrews
  • The warnings of Hebrews
  • Therefore, consider Jesus.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

Hebrews Pt 01: Intro Read More »

Not Under Law: What the “Struggle Verses” of Romans 7 Really Mean

/

By Mark VanOuse

[Note: a podcast of this article is available by clicking here]

Bring up Romans chapter 7 and most Christians immediately think of the “struggling with sin” discussion of verses 14 through 24. They therefore conclude that the chief subject of Romans 7 is about struggling with sin. Worse, they buy into a false theology, based on an improper reading of this chapter, that Christians are stuck “struggling with sin till the day they die”.

Nothing could further from the truth. Romans 7 is one of the clearest statements in all the scripture that those in Christ are not under law. That thesis is found in the first 6 verses of Romans 7. It is a natural continuation of the thought developed in Romans 6 that those in Christ are united with Him in His death at Calvary and therefore dead to sin. Romans 7 picks the same theme up and makes the revolutionary point that we are also dead to the law. …

Not Under Law: What the “Struggle Verses” of Romans 7 Really MeanRead More »

Not Under Law: What the “Struggle Verses” of Romans 7 Really Mean Read More »