Wyatt Graham

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Fearing Death And Death’s Death

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Yahweh of armies will make for all peoples on this mountain a banquet of oils, a banquet of aged wine, of marrow, and of fine wine. On this mount, he will consume the veil that shrouds all peoples and the covering that cover all nations. He will consume death forever. Yahweh Adonai will wipe tears away from every face. So, he will remove the shame of his people from all the earth. Indeed, Yahweh has spoken.

(Isaiah 25:6-8)

Isaiah’s twenty-fifth chapter profoundly meditates on the central problem of death. Death veils all peoples and covers all nations. But, on Zion, God consumes the veil and the covering. He consumes death forever, the power of our ancient foe (Isa 25:6-7).  [Read more…] about Fearing Death And Death’s Death

Three Ways to Respond When You Suffer Because of Wrongdoing

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One of the great themes of Christianity is suffering for doing what is right. But what happens when we suffering for doing what is wrong?

You already know what I mean (or you will shortly). You’ve cheated, stolen, or something worse. Your conscience threatens you, external law threatens you, and, most importantly, broken relationships threaten you.

You suffer. And when you turn to Scripture, all you see is how believers respond to unjust suffering. But your suffering is just, and it crushes, consumes, and kills your soul.

God knows how you feel. And he wrote a book to heal you despite your deserved suffering. It’s called Lamentations. In it, we discover three ways to respond to deserved suffering, the pain of our wrongdoing. [Read more…] about Three Ways to Respond When You Suffer Because of Wrongdoing

How Growing in Godliness Works

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And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.

– Paul

Sometimes we feel like we make no progress. We take one step forward one day and then take two steps back the next. We feel deflated in our pursuit of godliness, of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

So how do we make the jump from plateauing in our Christian walk to growing in our walk? The answer is that we pursue the one thing that promises dramatic growth in our Christian life, namely, God.

Here’s what we need to know: Eternal life means knowing God. The way to know God (or to access eternal life) is by looking into the face of Christ to see the Father by the Spirit. And if you do this, you will move from one level of glory to another. Consider the following paragraphs where I discuss these matters. [Read more…] about How Growing in Godliness Works

What Is the Complementarian Movement?

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Over its long history, the church has appointed men into the episcopate, although women participated in other forms of leadership (e.g., the being part of the diaconate).

But in the late twentieth century, Western Christians became increasingly uneasy with a male only episcopate. If the Spirit gifts Christians, why cannot women do everything that men can do? Why cannot women become pastors, elders, or the equivalent?

In response to this sentiment, a number of Evangelical leaders coined the term complementarianism to promote what they see as a traditional and biblical understanding of gender.[1] Complementarians teach that God created men and women to be equal in worth but diverse in roles. So, for example, complementarians reserve the role of elder/pastor/bishop for men alone. In contrast, egalitarians argue that men and women can equally participate in roles and so women should be allowed access to the episcopate.

Here’s a brief sketch of the Complementarian Movement’s (CM) history. [Read more…] about What Is the Complementarian Movement?

Your Conscience Tells You What not to Do, Wisdom Tells You What to Do

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We’ve all entered that moment of decision. The temptation to act or to think when we know that we shouldn’t. It’s your conscience that tells you, “Stop!” And so you either listen to your conscience or you ignore it. It’s a stop sign that you either stop at or run.

But consciences don’t tell you what to do. They warn you about what not to do.

You see: our conscience warns us against unjust acts, but wisdom tells us how to act wisely. [Read more…] about Your Conscience Tells You What not to Do, Wisdom Tells You What to Do

Is It a Sin for Christians to Doubt?

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In a recent article, Greg Morse argues that doubt dishonours God. According to Morse, doubt dishonors God because it is a failure to trust him: “We slander him when we refuse to trust him.” The article is well-written and worth reading, and it should lead us to reconsider what it means for us or others to doubt.

After all, the experience of many Christians is one of doubt. Some lack assurance of their faith. Others become overwhelmed by the weight of their own sin. Still others are weighed down with regret.

What do we do when we doubt or deal with those who doubt?

To find the answer, let’s take a step back and look at what the Bible says about trust and doubt. [Read more…] about Is It a Sin for Christians to Doubt?