Billy Graham, Good and Faithful Servant (1918 – 2018)

Billy Graham, Good and Faithful Servant - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia

“I look forward to death with great anticipation, to meeting God face to face.” —Billy Graham

The Bible says that God will wipe away all tears in heaven. For the many who have wondered why there would ever be tears there, the answer may have come this morning when Billy Graham entered into God’s presence and heard the Lord say the words Dr. Graham had so often said that he longed to hear: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:21). There had to be tears of joy flowing from Billy’s eyes. Tears that only the Lord God could wipe away.

Early this morning, February 21, 2018, Dr. Billy Graham finished the course, having fought the good fight, having always kept the faith (see 2 Timothy 4:7).

Graham will be remembered as “America’s Pastor,” an eponym bestowed upon him by President George H.W. Bush. The label was appropriate for a man whose spiritual advice was sought by 12 American presidents. When his integrity was questioned for befriending men of such political diversity, his simple response demonstrated his understanding of God’s calling more than, perhaps, all of the sermons he ever preached: “I love them all, regardless of politics and regardless of who stands for what.”

It is unlikely that anyone else in the past century has preached the Gospel to as many people and in as many places as he did. He and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team conducted some 400 crusades in more than 185 countries over the course of 58 years.

His ministry was not without controversy. Fundamentalists criticized him for being too liberal. Liberals thought he was a fundamentalist. He suffered criticism for his relationships with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Richard Nixon; and for holding crusades in communist countries, but his ministry was never blemished by the moral or financial scandals that so many others have been.
Perhaps the reason that it was difficult for others to pidgeon-hole Graham can be represented by his statement that “our greatest contribution to world peace is to live with Christ every day.”

Graham’s commitment to living in communion with and obedience to Christ was always as difficult for people to comprehend as it was for so many who listened to Jesus during His earthly ministry. Observers of Jesus’ ministry tried to paint Him into theological and political corners, but He remained intently focused on being obedient to His Father and on the work He had sent Him to do. Christ’s message was sometimes difficult to understand, even for his own disciples who were recorded to have said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” (see John 6:60)

Indeed, Billy Graham’s message and life were difficult for others to understand because they were based on having a growing intimacy with Christ. He once said, “Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion. It is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.” He loved the souls of men just like Jesus did, but Graham was able to do that only because he loved Jesus so much himself and continually sought to understand what is the breadth and length and depth and height of Christ’s love for him and for the world (see Ephesians 3:18).

Now, with the news of Graham’s death, we press on. And we will strive to have the same motive and passion that drove Billy Graham. Billy Graham’s goal was to be like Christ so that he would accurately reflect His love to the world. Let us not make the mistake of trying to become like Billy Graham. Rather, may we embrace the same goal of loving Christ more every day so we will love others as He does, and so they will see the love of Christ in and through us.
“The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.” —Billy Graham
“I’m not going to heaven because I have preached to great crowds or read the Bible many times. I’m going to heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in that last moment, ‘Lord, remember me.’” —Billy Graham


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