Billy Graham

[abelcainsbrother]

I like Billy Graham and the questionable statements made by him had more to do with health/age than anything else,imo.I don't believe he would say them things in his right mind after hearing so many of his sermons through the years.Age catches up to the best of us and I think it caught up to him also.

[claysmithr]

Wasn't Billy G kind of a friend of the world, which means he was an enemy of God?

He also had some questionable statements.

[Philip]

Clay, do you expect Billy G to be a perfect person - that he never made mistakes? And he admitted to many mistakes. People love to cherrypick mistakes over the course of a person's entire life and career, who have endured 24/7 media for many years. I doubt you or I would be proud of ever such moment or mistakes either. Billy stood consistently for the importance of the Gospel and our need for Christ. Millions came to belief by God using him.

[B. W.]

Clay, do you expect Billy G to be a perfect person - that he never made mistakes? And he admitted to many mistakes. People love to cherrypick mistakes over the course of a person's entire life and career, who have endured 24/7 media for many years. I doubt you or I would be proud of ever such moment or mistakes either. Billy stood consistently for the importance of the Gospel and our need for Christ. Millions came to belief by God using him.

King David was far from perfect too. So was Moses. So this begs the questions if we begin to cherry pick then do we need to toss out the bible because God uses messed up people to move through all through the bible?

I am thankful for these verses:

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1Co 1:26-31 ESV

If God cherry picked then none of us could be saved...
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[Philip]

Great comment, B.W! God doesn't work through perfect people, but uses flawed vessels to do great things. But the devil wants us to think that God can't used a messed up person like you or me. But a quick survey of Scripture shows that messed up people are exactly who he does use. God doesn't look for perfectly together persons for His purposes - He uses those who love Him and are willing and open to being used by Him.

[claysmithr]

Clay, do you expect Billy G to be a perfect person - that he never made mistakes? And he admitted to many mistakes. People love to cherrypick mistakes over the course of a person's entire life and career, who have endured 24/7 media for many years. I doubt you or I would be proud of ever such moment or mistakes either. Billy stood consistently for the importance of the Gospel and our need for Christ. Millions came to belief by God using him.

I'm hoping Jesus blood is enough, I'm just suspicious of anyone who the world loves.

[Stu]

Great comment, B.W! God doesn't work through perfect people, but uses flawed vessels to do great things. But the devil wants us to think that God can't used a messed up person like you or me. But a quick survey of Scripture shows that messed up people are exactly who he does use. God doesn't look for perfectly together persons for His purposes - He uses those who love Him and are willing and open to being used by Him.

Yes but surely something as fundamental as Jesus being the only way to the father/heaven is something even a new Christian should get right. The fact that Graham said that Jesus is not the only way is a very serious issue, and quite frankly something that he would know.

[Philip]

But Billy has said much to contradict such a thing - continuously pointing to Jesus as the only way to salvation. If he has misphrased or made a mistake before on this issue - one, he was wrong to do it, it's not accurate. And, two, it doesn't change his impact of great things he has done to introduce vast numbers of people to Jesus and the Gospel. Now, if asserting there are other ways to salvation besides Jesus was what he had long done, then I could see widespread condemnation. I don't think anyone who has studied is ministry thinks he believed such a distortion.

[Kurieuo]

Anyone under the microscope could be made into a heretic. Sometimes I don't feel like qualifying my own statements, bothering to ensure they're balanced. If probed with questions, I may do so though. Anyone taking Graham's words in total, rather than piecemeal, wouldn't think he taught anything other than Christ being the only way,

[RickD]

What does Billy Graham's own website say about Christ being the only way?
https://billygraham.org/story/is-jesus- ... to-heaven/

[Philip]

What does Billy Graham's own website say about Christ being the only way?

But that doesn't tell us what Billy thought, just what his association asserts.

Here's what CARM.org notes about comments Billy has made in the past: https://carm.org/billy-graham

However, Billy's last book refutes the idea that he didn't believe faith in Christ is crucial to salvation, to avoiding Hell - this article addresses his past comments:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living ... 08473.html

Outtake of the above - even Billy's own biographer has said: "Wacker said it is true that Billy Graham always said that the only way to heaven was through Christ."

[claysmithr]

Here is a good video on the issue:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUcMg0PyvxY[/youtube]

[neo-x]

Anyone under the microscope could be made into a heretic. Sometimes I don't feel like qualifying my own statements, bothering to ensure they're balanced...

Imagine what I go through

[JButler]

Son of a poor dirt farmer in North Carolina to world known preacher and moral compass. He's still touching people's lives and consciences. His body is deceased but his work for the Lord will continue to the end of time. Who could write a life story or movie script like that, except God?

I don't see anyone on the radar to take his place, not yet anyway. I do see enough embarrassments and discredits to the faith who get plenty of attention, unfortunately. There are no doubt many people of faith who can and do preach the message, but don't have "it" or the "whole package" to get and hold the attention of earth's population.