Billy Graham

Billy Graham

by Steve Lumbley, Apostasy Watch!

I have hesitated for a long time to place Billy Graham in my hall of heretics but after reading the reports of Graham’s latest crusade in Los Angeles, the evidence is overwhelming. Billy Graham preaches a false gospel.

Graham has long been held to be the greatest evangelist of our age. He claims to have preached to more people in live audiences, over 210 million, than any person in history. His official biography claims that since 1949 he has led “hundreds of thousands of individuals to make personal decisions to live for Christ…”

This was the thrust of the reports from his most recent Los Angeles crusade. A headline in the BP News proclaimed: (http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=19580)

“2,500 make decisions for Christ during first night of Los Angeles Billy Graham Crusade”

The article states that Graham “centered his 30-minute message on the Passion and the meaning of the cross. He referred several times to Mel Gibson's hit movie "The Passion of the Christ" from earlier this year focusing at one point on the scene that depicts Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.”

"Tears are coming down His cheek and He says to God, 'Father, take this cup from me, but not my will but your will be done,'" Graham said. "Then He looks in the cup. What did He see in the cup? He sees the sins of the whole world."

What Graham is preaching here is not the gospel. It’s not even the word of God. What he’s doing is adding to the word of God which is prohibited throughout scripture.

Prov 30:6
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Jesus did not have a physical cup when he was in the garden of Gethsemane. The cup he referred to was figurative. Since he didn’t have a physical cup he could not have looked into it to “see the sins of the world”

Mark 14:36
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Some may say that adding a little bit to God’s word is no big deal. After all, he was just making a point, what’s the harm? God says it is a big deal.

Deut 4:2
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Adding to God’s word brings a curse upon the speaker and the hearer. It shows clearly how little respect Graham has for God’s word and his commandments. Billy Graham obviously thinks that God’s word alone is not enough to convince people of sin righteousness and judgment.

Decisions for Christ

Do people really make “decisions for Christ”? The bible actually teaches the opposite of this. To tell someone that they can make a “decision to live for Christ” is one of the hallmarks of the false gospel of this age. Jesus says we did not choose him, he chose us.

John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit,…..

Not one person on the face of the earth has ever sought God. Not one of us ever desired to know God without God placing that desire in our hearts. To tell someone otherwise is a false gospel. It flatters the sinner. It allows that person to play a part in his own salvation. This is heresy!

Psa 14:2-3
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

We have no part to play in our salvation. God chooses us and He places a desire in us to know Him. He exposes our sin and He grants repentance from sin. Man is absolutely incapable of repentance apart from God’s willingness to grant it.

Is 65:1
I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

Furthermore, nowhere in scripture are we instructed to “live for Christ”. Again, this is the opposite of what Jesus taught. We cannot live for him, we can only die to self and allow Christ to live through us.

Gal 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Jesus said if we want to follow him we must lay down our lives and take up the cross.

Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

If you attempt to live for him you will fail. If you die to self you will live.

Math 16:25
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it

Honored Among Men

Billy Graham has become little more than a Christianized version of a modern movie star or celebrity. A quote from the article in BP News is typical.

Larry Williams of First Baptist Church in Culver City said he had been watching Billy Graham on television since he was five years old and was excited to finally see him in person. "It was awesome," Williams said. "I can't tell you how many times I have seen him on television, but it is nothing like seeing him in person."

A true man of God would refuse to accept this type of hero worship but Graham does nothing to diminish it. Throughout scripture, God’s servants refused to accept the worship of men.

Acts 10:25-26
And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

Graham is also not shy about touting the many honors he has received over the years.
From his website biography:

Recognitions include the Congressional Gold Medal (1996); the Speaker of the Year Award (1964); the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion (1982); the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award (2000) the Big Brother Award (1966), cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute (1964), recognized by the Anti-Defamation League of the B’nai B’rith (1969) and the National Conference of Christians and Jews (1971), presented with an honorary knighthood, Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) (Dec 2001)….

Far from commending Graham, the above references actually condemn him. God’s word says these kinds of accolades from the world are the mark of a false prophet.

Luke 6:26
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Mr. Graham is regularly listed by the Gallup organization as one of the “Ten Most Admired Men in the World,” whom it described as the dominant figure in that poll since 1948—making an unparalleled 46th appearance and 39th consecutive appearance. He has also appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek, Life, U.S. News and World Report, Parade, and numerous other magazines and has been the subject of many newspaper and magazine feature articles and books.

John 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Since the world obviously loves Billy Graham we must conclude based on God’s word that Graham is not a man of God but is rather a man of the world.

There are many more things that could be said about Billy Graham. He has always been ecumenical in his beliefs. He has never separated himself from the false doctrines of Roman Catholicism. In fact he has openly co-operated with the Catholic church in all his crusades for decades even going so far as to send “converts” back to a Catholic church if they claimed a Catholic background or upbringing.

In recent years, Graham has become almost a universalist in his beliefs. In a 1997 interview with the false teacher Robert Schuller, Graham made the following statement.

”…..I've met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations, that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, and never heard of Jesus, but they've believed in their hearts that there was a God, and they've tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.”

Once again, Grahams words are contradicted by the word of God. Belief in God is not enough and no one can be saved by trying to live a good life.

Rom 10:14
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Finally there is this telling statement from Graham. In a January, 2000 interview with Tony Snow of Fox News, Graham was asked:

SNOW 'When you get to Heaven, who's going to speak first, you or God?'

GRAHAM 'When I get there, I'm sure that Jesus is going to say that he will welcome me. But I think that he's going to say: 'Well done, our good and faithful servant.' Or he may say: 'You're in the wrong place'."

SNOW: "You really worry that you may be told you're in the wrong place?

GRAHAM: Yes, because I have not - I'm not a righteous man. People put me up on a pedestal that I don't belong in my personal life. And they think that I'm better than I am. I'm not the good man that people think I am. Newspapers and magazines and television have made me out to be a saint. I'm not. I'm not a Mother Teresa. And I feel that very much."

Math 12:37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned

Billy Grahams own words betray him. His own words show that he has no understanding of the true gospel. Our entrance into heaven is not based on our own righteousness but on the righteousness which is in Christ Jesus. It is only in Christ that we have any hope of salvation. If Billy Graham fails to grasp this most basic truth of the gospel he won’t be told he’s in the wrong place but he will hear this:

Math 7:22
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Steve Lumbley 2004 www.apostasywatch.com
This article may be reproduced and distributed free of charge as long as it remains in its original form.

Return to The Compromising Church