Quote:
Originally Posted by Enow
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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This post appears to be a little old, and while I usually hate to drag up old threads I am going to use the excuse that I am new here as the culprit.
Although I agree that there is Error in Billy Grahams message I think it is more than what you posted. I agree with the Scriptures you wrote from Galatians and Romans. But before we can look at those books and understand them fully, we have to understand and obey Acts first. All the Churches that Paul wrote too were all created in the book of Acts.
You asked a good question 'Why stop there?' and I can say that about the things you had mentioned that he should of said.
Why stop at just believing when Scripture tells us they must be baptized after you believe? We must be born of water and Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Despite what some pastors want to teach and majority of trinity believing folk were taught. Scriptures are adament that those that 'believe and are baptized are saved'. We must follow the Apostles doctrine and how they did things. For they know more about what God's salvation plan is better than anyone living today.
So why stop at just asking Jesus into your heart? Thats not even Scriptural, bring them to the water, baptize them in Jesus Name and they shall receive the Holy Spirit. This and only this fulfills
Matthew 28:19 and more importantly
John 3 by being born again of water and Spirit. I tell you that merely calling upon the name of the Lord will profit you nothing if you have not been born again in this manner first. Jesus even said those that say Lord Lord will not enter the kingdom of Heaven. Didn't the goats in the last days say they cast out demons in His Name and prophesied in His Name? Yet Jesus didn't know them. Could be because they believed in a 3 person god instead of the One True God that manifested Himself into flesh and dwelt among us? Regardless of why, the goats apparently believed and had faith in Jesus and called upon His Name.
So although I agree that there is Error in bro Graham, God will have Mercy on who He has Mercy on. But there is a lot of false security being preached these days. Paul tells us, Follow me as I follow Christ! What did Paul do when he ran across a believer baptized a different way? You must be baptized in the Name of Jesus and you will receive this Holy Ghost (
Acts 10).
When Paul and Silas were in prison, the earth shook and all the gates were opened. The guard was going to kill himself but Paul spoke up, the guard was shaken and asked Paul the same question people ask us as believers: (
Acts 16) "30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house."
As we see here Paul didn't stop at just believing in Jesus or asking Jesus into your heart. After they believed, he preached to them the Word of God, then baptized them in Jesus Name. This is the pattern the Apostles laid down for us to follow.
After Peter preached to the crowd they were pricked at their heart and asked the same question 'What must we do to be saved?'
Peter could of said anything.
Peter could of said:
'Say a sinners prayer and you will be saved!' or
'Ask Jesus to come into your heart and you will be saved!' or
'Join my church and you will be saved!' or
'Just shake my hand and tithe my church and you will be saved!' or
'Just be baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and you will be saved!'
He could of said any of that, had it been true. But he was just filled with the Holy Ghost with evidence by speaking in tongues and it wasn't him talking at this point. It was God speaking through him because he was anointed. He said 'Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost'
So this is how we are to do things, this is the heart of soul winning.
Dont stop at just the believing part - get them baptized in Jesus Name for the remission of Sins so that they shall receive the Holy Ghost which is the earnest of our inheritance in Heaven. Without it, they are not saved.
Lord bless.