Redeem the Culture
Redeem the Culture?
Proclaiming Good News In a Fallen World
~ by Franklin Graham
People ask me how we can redeem the culture, how we can take back our society for Christ. I don’t believe we can “Christianize” this world’s culture.
The Bible tells us that “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). The devil is the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), the ruler of a world system that is violently opposed to Christ. That is why Christians are often persecuted. The world hates the Name of Christ and despises the wisdom and power of the Cross. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).
The Gospel is the Good News that God will forgive even those who hate the Name of Christ and persecute His followers—if they will confess and repent of their sins. The Good News is that “Christ … gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (Galatians 1:3–4).
A vivid scene in the book of Revelation describes the vast host of redeemed people gathering around the throne in Heaven to worship Jesus Christ and sing praises to Him.
They sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy …
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
—Revelation 5:9
The mandate of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is to be faithful in preaching the Gospel to as many people as possible. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
I have been accused by some that the Gospel of salvation I preach is simplistic and not sophisticated enough for our day. But the Bible says, “It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
As I write, we are leaving for India for an evangelistic Crusade in Chennai, formerly called Madras, one of the largest cities in that country. We have made India one of the major focal points since 2005 when we took our evangelism through television program, My Hope, across this vast country through 18 different broadcasting networks.
First, we took a year to train 800,000 Christians who agreed to invite their unsaved neighbors and friends into their homes during the nights of our telecasts. When my father gave the invitation at the close of the broadcasts, the hosts of each one of these 800,000 homes turned their television off, turned to their guests, and asked if they would like to receive Christ as their Savior. We saw more than 5 million people surrender their hearts to the Lord.
Many of the churches have continued to use our discipleship and evangelism materials after the telecasts. We know of one group of evangelical churches that baptized 300,000 people on a single day. That’s 300,000 souls who will worship one day before the throne in Heaven. Praise God!
My prayer is, “Lord, do it again.” We want to keep the flames of evangelism burning in India, and we ask you to join us in praying for the people of this immense country. Pray for the many who respond to the invitation at the Crusade, that they would become rooted and grow in their faith and begin telling others about Jesus. Pray also for our other outreaches in India throughout this year, that there will be a great harvest of souls.
The Gospel is the Good News that God will forgive even those who hate the Name of Christ and persecute His followers—if they will confess and repent of their sins. The Good News is that “Christ … gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (Galatians 1:3–4).
A vivid scene in the book of Revelation describes the vast host of redeemed people gathering around the throne in Heaven to worship Jesus Christ and sing praises to Him.
They sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy …
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
—Revelation 5:9
The mandate of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is to be faithful in preaching the Gospel to as many people as possible. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
I have been accused by some that the Gospel of salvation I preach is simplistic and not sophisticated enough for our day. But the Bible says, “It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
As I write, we are leaving for India for an evangelistic Crusade in Chennai, formerly called Madras, one of the largest cities in that country. We have made India one of the major focal points since 2005 when we took our evangelism through television program, My Hope, across this vast country through 18 different broadcasting networks.
First, we took a year to train 800,000 Christians who agreed to invite their unsaved neighbors and friends into their homes during the nights of our telecasts. When my father gave the invitation at the close of the broadcasts, the hosts of each one of these 800,000 homes turned their television off, turned to their guests, and asked if they would like to receive Christ as their Savior. We saw more than 5 million people surrender their hearts to the Lord.
Many of the churches have continued to use our discipleship and evangelism materials after the telecasts. We know of one group of evangelical churches that baptized 300,000 people on a single day. That’s 300,000 souls who will worship one day before the throne in Heaven. Praise God!
My prayer is, “Lord, do it again.” We want to keep the flames of evangelism burning in India, and we ask you to join us in praying for the people of this immense country. Pray for the many who respond to the invitation at the Crusade, that they would become rooted and grow in their faith and begin telling others about Jesus. Pray also for our other outreaches in India throughout this year, that there will be a great harvest of souls.
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