I think we sometimes forget how utterly harsh and violent Jesus could be. Not that He always was, or only was, but that He could be, at times, such as below:
Luke 19:27,
27. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.
This calls to mind the offering Elijah made of the false prophets of Baal. The God who sent His Son in
John 3:16 was also the LORD God of Elijah who had no qualms with His prophet hacking those dudes to pieces.
And in the verse from Luke, Jesus reminds those who are listening that they, if they should reject His Lordship over them, are going to get the Elijah at Mt. Carmel treatment, at their Judgment.
Part of this then involves all of us, and everyone else, from every direction, of those who claim they are Christians. For one cannot easily say that they have NOT rejected Jesus from reigning over them IF they are accepting as saved those who are lost, or conversely, casting off as lost those who are saved.
Because if Jesus truly reigns over you, you won't contradict Him, or speak in His name when He hasn't commanded it.
I don't know much about what Billy Graham believed or personally experienced, and I don't care to know, because it doesn't matter any more. But I can speak to his legacy, and there's a whole host of unregenerate people claiming eternal life as their own because they merely repeated a prayer they were taught to say:
https://peacewithgod.net/
Quote:
|
"Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."
|
Only the deceived believe saying the above grants a person eternal life. Therefore, I can only surmise that only the deceived would propagate the above as the means whereby one may obtain eternal life.