His altar call is being largely ignored by many believers in Jesus Christ.
Billy Graham would preach the Gospel: but not fully.
He would say: "It is not going to church every Sunday that is going to save you. It is not by keeping the Ten commandments that is going to save you. It is all those that call upon the name of the Lord."
Pretty much the gist of it in the quote above:
But... this is where he stops preaching the Gospel fully and that is at the altar call.
"If you are not sure you are saved..."
One really has to think about this as most of those that responded are believers in Jesus Christ already.
"If you are not sure you are saved... come forward and make a commitment to follow Christ."
Now you all ask Jesus for discernment if you cannot see the error of that altar call.
Why didn't Billy Graham say this? :
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"If you are not sure you are saved.... if you had called on the name of the Lord, know that you are saved!"
"For those that want to be saved, call on the name of the Lord now and rest in the promise of God that you are saved for believing in Jesus Christ as Your Saviour for that is why Jesus came.. to save sinners from their sins so that they will no longer live in them."
"Now for those that are new believers and for those that had been unsure about your salvation, come forward, and we will give you a packet in how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ for this packet contains all the promises of God by which your love for Jesus will grow more and more in the knowledge of Him as you place your trust in Him as Your Good Shepherd to help you live the christian life as you do as Your Saviour for eternal life."
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But.. no. That is what Billy Graham should have said so that he has fully preached the Gospel, but he did not.
He preached a commitment to follow Christ and by keeping it is the means for the assurance of salvation... making the believers obedient by word and deed which Paul would never do by placing a yoke of bondage on a believer... for God has received him by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 15: 15Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, 16That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 17I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. 18For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, 19Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
By the grace of God only, we are called to disciple believers by having them continue in the word in the KJV to edify them in the faith to keep which is the good fight. We do so by the preaching of the scriptures as we look to God to cause the increase.
Believers should not look to a religious calling to place on a believer to "get them to follow Jesus" and thereby get out of discipling and edifying one another in the faith.
No one can deny that many mighty men and nobles would respond to religious callings of that nature... therefore that altar call is not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and it causes the believers to labour in unbelief if they think that by keeping it assures their salvation when no one can finsih by the flesh what Christ began by the Spirit.... and that is why the just shall live by faith... and not by the commitment to follow Christ for by the commitment to follow Christ which testifies of the man that speaks to his glory as a man keeping it... is the knowledge of sin and no one will be justified by it.
Those under the yoke of bondage can ask Jesus to set them free and never entangle themselves in any religious yoke of bondages again. We are to rest in Jesus when we came to Him as all the promises of God are yes in Christ Jesus.
This is how we get to know Him and the power of His resurrection when we see ourselves living by faith in the Son of God to live as His as well as for eternal life.
Galatians 2: 20I 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. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Galatians 3: 14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
So it is unfortunate that brother Billy Graham has gone astray and has even voiced uncertainity about being received by Christ in His kingdom in an interview at one time and why not? He is judging himself by that commitment to follow Christ: He needs to remember this and be set free.
Colossians 1: 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;