The Bible Provocateur
The Bible Provocateur
The Billy Graham Gospel - Part 1 of 4
Can you be a Christian and a friend of the Pope? That's just one of the bold questions we tackle as we unpack the controversial legacy of Billy Graham. Known for his widespread influence, Graham also faced significant criticism, particularly around his associations with the Catholic Church and notable figures like DL Moody and John Nelson Darby. This episode invites you to critically evaluate whether Graham's alliances compromised the integrity of the gospel. Drawing inspiration from critiques by Ian Paisley, we provide a fresh perspective on what it means to uphold sound biblical doctrine amidst complex religious dynamics.
Moving from earthly controversies to celestial questions, we delve into the profound debate of eternal condemnation and free will, using Graham's teachings as a lens. Does God send people to hell, or is it the outcome of personal choices? We explore this theological puzzle, likening it to the complexities of the criminal justice system, where punishment is imposed rather than chosen. By questioning the nature of free will within divine judgment, we aim to provoke thoughtful reflections and encourage you to find your own understanding of these deep and enduring questions.
Christians good evening. I want to talk about evangelism and the messages that are and have been historically used by those who call themselves or consider themselves evangelists Speaking for God. And I got to say there have been many productive, fruitful evangelists throughout the history of the Christian church, many good and many that were not so good, that were bad. But I was sent a video by a brother on TikTok. I was sent a video and the video was an evangelistic message by the late Billy Graham. I don't know how many of you today who know who Billy Graham was, but he was a very well-known evangelist in the 60s, 70s in that time frame, very popular, known for going from venue to venue and filling out the venues full of people Communicating a message of the gospel. But there were many people who had problems with Billy Graham. I'm one of those people. Now some people will think that if you speak anything against Billy Graham, that you are borderline satanic. But to me, billy Graham, to me Billy Graham was more or less an extension and a tool of the Catholic Church, of the Catholic Church at the Catholic Church. Billy Graham was also very. He was a student of the late DL Moody and both of these men were essentially spiritual offspring of John Darby, john Nelson Darby and CI Schofield, and they took the methodology of gospel preaching from these men. And these two men, dl Moody and Billy Graham, are the ones who made this manner and this methodology of preaching that has become popular in America even to this day.
Speaker 1:Now I said earlier. I said earlier that I was sent a video and I was asked to address those things which were contained in the video, and the video was a sermon, a recorded message by Billy Graham. Now, somebody already has already said to me on since I've been talking now, that no, billy Graham was a great man of God. That's fine for you to believe that. That's fine for you to believe that, but we will see in some of the things that I'm going to address tonight if that is truly true, if that is in effect, true. So now, when I was sent this video of the sermon by Billy Graham whereby I was asked to address it, I decided to go through the entire video and to bring out every point that Billy Graham had conveyed in his message message, every point and I wrote them down. And I'm going to address all of these things right now, tonight, and you will have the opportunity to contemplate these things in your own mind and heart, to determine if they are true to you, to you.
Speaker 1:Most people who know the history of Billy Graham, they will know that he was definitely a buddy-buddy, cozy companion to the Pope. And I don't see how you can be a Christian and be a friend of the Pope. That is an impossibility. Let me say that again you cannot be a friend of the Pope and be a friend of God at the same time. That is an impossibility. I said that is an impossibility. It's impossible.
Speaker 1:If you, as a Christian, embrace the papacy, if you embrace Catholicism, if you consider those who embrace Catholicism Christians, then you have to ask yourself if you are a Christian. I personally do not believe you are. You can disagree with me all you want, and that's fine. But I'm telling you you cannot be a friend, you cannot be a Christian and be a friend of the enemies of God, his son and the gospel. That is an impossibility. Try as though you may. It's an impossibility. Try as though you may. It's an impossibility. You may feel as good as you want to feel by thinking that somehow you are holy and extra special because you embrace more people than you should, but we are not called to embrace those who embrace error. To embrace those who embrace error. We're not called to support those and the doctrine of those whose doctrine is in opposition to God, in opposition to Christ and contrary to everything that is godly and holy and consistent with the scriptures. I have no interest or care or concern with making you feel good about things you believe. I only feel good and care about communicating what is biblically true and sound doctrine sound doctrine.
Speaker 1:So I've taken this sermon by Billy Graham and I have extracted all the things that he said in this video and I've drafted my own outline to speak against each of these elements. In my opinion, billy Graham is a person who compromised the gospel. He is a person who was comfortable with aiding those who despise the truth of the gospel. He was comfortable joining hands with those who hate God and who hate his word. And I Am not having it Like so many of my Christian brothers In the past. If you ever want to see Someone who will give you the most clear depiction Of what Billy Graham was, go look up a man by the name of Ian Paisley Paisley, like the print Ian Paisley. This was a man who had Billy Graham pegged, nailed it, nailed Billy Graham and had Graham pegged, nailed it, nailed Billy Graham and had him pegged, and Billy Graham had no interest in dealing with that godly man.
Speaker 1:So now let me begin in countering the evangelical message that I was sent. Begin in countering the evangelical message that I was sent in video form of an evangelistic message that was presented by Billy Graham. Now and I hope you have time because I'm in a very good mood tonight I like to say that Usually, when I say I'm in a good mood, it means that we're going to be here for a while for those who are willing to hang around and to hear some biblical truth. I hope Let it be known that I am willing to be challenged on anything that I say, and you should challenge me. Take nothing that I say at face value, as I take nothing that any man says about the word of God at face value. I need, as you need to do, we need to verify what is true. We need to verify what is true. So now the gospel I present to you According to Billy Graham, the gospel according to Billy Graham. I took this message and let me start by the first thing that he says In this video that I'm responding to, he says this that God does not send Anyone to hell.
Speaker 1:God does not send anyone to hell. Frankly, I have no clue. I have no clue what Bible Billy Graham was reading that would allow him to come to a conclusion that was sound in his mind, so sound, in fact, that he was willing to communicate that Message Abroad, to the masses. He says that God doesn't send anyone to hell. And listen, jesus told us in John 3, verse 16, that God so loved the world, that God so loved the world that anyone who believes in him. But look what else he says a few verses down. He says that he that believes on the son has everlasting life, and that he that believes not on the son of God, in other words, whoever does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, shall not see life, but the wrath of God, the wrath of God, abides on him. Notice what Jesus says. He says that those who do not believe in the Son of God, the wrath of God abides on him. Abides means remains. The wrath of God remains on him.
Speaker 1:Now, billy Graham says God does not send anyone to hell. So my question to all of you believers, my question to you is this if God does not send anyone to hell, then how do those who end up in hell how do they get there? How do they get there? How do they get there? Somebody wrote to me and says was he implying that God doesn't send us, but rather sinners send themselves by denying Christ? No, that is wrong. That is completely wrong. Now I'm not trying to rip your head off, sister, but let me explain why it is wrong. This is what the problem is with Christianity today. Here's what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 1:In the garden Of Eden, there was the man and the woman that God put there. God gave them one defining restriction and he told them to not eat from a particular tree that sits in the midst of the garden. Am I right or wrong? God told them he told Adam specifically that if you eat from this tree, if you eat from this tree on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die. And I got the right Billy Graham, sister Caroline. I got the right Billy Graham. Billy Graham, who is Franklin Graham's father. Franklin Graham was the one who prayed at the inauguration for the Trumps coming into power. So I got the right, billy Graham. God told Adam and Eve to not eat from this tree that sits in the midst of the garden. And he said on the day that you do, you shall surely die.
Speaker 1:And what Christians have come to understand is that when Adam ate from the tree, he died, and he being the federal. When Adam ate from the tree, he died, and he being the federal representative for all of his posterity. As a result of him eating from the tree and dying because of it, we, who are represented by him, we died when he died. I hope that there is no one who disagrees with that. The death of Adam that he brought upon himself as a result of his disobedience to God, was passed upon all mankind and, as a result of his disobedience to God, was passed upon all mankind and, as a result of that, those who are born thereafter are born dead in sin and trespasses. Born dead, let me say that again. Born dead. Let me say that again. Born dead. Now, here's what you need to understand All of us, all of mankind, we are born, given life, dead, dead to God. We are born according to humanity and human flesh and according to the natural man, but we are dead when it comes to the spiritual aspects that allow us to obtain eternal life and to live unto God.
Speaker 1:Man is a dichotomy. He is comprised of two elements spirit and body. When Adam died, he died when he disobeyed God's word to eat from that tree, and God said that when you do so, you will die. But when Adam ate from the tree, his body did not die. That is clear. His body did not die, however. His body not only was it subject to death, but his spirit died immediately. And what is it to die? It means to be separate from God or, in Adam's case, separated from God, separated Spiritually.
Speaker 1:The relationship that Adam had with God was broken and God had no more interest in man. The conciliatory relationship between man and God had been severed. And that is why, when we read in the New Testament, we see that God was in Christ reconciling, reconciling man to God. Why? Because the conciliation between man and God was broken. It was broken. So now man, as a result of his sin, was condemned, like Jesus said in John, chapter 3, verse 36. He that does not believe in the Son is already condemned. Therefore, there is nothing else to do in order for that man to reach the full potential of his condemnation, unless God intervenes on his behalf. So what does this mean? It's sad that this must be explained to 21st century christians with all that we ought to know by now. That is communicated to us by god's word. But what is clear is this Everyone who is born ever since Adam ate that fruit from the tree. Everyone who is born thereafter is born dead in sin and trespasses. And no Roddy. God does not have a soul. God is God Now moving on. So if we understand at the outset that, if we understand from the outset that, if we understand from the outset that men are born dead in sin and trespasses because of the sin that Adam introduced in the world, that passed upon all of his posterity, we understand that the only way that we can find redemption or salvation has to be from something that comes from outside of ourselves.
Speaker 1:Billy Graham taught that God doesn't send anyone to hell. This is what Billy Graham taught. God does not send anyone to hell. He says that men go to hell by their own free will and choice. God goes to hell by their own free will and choice. That's what he teaches. God doesn't send anyone to hell. Men go there by their own choice. In other words, it's like he would have you believe that men understand what hell is. They look at it, they look at heaven, they do a compare and contrast and they decide you know what? I want to go to hell.
Speaker 1:That's silly, frankly. It's quite stupid. That's silly, frankly. It's quite stupid Because in order for men to decide I want hell, they must understand something about it that the Bible never says we understand, says we understand. Nowhere in the Bible does it ever say man has a free will. It's amazing how much of a doctrine that has become in the world that men have a free will, when in fact the Bible never says one word about a free will, says one word about a free will.
Speaker 1:Everyone listening I challenge any of you, even while you are listening you find one verse of Scripture, one verse of Scripture that says man has a free will and that God gave him a free will, and I will shut my life off immediately After admitting that I'm an idiot and a fool. And you know what I know? That will never happen Because it is not there. I challenge everyone listening under the sound of my voice show me anywhere, anywhere in the Bible, where God says I gave man a free will. Having choices does not imply freedom of will, it just means there are choices. But having choices Does not imply the freedom of will.
Speaker 1:Billy Graham says that God Doesn't send anyone To hell. And let me tell you something what the Bible does teach. It teaches that all men are already condemned to hell. All mankind are condemned. All mankind has the sentence of death and eternal condemnation. All humankind Babies, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, young, old we are all born Under condemnation to hell. Every one of us I know that many of you don't like hearing this.
Speaker 1:No criminal, no criminal in our society says you know what, I committed a crime and now I'm going to choose To go to prison. No criminal in our society who breaks the law Says you know what, I broke the law and now I really, really want to go To jail, I want to undergo capital punishment. Have we ever seen a criminal in all US history ever say you know what? Let's bypass all this stuff. I'm guilty. Give me the chair, I choose the chair. Has anyone listening ever heard such a thing? I'm just asking a question that I know no one is going to answer. No criminal says I want to go to jail. No criminal says I want to die in the electric chair or be gassed. Nobody says this. I have never heard this.
Speaker 1:Billy Graham taught that God doesn't send anyone to hell.
Speaker 1:Man goes to hell by their own free choice and free will. I have never heard anywhere in the Bible that it says that man has a free will, let alone that man himself chooses hell. I want to know who has ever said I want to go to hell. I have never heard it. This is what he says. This is what Billy Graham says. This is what he says. This is what Billy Graham says. Not only does he say that God doesn't send anyone to hell.
Speaker 1:Now let me explain something. Even when a criminal, even when a criminal in America or any other country, when any criminal breaks the law, and when any criminal breaks a law that warrants death or somewhere close to that, they themselves are condemned as violators of the law, and it is left up to the courts, the judges, juries, whatever, to determine what happens to you. They choose, you don't choose. They choose. There is no scenario when, in our criminal justice system, that the person who is convicted of a crime chooses the penalty of said crime. Am I wrong or am I right? No criminal who has been convicted of a crime gets to choose what the penalty is. So for Billy Graham.