Discover the More Abundant Life in Christ

Mark VanOuse

Hebrews Pt 46: The Terror of The Law

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[Hebrews 12:18-21]  Most Christians think that God is impressed with their efforts to please Him by what they DO. In this episode, we’ll see that the focus on OUR “do for God” is actually self-righteous, contrary to faith and evokes the terror of the Lord. Also:

  • Why it is that when Israel said to God, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Ex 19:8) it was one of the more arrogant, self righteous statements in all of the Bible.
  • How that law ultimately brings, death, condemnation and judgment.
  • The great scriptural difference between law and grace.
  • How that law provokes sin, bringing death and condemnation.

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The Real Reason Behind Trials: The Testing of Our Faith

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The subject of suffering frequently comes up in Christian teachings. Many times the speaker will quote a passage like Romans 5:3-4
3 And not only [that], but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Then they go on and on about “the value of suffering”: God is using suffering, hardship, difficulty to improve our character, refine us, make us stronger, make us “more Christ-like”.
They have it completely wrong.

…

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The Real Reason Behind Trials: The Testing of Our Faith Read More »

Hebrews Pt 45: Tried Faith & The Results of God’s Grace

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[Hebrews 12:12-17] In this lesson, we look at:

  • The real reason behind the trials of life that a believer will face and why they happen.
  • The powerful results of the grace of God in our lives to move us beyond discouragement to pursue peace with all people and holiness.
  • The benefits of resting and relying on the grace of God and the great harm if we don’t.

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Redemption: From a Slave to a Son

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Redemption means that God purchases us with the blood of His own Son from the slave market of sin, self and Satan. But instead of making us His slaves, in love, He makes us His sons.

The idea here is someone loving a person in bondage and slavery so much that they say, “I’ll pay the price to purchase him, no matter the cost.” And so the redeemer becomes the rightful owner of the slave. But instead of making the slave his own slave, he makes him his son. He adopts the slave into his own family, loves him as a son and gives him the full rights of sonship.

This is redemption of the Bible sort.

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Hebrews Pt 44: The Child Training of Our Loving Father

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[Hebrews 12:3-11] After having dealt with the common misconceptions about Hebrews 12:3-11 in our last episode, in this lesson we focus on what these verses are really all about: the child training of our Loving Father. We look into:

  • The word “chasten” and “chastening” appear repeatedly throughout these verses. The Greek words translated “chasten” and “chastening” literally mean “child training”, as opposed to punishment.
  • This “child training” is meant to train us — the “just who live by faith” —  to walk by faith, not by sight, our own ability or our human understanding.
  • Why the commonly held notion that “God will never us more than we can handle” is in fact an unbiblical and harmful myth. God frequently uses circumstances far beyond our capability to handle in order to train us to rely on Him, not ourselves.
  • We look at similar passages in James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 1: 6-8 to understand the tremendous value of the trying of our faith.

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Hebrews Pt 43: Dispelling Misconceptions on the Discipline of God

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[Hebrews 12:3-6] Does God send terrible things like cancer, tragic accidents and the death of loved ones to make us more like Jesus? Does God punish His children, even with severe scourging? In this episode, we deal head-on and scripturally with common — and harmful — misconceptions about the discipline of God. We elaborate on the reasons why the claim that God does such things to punish His children is wrong:

  • Reason #1: it completely disregards all of Hebrews, plucking these verses from this vital context.
  • Reason #2: it completely ignores what these verses are talking about
  • Reason #3: a mistranslation of the word “scourge” in verse 6.

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The Just Shall Live By Faith – Pt 12 (Hebrews Pt 42)

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[Hebrews 11:33-12-2] In this concluding lesson in our The Just Shalt Live by Faith series, we dig into:

  • More on overcoming faith
  • Overcoming faith, even in the midst of severe persecution and death
  • What God’s grace through faith in Christ accomplishes
  • The importance of a faith that steadfastly looks to Jesus, the Source of all.

 

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The Just Shall Live By Faith – Pt 11 (Hebrews Pt 41)

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[Hebrews 11:30-33a] In this episode, we continue to look at OVERCOMING FAITH:

  • Joshua and the Conquest
  • The leadership of God’s people BY FAITH and its effects. They were ordinary people OF FAITH who trusted in an EXTRAORDINARY GOD! God is the one who is great, The Hero, and HE does mighty things through those who have FAITH IN HIM.

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The Just Shall Live By Faith – Pt 10 (Hebrews Pt 40)

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[Hebrews 11:23-29]  In this episode, we look at the faith of Moses, the man of God who was called of God to forsake Egypt and bring deliverance to God’s people from the hand of Pharaoh. Over and over again we see that by living by faith, Moses:

  • Had a godly response, despite fearful situations.
  • Identified with God and His people, not the world.
  • Kept steadfast, even in the face of persecution.
  • Had the forward look of faith and hope.
  • Forsook Egypt, didn’t fear wrath of the king, led the people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea.

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Relating to God as a Son, Not a Sinner

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I was listening to a Bible teacher and he said, “God wants you to know that God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, that God, Who is the Creator is your Father and it’s important that you maintain a son-Father relationship, a Father-son relationship. When you come to God, you must come to God in the posture, even the emotions, of a son*, not that of a sinner.”

It was that last part that really touched me, even awakened something in me: “When you come to God, you must come to God in the posture, even the emotions, of a son, not that of a sinner.” I know what the Bible says about us having the full rights as sons (Gal 3:26-29, 4:5-6, Rom 8:14-17) and the privileges of a son. Yet these words awakened an even deeper awareness: even in my sin, even in my need of overcoming sin, my place is not that of a sinner, but as a favored one, as a son who comes to his Father. …

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