Franklin Graham: We Must Speak on Moral Issues or ‘We Are Cowards and Deserve Hell’
July 24, 2014 - 1:42 PM
(CNSNews.com) – Reverend Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and son of world renowned pastor Bill Graham, said that Christians must preach the whole truth of the Bible and not avoid controversial topics, such as sin and judgment, or “we are cowards and deserve Hell.”
He added that “sinful behavior that is excused and repackaged as personal choice is Satan’s greatest deception,” and those preachers who minimize sin to keep their pews filled and “make sinners comfortable in their sin,” commit an egregious offense against God, who “has prepared a lake of fire for those who reject His truth.”
In his column for the July-August issue of Decision magazine, Rev. Graham said that followers of Jesus Christ, and “especially pastors and church leaders,” must “speak the truth of Scripture, calling sin what it is,” adding that “it is not just a debate about abortion or homosexuality” because “all sin is immorality – and all immorality is evil.”
“If we as God’s people refuse to speak about sin because it will make others uncomfortable, we are cowards,” said Rev. Graham. “The definition of a coward is one who refuses to do the right thing for fear of consequences. … We are soldiers in God’s army, and we cannot stand down on biblical issues out of fear of being labeled a homophobe or judge.”
“There was a day when God’s messengers preached against drunkenness,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is seldom heard from the pulpit anymore; rather, there is widespread acceptance of the intoxicating drug. When preaching falls short of God’s whole truth, it becomes easier to overlook or redefine evil behavior.”
He continued, “There are those who minimize this astounding message [of Christ and the Bible] in an effort to make sinners comfortable in their sin. This is egregious to Almighty God, and He has prepared a lake of fire for those who reject His truth. In other words, there is grave danger in not preaching, as the apostles did, the whole Gospel.”
“Just as our nation has drifted from the strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, so has the church seriously drifted from taking God at His Word,” said Rev. Graham. “Sin is destructive to people, to families, to nations and to the church. Sinful behavior that is excused and repackaged as personal choice is Satan’s greatest deception.”
“His greatest victories today take place within the church by those who remain silent; who are not aware of his divisive presence,” the reverend continued. “The Body of Christ must recognize that we have allowed Satan to distract us with non-essentials. It is time to get back to the basic teaching of God’s Word.”
“It is cowardice to excuse sin by claiming we have no right to judge what God has already judged,” he said. “There is only one personal choice that decides where we spend eternity; if we choose Christ and all He stands for, we gain Heaven; if we deny Christ’s Word, we are cowards and deserve Hell.”
In addition to serving as CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin Graham is president of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief group.
Franklin Graham is married, has five children, and lives in Boone, N.C. His father, Rev. Billy Graham, 95, is in poor health and not expected to live much longer. Over the years, Billy Graham preached to more than 215 million people in 185 different countries, and he wrote 31 books. For more than 50 years he has regularly been ranked among one of the most admired people in the world.
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