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Like his fellow travellers, Baptist superstar Billy Graham has little use
for Bible teaching concerning the church. Baptist theologians teach
salvation by "faith only" and then admission to their church by a vote of
its members. This is all taught and practiced, of course, without a
scintilla of Bible authority.
Graham expelled that same theological effluvium in a recent edition of his syndicated column. A reader wrote, "Dear Dr. Graham: When I was growing up, I committed my life to Jesus, but I never joined a church...But now I'm worried God won't let me into heaven because I'm not a church member." Graham answered, "Let me be as clear as I possibly can: The only thing that counts as far as our salvation is concerned is our relationship to Jesus Christ." In other words, if you have truly trusted Christ to save you and have committed your life to Him, then God has already forgiven you, and nothing can take that away. "Don't misunderstand me, however. If we are committed to Christ, I firmly believe it is God's will for us to be part of a fellowship of believers." ("Billy Graham," The Daily Oklahoman, June 10, 2002, p. 5B). Graham's knee-jerk Baptist reaction is to spew his false doctrine that one is saved without and apart from the church. If that's true, then one is saved without and apart from Christ. Paul declared that the church is the fulness of Christ, (Eph. 1:22-23). One cannot be "in Christ" without being in the church. He also affirmed, by inspiration, that it is the church which Christ saves. (Eph. 5:23). No saved person is outside the church of Christ. When 3,000 people obeyed the gospel on Pentecost, the divine record says, "the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved." (Acts 2:47). But the uninspired Graham would have his readers believe that one can be saved without being in the church. Christ died for the church and purchased it with his own blood, (Acts 20:28). Graham despises the blood of Christ by despising that which Christ's blood purchased. Then, in the typical fashion of the double-tongued deceiver, Graham gives lip service to church membership, saying, "Don't misunderstand me, however. If we are committed to Christ, I firmly believe it is God's will for us to be part of a fellowship of believers." That's the kind of double talk the devil loves and Graham is a master at it. How can one believe something to be "God's will," but that our response to that will is unnecessary? Since Baptist doctrines teach that the church is optional — which is contrary to the New Testament — I suggest that Baptists save themselves millions of dollars, enjoy life and quit attending anywhere. After all, if one is saved without being in the church and that salvation is guaranteed by the prevarication of "once saved, always saved," Baptists don't really need to be there on Sunday or any other day. Go fishing. Take a cruise, Go to Vegas. Buy a season ticket to see your favorite professional football team on Sunday. That money would be better spent than lining the pockets of deceivers like Graham and other Baptist preachers. Honestly, why should one bother with joining a Baptist Church, or any other man made church, if salvation is secured outside of the church and, once secured, can never be lost? In tempting Jesus, the devil twisted God's word (Matt. 4). As the devil's disciple, Billy Graham is a master at doing the same. |