“One of the saddest statements in the Bible is when Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven. . . . Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not . . . done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” (Matthew 7:21–23).”
―
Billy Graham
“The Lord is not only tender and merciful and full of compassion, but He is also the God of justice, holiness and wrath…Compassion is not complete in itself, but must be accompanied by inflexible justice and wrath against sin and a desire for holiness. What stirs God most is not physical suffering but sin. All too often we are more afraid of physical pain than of moral wrong. The cross is the standing evidence of the fact that holiness is a principle for which God would die. God cannot clear the guilty until atonement is made. Mercy is what we need and that is what we receive at the foot of the cross.”
―
Billy Graham
“In our desire to make Christ known and to increase the influence of the church, we are many times prone to think that Christians and the church can be made popular with the unbelieving world. This is a grave mistake on the part of the church.”
―
Billy Graham
“For us all, the world is disorderly and dangerous; ungoverned, and apparently ungovernable.” The questions arise: Who will restore order? Who can counter the danger of nuclear holocaust? Who alone can govern the world? The only answer is Jesus Christ!”
―
Billy Graham
“Jesus Christ was the Master Realist when He urged men to prepare for death, which was certain to come. Do not worry, said the Lord Jesus, about the death of the body, but rather concern yourself with the eternal death of the soul.”
―
Billy Graham
“Religion can be anything! But true Christianity is God coming to man in a personal relationship.”
―
Billy Graham
“Death for the Christian is the doorway to heaven’s glory. Because of Christ’s resurrection we can joyously say with Paul, “Where, O death, is your victory?” [1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV].”
―
Billy Graham
“The Bible is our authority in everything it touches. This means the Bible is our guide to show us how to live . . . it is our instructor.”
―
Billy Graham
“Prayer by itself is like a diet without protein! Prayer is important to our spiritual growth— but of even greater importance is God’s Word, the Bible.”
―
Billy Graham
“Consistency, constancy, and undeviating diligence to maintain Christian character are a must if the older generation is to command respect, or even a hearing, from the young.”
―
Billy Graham
“I fear that so often we Christians give the idea that the truth is fiction by the way we live and by the lack of dedication to the teachings of our Lord.”
―
Billy Graham
“You cannot pray for someone and hate them at the same time.”
―
Billy Graham
“The Christian’s journey through life isn’t a sprint but a marathon.”
―
Billy Graham
“When you are unsure whether or not something is wrong, ask yourself these questions: Does this glorify God? Can I offer a prayer of thanksgiving for it? Does it draw me closer to Christ, or does it make me preoccupied with this world? Will it harm my health or hurt me in some other way? Will it cause someone else to stumble spiritually or morally? I have never forgotten what a wise Christian said to me many years ago: “When in doubt—don’t!”
―
Billy Graham