Some time ago I had the opportunity of watching a documentary film on the subject of separation and ecumenism. Amongst other things that film featured Dr. Robert Schuller interviewing Rev. Billy Graham. During that interview Rev. Graham indicated his belief that a saving knowledge of Christ is not necessarily essential to personal salvation. In fact Rev. Graham was clear in certain circumstances it was possible to be a Christian without any knowledge that Christ ever existed.
The pertinent part of the interview is as follows
“SCHULLER: Tell me, what do you think is the future of Christianity?
GRAHAM: Well, Christianity and being a true believer — you know, I think there’s the Body of Christ. This comes from all the Christian groups around the world, outside the Christian groups. I think everybody that loves Christ, or knows Christ, whether they’re conscious of it or not, they’re members of the Body of Christ … I think James answered that, the Apostle James in the first council in Jerusalem, when he said that God’s purpose for this age is to call out a people for His name. And that’s what God is doing today, He’s calling people out of the world for His name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ, because they’ve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have, and they turn to the only light that they have, and I think they are saved, and that they’re going to be with us in heaven.”
“SCHULLER: What, what I hear you saying, that it’s possible for Jesus Christ to come into human hearts and soul and life, even if they’ve been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you’re saying?
GRAHAM: Yes, it is, because I believe that. I’ve met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations, that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, and never heard of Jesus, but they’ve believed in their hearts that there was a God, and they’ve tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.”
“SCHULLER: [R.S. trips over his tongue for a moment, his face beaming, then says] I’m so thrilled to hear you say this. There’s a wideness in God’s mercy.
GRAHAM: There is. There definitely is.”
Rev. Graham’s views are not in accordance with the Word of God. Peter clearly states that salvation is to be found alone in Christ. Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Paul also in his writings continually points men and women to Christ for salvation. Rom10:9 is a classic example “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Both apostles clearly indicate a proper narrowness in the gospel message. They both affirm the exclusivity of Christ as the sole way of salvation for individuals. Importantly they are in full agreement with the claims that Christ made concerning himself, namely that John 14:6
“… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Dear unconverted person understand that Scripture furnishes no basis for the belief that someone can be saved apart from faith in Christ. Do not take refuge in such erroneous views but rather consider the exclusivity of the gospel and then as one of old “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
W. Ian Hall
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