Billy Graham: The Legacy of a True Ambassador for Jesus Christ

What really sets Evangelist Graham apart is his consistent show of integrity that has lasted for decades, going back to 1947 when he became a national figure in the United States. Here are seven facets that testify to the man's moral core by which he has written an exclusive chapter in the annals of modern Christian history.

#1. Sexual Purity

Rev. Graham has steered clear of sexual misconduct. Not one word of a hotel hookup with a prostitute or one night stand...male or female. No true girlfriend of Graham has ever stepped forward, and it is not likely that there is one in the bushes.

#2. Financial Accountability

He has remained honest in handling money, whether his or the ministry's. Not only has he not fingered the the huge collection plates that fund the massive Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), but Rev. Graham has shown no taste for the fancy, flamboyant, flashy, show-offish lifestyle that has become the goal or hallmark of modern preachers.

#3. Congregation without Segregation

Whether it's a Billy Graham classic sermon from the distant past or his preaching from recent times, this man of God has not let his heart to be stained by racist bigotry that other pastors and preachers have given in to. He has consistently preached that God sees no difference between blacks and whites. He declared, "There is no scriptural basis for segregation.... The ground at the foot of the cross is level..." He reached out to the civil rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, in the spirit of brotherhood. The fact that Rev. Graham got his college degree in anthropology rather than theology may have played a role in his openness to a 'one human race' mindset.

#4. Non-Partisan Politics

Rev. Graham has lived above a notorious pitfall that entraps thousands of evangelical leaders today: the partisan tactic or rhetoric that shares the political bed with either the liberal or the conservative wing of American politics. "As of April 25, 2010 (when he met with Barack Obama), he has been a spiritual adviser to twelve United States presidents going back to Harry Truman..." (wikipedia). Across the political spectrum people trust this man, even if they disagree with his basic message that Jesus is the only way for a sinner to be saved from sin.

#5. Non-Denominational Christianity

Though a Southern Baptist, Evangelist Graham has never promoted "the Baptist faith". As multitudes have responded to his altar calls he has directed them to Bible-believing churches. He has set the standard for not screening churches that want to collaborate with the BGEA in planning his huge evangelistic campaigns. His influence has contributed to Christian churches and ministries that are not hard-core denominational. One measurable result is that "Baptist Bookstores" became "LifeWay Christian Stores", and some Southern Baptist churches no longer display the "Baptist" label in the church name. Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Community Church is just one example.

#6. Healthy Balance

Evangelist Graham is just as admired by pew-jumping Pentecostals as he is by the frozen-chosen worshipers of traditional churches. Bible-toting snake handlers are as likely to praise Rev. Graham as are Presbyterians and Episcopalians. By any measure this man has lived free of religious extremes. That reminds us of Jesus who befriended puritanical Pharisees as he did the more worldly Sadducees. Jesus mingled with "tax collectors and sinners" as he did with members of the religious hierarchy.

#7. Smooth Succession Transition

One loft where Rev. Billy Graham stands nearly alone is in having smoothly passed the baton of ministry to his son, Rev. Franklin Graham, who is credible like his father, almost. There is none of that financial mismanagement that plagued Rev. Oral Roberts' son, or the public bouts between Rev. Robert Schuller and his son. On the contrary, Franklin Graham, with utmost integrity carries on not only the work of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association but the expanded ministry of compassion known as Samaritan's Purse.

May the God of Heaven bless Planet Earth with another servant in the spirit of Billy Graham whom the Lord is apt to commend, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"