Billy Graham's Little Known Testimony

[Pariah]

First off, I want to say that I believe the article in the OP is a slander piece, concocted by Satan to demean a TRUE man of God and servant of Jesus Christ.

Same can be said for those "men" and "women" that the forum finds otherwise. Example: Todd Bentley

I also believe that when Billy Graham stands before the Savior, he WILL hear "Well done good and faithful servant.".

We shall see, but I am reading His words saying He will say otherwise as well because thyey have not ceased from their works as God did from His.

Revelation 14:13 Hebrews 4:1-16

I can understand why he said what he said. How many here can say they are CERTAIN they will hear: "Well done good and faithful servant"? And how many here would say they MIGHT hear: "Depart from Me. I never knew you!"? He will look on our hearts and make the judgement at that time, and a majority of us might not know for sure where we stand.

Looking at yourself by that commitment to judge your heart, will only wind up with condemnation. If anyone wanted the assurance of their salvation, it is by looking at the promises of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners. Therefore the hope is on Him not just for salvation, but for living the christian life.

As far as the "Commitment to follow Jesus", I have studied how the word "commit" is used in the Bible, and have found, at least, two different meanings. One has to do with action, doing something, often having to do with sin as in "Do not COMMIT adultery." (Ex. 20:14) or "All other sins a man COMMITS..." (1 Corinthians 6:18). The other meaning is commending or entrusting to, as in "Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I COMMIT my spirit'." (Luke 23:46) or "COMMIT your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:" (Psalm 37:5) often having to do with a "perfect heart" or making the heart perfect.

But who is doing this: You or God? Psalm 37:5 places the emphasis on God doing it and all that is required from you is to trust Him to do it: John 6:28-29

If out of the heart proceeds these sins,

Matthew 15: 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20These are the things which defile a man:

...and it is that which defile a man, then only God can make the heart perfect. This is where our confidence should rest in: Psalm 118:8 Philippians 1:6 Psalm 100:3

So to "commit to follow Jesus" is to entrust one's life to Him.

Commit here is an action on the part of the committer to do something and that is to follow Jesus: that is not meaning to entrust one's life to Him. To cease from their works as God did from His.. that is the meaning of entrust because belief is being mixed with faith in those that heard the Gospel.

Or another term that can be used to mean commitment, that BGEA uses, is DECISION. We are deciding to follow Jesus, to become His disciple, and trust that He will LEAD us in our Christian lives, not live our Christian lives for us, as has been supposed. He is the Shepherd, we are the sheep.

Explain Galatians 2:20 then.

Note the difference from what you had originally stated as meaning to infer "entrust" to the action being willed by the committer and that is to follow Jesus. This is no longer what you had started out saying what commit means and certainly, commitment is what you are saying it means now..."I will" as in a boast of man.

Entrust would mean, "He will" which testifies to the glory of God in our lives and that is how we get to know Him and the power of His resurrection when we live by faith in the Son of God to help us follow Him as the Good Shepherd He is.

[titus212]

Same can be said for those "men" and "women" that the forum finds otherwise. Example: Todd Bentley

I am not familiar with this person, but as far as Benny Hinn and some others, their fruit has been proven to be bad. The person who wrote the article about Billy Graham is basing their entire supposition on one, small, misunderstood statement, which might not mean what they think it means.

Explain Galatians 2:20 then.

Explain to me what Paul means by: "...the life which I now live..." and "I live by the faith"?

I see that he is saying that, because he is IN Christ and Christ is IN him, he (Paul) can live his life by faith in Christ. What I am trying to say is: WE live our lives, whether apart from Christ or IN Christ; WE LIVE our lives. APART from Christ, we can DO NOTHING (John 15:5). IN Christ, we CAN DO all things THROUGH Him (Jesus) who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13), to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13). The Shepherd does NOT carry every sheep to the pasture or water. The Shepherd does NOT tear the grass from the ground and hold it to the sheep's mouth. He LEADS the sheep to the good pasture to eat and the water to drink. Only when a sheep is injured or sick does He carry it. And the sheep do NOT boast in their own ability to find the pasture or water, but they COMMIT their way to the Shepherd and TRUST that He will take care of them. It is THROUGH Christ that we can live our Christian lives.

I will continue to defend ministies like BGEA and PK, because I know they are IN Christ. And you have yet to PROVE that their FRUIT IS bad (apart from your misunderstandings concerning promises/commitments).

Respectfully,
Varlen (The VMan)

[Onesiphorus]

Dear Varlen ,to quote Gal 2:20 correctly ,we do not live by the faith "in" but we live by the faith "OF" the Son Of God ,so its "His Faith "not our faith in Him

[titus212]

Dear Varlen ,to quote Gal 2:20 correctly ,we do not live by the faith "in" but we live by the faith "OF" the Son Of God ,so its "His Faith "not our faith in Him

So what, exactly, is "His Faith"?

Even still, it is Paul who is LIVING by the faith....

Varlen (The VMan)

[Onesiphorus]

Paul is not living in or by his own faith because that faith would rise and fall according to how he felt emotionally day by day ,he lived in the assurances given to Christ by God as in 1 Corinthians 1:30 this is the faith of Christ that won for us these wonderful promises

[Pariah]

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;