Billy Graham – very gracious as always, but this interview is very troubling to me. There was no clear biblical gospel message presented anywhere in this interview with Woody Allen.
The Gospel is not that Jesus will give someone the greatest high, surpassing the high drugs can provide a ten thousand times over (sorry Cliff). That is a man centered false gospel, not the one proclaimed in the Bible. Some will think this comment is mean… but as a minister I believe this is THE problem in today’s church – many professing Christians have never heard a biblical gospel and have responded to a very different message (one that says “Jesus is an amazing life coach who will give you meaning, purpose and success and make you feel fulfilled in life”) and have a false assurance because of it. These professing Christians are actually angry when this is pointed out to them and then when the true gospel is presented they are very much offended.
The true gospel is this: God is your and my Creator and all of us as His creatures owe Him total allegiance and obedience. He is absolute in holiness and we are sinners through and through. Every sin we have ever committed is high treason against this holy God and worthy of eternal banishment from His presence. God has every right to banish you, me and all sinners forever to hell – that is what each of us deserves and left to ourselves, it is the end that awaits us all… and yet God in His love sent His Son into the world – His name is the Lord Jesus Christ and He lived a sinless life and died an atoning death for sinners and rose from the dead and now sits on the throne of the Universe and commands all men everywhere to repent and believe in Him…
And the good news is this: all who trust Christ alone and His mercy alone by faith alone will be saved from the wrath of God through Him (Romans 5:6-10). God in His love for us rebel sinners offers to pardon and save us from His righteous, eternal anger and wrath through His Son, the Lord Jesus.. but it is salvation on His terms – an acknowledgement of our sin and full and complete surrender, repenting and believing in Christ, receiving Him as Savior and Lord, by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. The gospel is not “come to Jesus for the ultimate high” and this is true even if I should preach it or an angel from heaven preaches it or even, dare I say it, Billy Graham preaches it.
A message saying Jesus will give you purpose and meaning and make your previous drug induced highs seem like lows by comparison – I have learned this the hard way – is a man-centered, unbiblical and false gospel folks.