I Was Wrong!

Written by
Christopher Mentzer

Have you ever had to admit at being wrong about something? Jumped to conclusions, guessed incorrectly, or simply followed a belief and realized it wasn’t right?

I personally have done all of these and have admitted that I was wrong. A lot of people do and then there are more who won’t admit to being wrong. Proof that people don’t admit to being wrong is what keeps the denominations alive and thriving. Even when they are shown to be incorrect, they won’t admit it. Especially preachers of denominations that know they are wrong and won’t admit it because the job is too important to them. The paycheck they receive to lead these people or whatever is too valuable to change their ways.

Billy Graham is one of these individuals and although they say he doesn’t obtain a large sum of the money from his crusades, he continues to mislead people in the truth of the Bible. His biggest promotion is “Receive Christ as your personal Saviour and choose the church of your choice.” ‘Choice’ is some 650 churches of the denominational persuasion, which pay for these crusades! Its primary function is to build up congregation numbers. Although Mr. Graham does not support baptism as a means of Salvation and the Catholic Church does, makes no difference to either one. The ploy is: People come to Mr. Graham to be saved and he directs them to members of their local church, regardless of denomination or creed. So how does one explain what Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me”? Or what about what the apostle Peter said in Acts 4:12, “And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved”?

Of course Mr. Graham and the others will agree to this but that’s probably about it. In his book “How To Be Born Again”, Mr. Graham gives helpful information but nowhere do you see the verse Acts 2:38 in which a individual must repent of his sins AND be baptized. How can this be left out? I’m sure someone down the road must have confronted him on many occasions and challenged him in the belief of baptism. Surely he must know the truth by now. So why doesn’t he admit to being wrong? Thousands of people would feel betrayed by such admittance. People who flock to his crusades year after year answering the ‘altar call’ and receiving Jesus Christ through the Sinner’s Prayer and becoming a member of the (fill in the blank) church would be devastated!! Does it matter that they are already condemned to hell? Apparently not, since no such admittance to being wrong has sprung forth from his mouth or any of the others.

Acts 2:41, 47 has this to say about the church, “They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added `unto them' in that day about three thousand souls…praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.” When you are baptized you are added to the church, the choice is made then and there. The church is Christ’s body and he is the head. (Eph. 1: 22-23; Col. 1:18) How would Mr. Graham respond to this? Not very well, I’m sure. How would others respond if they found out Mr. Graham led them down the wrong path. Perhaps people would say things like: “He’s studied the bible a long time. He knows what he’s talking about”. OR “It’s simply a matter of how one interprets the scriptures.” The bottom line is people will defend Billy Graham to the death rather than the scriptures.

Prov. 10:32 “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked `speaketh' perverseness.” Exactly how does one know what is acceptable? Reading the scriptures and reading them daily (Acts 17:11). Never ever go on what someone preaches regardless of who they are or what they stand for. You will never know the truth unless you consult the scriptures. That is where faith comes from, hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), not someone’s interpretation of them (Gal. 1: 6-7).