Question: Dear Greg,

I was wondering if you had any insights into the work of evangelists like Billy Graham and his son Franklin. I once thought that Billy Graham was spreading confusion by telling people to go to the church of their choice, but now I see it as a powerful organization spreading the message of Jesus Christ and backing it up with powerful evangelistic and humanitarian efforts around the world. But I also have concerns about the message he is bringing that people must receive Jesus Christ in this life. Is this biblically correct or are they too hasty and shallow in their zeal to spread the gospel?

Dave

Answer: Dear Dave,

Of course, your question is deeper than the persons of Billy and Franklin Graham. They simply provide an illustration.

The historic, orthodox Christian church believes that there is one universal church, the body of Christ, and that membership in any denomination or local church does not guarantee that one is "in" the body of Christ. Conversely, no one humanly organized corporate entity encompasses the body of Christ. The body of Christ has a way of existing wherever it wants to. Another way of saying this – there are visible (to us) and invisible Christians. We don’t know who and where all the Christians are. That’s not something God expects of us; and we can be thankful, for if we could know for sure, humans beings would wreak unbelievable havoc on their fellows whom they had determined not to have been Christian. We have a few examples in history, of course.

So telling people to go to the church of their choice is not unbiblical advice, as long as people do not assume that all churches are Christ-centered and Bible affirming. Simply erecting a sign outside of a building, and calling a place and time of congregation a "church" does not mean that such a meeting or group is Christian. There are cults and groups and pastors that are unhealthy – that are not part of the body of Christ by definition. They may claim to be Christian, but their practices and behaviors and beliefs are not biblical.

On the other hand, going to a Christ-centered, healthy, Bible believing church does not automatically make us a Christian any more than sitting in the barn with the cows makes us a cow. Attending such a church may ensure that we do not hear bad doctrine, but no church and no pastor can ensure that we have a personal relationship with God.

Receiving Christ in our lives is the New Testament admonition: It is what Jesus and his apostles tell us that we must do in order to be saved. It is "all" that they tell us that we must do. No jumping through hoops, no legalistic formula devised by humans, no esoteric biblical interpretations that must be believed – "simply" accepting Christ.

Is accepting Christ easy? No – it may be the hardest thing that anyone can ever do. Accepting Christ means that you give up control of your life, that you admit that you cannot save yourself, that your efforts cannot get you saved or keep you saved. You must admit that only Jesus saves. You must accept that Jesus can do for you what you can never do for yourself.

Not everyone who says that they accept Christ does, for many, while they think they do, actually follow a religion of traditions and do’s and don’ts. Christianity is not a religion – it is a relationship. Religion seeks to incorporate and "control" adherents, but biblical Christianity, while it is best practiced by groups of believers in local congregations/groups, etc. cannot be reduced to a corporate entity. Christianity is the relationship that God gives the individual believer, because of God’s grace, because God is holy, just, righteous and good. Not because of anything the individual has done, or is committed to doing. Christianity is giving up and surrendering to God, knowing that he alone is in control of our lives and that he alone can save us and that he will, and has, saved us (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Hope this helps!

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht