c2p-cmd/Good-Quotes-Authors huggingface dataset:
Though the cross repels, it also attracts. It possesses a magnetic quality.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Once you have been to the cross, you will never be the same.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Heaven doesn’t make this life less important
—  it makes it more important.
In heaven . . . the “communication gap” will be closed.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
To take up your cross means to associate yourself with Christ and to share His rejection. It means you take a stand for Christ even though people make fun of you, persecute you—or even kill you!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible says that as long as we are here on earth, we are strangers in a foreign land. There are enemies to be conquered before we return home. This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Only in heaven will we know exactly what heaven is like.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We were equipped by our Creator not only to live on this earth, but also to live in touch with heaven. This was the Great Design of the Great Designer.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
There are restrictions to entering heaven. The Scripture says: “Nothing impure will ever enter [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” [Revelation 21:27 NIV].
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Only one answer will give a person the certain privilege, the joy, of entering heaven. “Because I have believed in Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Savior.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Even when we allow our imaginations to run wild on the joys of heaven, we find that our minds are incapable of conceiving what it will be like.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
What a thrilling future for those of us who know that some day we will populate the kingdom of God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
In our resurrection bodies we will know nothing of physical weakness. Limitations imposed on us on this earth are not known in heaven. We will have a habitation from God that is incorruptible, immortal, and powerful.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
In heaven I’ll wish with all my heart that I could reclaim a thousandth part of the time I’ve let slip through my fingers, that I could call back those countless conversations which could have glorified my Lord—but didn’t.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Don’t let the burdens and hardships of this lifedistract you or discourage you, but keep your eyes firmly fixed on what God has promisedat the end of our journey: heaven itself.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The most thrilling thing about heaven is that Jesus Christ will be there. I will see Him face to face. Jesus Christ will meet us at the end of life’s journey.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Heavenly rest will be so refreshing that we will never feel that exhaustion of mind and body we so frequently experience now. I’m really looking forward to that.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Nothing made by the hand of man has ever been so beautiful as starlight on the water or moonlight on the snow. And the same hand that made trees and fields and flowers, the seas and hills, the clouds and sky, has been making a home for us called heaven.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
A Christian’s citizenship may be in heaven, but he has obligations as a citizen of earth. Both living with Christ and going to be with Him in death are greatly to be desired.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
If Jesus had not risen from the dead, no right-minded person would have glorified anything so hideous and repulsive as a cross stained with the blood of Jesus . . .An unopened grave would never have opened heaven.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Be willing to be sneered at than to be approved, counting the cross of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Washington, London, Paris, or Moscow.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The law enables us to see ourselves as morally dirty and in need of cleansing. But it also points us to the place of cleansing: the cross of Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The cross is the only way of salvation. And the cross gives a new purpose to life.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The cross shows the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Jesus was born with the cross darkening His pathway . . . From the cradle to the cross, [Jesus’] purpose was to die.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Jesus Christ opened heaven’s door for us by His death on the cross.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Great crowds followed our Lord . . . as He healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed the hungry. However, the moment He started talking about the cross . . . “many . . . no longer followed him” (John 6:66 NIV).
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Sin was conquered on the cross. [Christ’s] death is the foundation of our hope, the promise of our triumph!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Had Satan not set himself in opposition to God . . . there would have been no need for God to send His Son to the cross.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
One-third of Matthew . . . one-third of Mark . . . one-fourth of Luke, and one-half of John are given to [Christ’s] death . . .Jesus came for the express purpose of dying for sinners. When He left heaven, He knew He was going to the cross.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Sin’s masterpiece of shame and hate became God’s masterpiece of mercy and forgiveness. Through the death of Christ upon the cross, sin itself was crucified for those who believe in Him.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The cross has become a symbol in much of the Western world, misused by many rock stars and others who do not comprehend its significance.
— Billy Graham
How do we get our values so mixed up? We look for shortcuts to happiness. Our lust for immediate pleasure prompts us to think of evil as good.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
There is legitimate pleasure, which is not wrong, but we are not to become so preoccupied with its activities that it takes the place of God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We have at our fingertips every pleasure that man is capable of enjoying, and man has abused every gift God ever gave him.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We are like a restless sea, finding a little peace here and a little pleasure there, but nothing permanent and satisfying. So the search continues!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
[Mankind has] allowed worldly desires and pleasures to fill the heart and mind. Whatever the sin, we need to repent and turn to Jesus Christ in faith for forgiveness and new life.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Many of us have no appetite for spiritual things because we are absorbed in the sinful pleasures of this world. We have been eating too many of the devil’s delicacies.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Today our world is mad in its obsession with pleasure, sex, and money. Its ear is too dull to hear the truth. Most men’s eyes are blind. They do not want to see. They do not want to hear. They hurry to their doom.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Salvation is always “good news.” It is news of God’s love and forgiveness—adoption into His family—fellowship with His people—freedom from the penalty of sin—liberation from the power of sin.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Your salvation is a free gift, made possible only because God planned it . . .Christ paid for it . . . and the Holy Spirit assures you of it.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God doesn’t say to be perfect and you’ll get to heaven. He says to confess that you’re a sinner and come to the cross, and whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible is primarily concerned with the story of man’s redemption as it is in Jesus Christ. If you read Scripture and miss the story of salvation, you have missed its message and its meaning.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
If Satan can’t keep you away from Christ, he will at least try to make you doubt your salvation.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Your salvation depends on what [Christ] has done for you, not on what you do for Him. It isn’t your hold on God that saves you; it’s His hold on you.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Believers in Christ owe nothing to God in payment for salvation . . . but they do owe God a life of undivided devotion and service.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God’s grace—His goodness and love toward us in spite of our sin—is the wellspring of our salvation.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The blood of Christ justifies and saves us . . .The word justification means “just as if you had never sinned.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God longs for men to be saved. God is at work to get men to stop their downward plunge in sin.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Salvation is an act of God. It is initiated by God, wrought by God, and sustained by God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
How can men boast that they control their own destiny when they cannot solve the problems of war, racism, poverty, sickness, or suffering?
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Patience is the transcendent radiance of a loving and tender heart which, in its dealings with those around it, looks kindly and graciously upon them.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Christian . . . way of daily living must be distinct from the world. While some will think you “peculiar,” do not let this disturb you, for just as many others will secretly admire you for your stand. It is possible you will be persecuted by jokes and be misunderstood . . .but if you accept this with patience and in the spirit of love, God can use this very thing to help you win some of your friends [to Christ].
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Patience includes perseverance—the ability to bear up under weariness, strain, and persecution when doing the work of the Lord.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Patience graciously, compassionately and with understanding, judges the faults of others without unjust criticism.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God allows difficulties, inconveniences, trials, and even suffering to come our way for a specific purpose: They help develop the right attitude for the growth of patience.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Patience is part of true Christlikeness, something we so often admire in others without demanding it of ourselves.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Patience in our lives springs from God’s power based upon our willingness to learn it.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We have some of the finest civil rights laws in the world, but they have not solved our racial problems. Why? Because we need a change of heart and attitude, Jesus said, “You must be born again” [John 3:7].
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The human race has the power right now to destroy itself. Jesus Christ is going to save us from ourselves.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
There is only one possible solution to the race problem and that is a vital personal experience with Jesus Christ on the part of [all] races.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God prescribes the remedy for the ills of the human race. That remedy is personal faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. The remedy is to be born again.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
In Christ the middle wall of partition has been broken down. There is no Jew, no Gentile—no black, white, yellow, or red. We could be one great brotherhood in Jesus Christ. However, until we come to recognize Him as the Prince of Peace and receive His love in our hearts, the racial tensions will increase, racial demands will become more militant, and a great deal of blood will be shed. The race problem could become another flame out of control!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
I had not been preaching long before I decided that I would never preach to another segregated audience in any situation over which we had control. This was long before the Supreme Court decision of 1954. I felt this was the Christian position and I could do no other.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Patience . . . speaks of a person’s steadfastness under provocation . . .enduring ill-treatment without anger or thought of retaliation or revenge.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Only God can break down the national and racial barriers that divide men today. Only God can supply that love that we must have for our fellowman. We will never build brotherhood of man upon earth until we are believers in Christ Jesus.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Down through the ages man’s heart has remained unchanged. Whatever the color of his skin, whatever his cultural or ethnic background, he needs the Gospel of Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Ancient historians tell us that one of the symptoms of a declining civilization is a desexualization of the human race, with men becoming more effeminate and women becoming more masculine, not only in physical [appearance] but in their basic characters.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The closer the people of all races get to Christ and His cross, the closer they will get to one another.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Here is the judgment toward which every person outside [of] Christ is headed. The date has already been set by God. All men of all races and nationalities, both past and present, will be there. You may make and break appointments in this life—but this is one appointment you will keep.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
No personality in history stands above Jesus Christ . . .He alone is able to meet every need of the human race.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The human race is called on throughout the Bible to repent of sin and return to God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Salvation is free! God puts no price tag on the Gift of gifts.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Our lives are to be characterized by patience, for it is important in developing the mature, stable character which God wants to produce in His people.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Salvation is not just repairing the original self. It is a new self created of God in righteousness and true holiness.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
[God] holds in His omnipotent hand the priceless, precious, eternal gift of salvation, and He bids you to take it without money and without price.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Is it not arrogance or narrow-mindedness to claim that there is only one way of salvation or that the way we follow is the right way? I think not. After all, do we fault a pilot for being narrow-minded when he follows the instrument panel [while] landing in a rainstorm? No, we want him to remain narrowly focused!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Man stands on the brink of hell. The forces building up in our world are so overwhelming that man everywhere is beginning to cry out in desperation: “What must I do to be saved?
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Millions today want salvation, but on their own terms. They want to come their own way, and so we have hundreds of schemes and plans devised by men to regain paradise.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Man has rejected the revelation of the Bible concerning the true and living God of his fathers, and he has substituted gods of his own making. In actuality modern man has decided to dethrone God and enthrone himself in all of his nuclear glory.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Pride comes from looking only at ourselves
—  meekness comes through looking at God.
There may have been a time when pride was the very center of your life. You had ambitious thoughts of yourself, your powers, desires, and aims; but now that will begin to change . . . you have been born again.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Pride consists not in wanting to be rich, but in wanting to be richer than your neighbor. It is not in wanting to be noticed but in wanting to be the most noticed. It is not in wanting to have things but in wanting more things than others.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The destructive power of pride is that it countenances nothing higher than itself. Because of an inherent fault in our nature, man’s bias is on the side of error. In our willful desire to live independently of God, we have severed the lifeline that flows from the source of all life.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We must not build up ourselves at the expense of others.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Pride always puts [self] above others—and cuts [itself] off from them as a result. No one likes an arrogant, prideful person.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Pride flees when we compare ourselves to God instead of [to] other people.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
One of the ironies of human nature is that it often has a way of rejecting the best and accepting the worst.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Acknowledge that there is a defect in human nature, a built-in waywardness that comes from man’s rebellion against God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Man is a rebel, and a rebel is naturally in confusion. He is in conflict with every other rebel. For a rebel by his very nature is selfish. He is seeking his own good and not the good of others.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Some people have said that man has improved . . . [and] that if Christ came back today, He would not be crucified but would be given a glorious reception. Christ does come to us every day in the form of Bibles that we do not read, in the form of churches that we do not attend, in the form of human need that we pass by. I am convinced that if Christ came back today, He would be crucified more quickly than He was two thousand years ago. Sin never improves. Human nature has not changed.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The deepest problems of the human race are spiritual in nature. They are rooted in man’s refusal to seek God’s way for his life. The problem is the human heart, which God alone can change.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Flesh is the Bible’s word for unperfected human nature. Leaving off the “h” and spelling it in reverse, we have the word self. Flesh is the self-life: it is what we are when we are left to our own devices.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Man’s nature and destiny are revealed in the Scriptures.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Science, they say, can tap the brain of man and alter his desires. But the Bible, which has withstood the ravages of time . . . says that we are possessed of a sinful, fallen nature which wars against us.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Our worldly wisdom has made us calloused and hard. Our natural wisdom, as the Scriptures teach, comes not from God, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
In taking our human nature upon Himself, [Jesus] showed us what we might become, what God intended us to be.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Man cannot control himself, and if he will not be controlled by Jesus Christ, then he will be controlled by Satan.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
You cannot argue with [Satan], for he is the greatest debater of all time.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The devil is alive and kicking. But if you are in Christ and follow the rules of daily Bible study, prayer, and witnessing, he has no power over you.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan is the illusive manipulator. He prances and dances and drinks in the adulation of his worshippers as he glimmers and shimmers, displaying all that glitters and all that attracts the shallowness of man.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan is masterful at using just enough of God’s truth to capture a person’s attention and then mix it with his devious potion that will lead [believers] astray.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan is both a fashion designer and an interior designer. He first appeals to the eye and then shouts, “Gotcha!” Then he goes to work on the “inside job.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The architect of popular culture is none other than Satan. He is the chief designer and chief marketer, and he has been branding worldliness since the beginning of time. His methods are shifty and constantly in motion, changing fads and trends to keep the world running in circles, trying to keep up with the latest and greatest.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
If you don’t take your stand for Christ, you will be on the wrong side, and someday when it is too late, you’ll cry out, “I’ve taken the wrong stand!” You’ll be in the devil’s trap! You can’t lick the devil.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
If your heart is not attuned to God, it will become a catch basin for every device of the devil. Yes, Satan is at work in our world. The Bible is my authority.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan is real and is opposed to everything God is doing.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The cross was designed to defeat Satan, who by deception had obtained squatters’ rights to the title of the earth.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan didn’t lose any of his beguiling ways when he became the fallen prince. He took his charm, his subtleties, and his clever plots to use on us.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan exalted himself above God and endeavored to get man to doubt the reliability of God’s Word.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan is the master of the ultimate double-talk and sophistry. He calls evil good and continues to confuse men with his cleverly disguised untruths.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan perverts everything good by mimicking and mocking the real thing.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Never forget: Satan’s goal is to turn us away from God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
[Satan] will create a religion without a Redeemer. He will build a church without a Christ. He will call for worship without the Word of God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Your eyes should never be lent to the devil
—  they belong to God. Be careful how you use your eyes!
The mind is the devil’s favorite avenue of attack.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
I have yet to see Satan overcome a truly joyful Christian.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Before Satan there was no sin, and before sin there was no pain.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Since the Bible is God’s Word, we shouldn’t be surprised if Satan tries to convince us otherwise.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We are living in a topsy-turvy world, where all is confusion. But you may be sure that it is confusion with a plan—Satan’s plan!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Never forget: Death was Satan’s greatest victory.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan will thrash about in one last burst of evil,hoping to capture as many souls as possible before his inevitable end.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible teaches that Satan is the author of sin. Sin is the reason we have afflictions, including death. All of our problems and our suffering are a result of man’s rebellionagainst God. But God has provided a rescue in His Son.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We have two natures within us, both struggling for mastery. Which one will dominate us? It depends on which one we feed.
— Billy Graham
We are to feed the new nature on the Word of God constantly, and we are to starve the old nature, which craves the world and the flesh. We are told to “make not provision for the flesh” [Romans 13:14 KJV].
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The greatest need in the world is the transformation of human nature. We need a new heart that will not have lust and greed and hate in it. We need a heart filled with love and peace and joy, and that is why Jesus came into the world.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Men cannot help that it is their nature to respond to the lewd, the salacious, and the vile. They will have difficulty doing otherwise until they are born again.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
In John 6 we read that when great multitudes went after Him, He told them three times that unless they were willing to pay the price, they could not be His followers.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
[Jesus] asked [His followers] to count the cost carefully, lest they should turn back when they met with suffering and privation. He told His followers that the world would hate them.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Don’t be deceived by Satan and his lies. Instead, stay close to Christ—because the closer you are to Him, the farther away you are from the devil.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Christ warned His followers that to believe in Him would not make them popular, and that they should be prepared to face affliction for His sake.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
If [Christian leaders] do not teach Christian principles to all followers of Christ, we are not equipping them with God’s truth that willovercome worldly influence.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Following Christ has been made too easy. It is easy to follow Him when our world is safe and comfortable . . .but when that world shatters, only a secure faith will sustain us.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Learn to keep close to [Jesus], to listen to His voice, and follow Him.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
By faith in [Jesus] we can be forgiven of our sins and know the joy of following Him every day.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The men who followed Jesus were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The same Book that tells us over and over again of God’s love warns us constantly of the devil who would come between us and God, the devil who is ever waiting to ensnare men’s souls.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The devil is the god of this world and he has blinded our eyes.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan wants to lure us into his traps, and he knows exactly what kind of “bait” will appeal to us. He knows what we’re like, and he will attack us exactly where we are the weakest.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan will do everything he can to divide Christians and destroy our witness. Only the Holy Spirit can subdue our old nature and overcome it with God’s love.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Don’t give Satan a foothold, but discipline yourself to stay close to God. He alone is your security.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan rejoices when old habits overwhelm [us] and we cave in to the pressure of the crowd . . .perhaps temptation lures [us] into sin . . .a backsliding Christian compromises their faith and causes unbelievers to mock the Gospel.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
[Christians] are called to distinguish themselves as Christ followers, not community organizers.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The devil and his demons really do believe in God—and why wouldn’t they? They understand that they are engaged in a cosmic battle of titanic proportions, and they know they are up against the Creator of the universe—a truth that makes them shudder. There are no atheists in hell!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
When our minds are on Christ, Satan has little room to maneuver.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The greatest roadblock to Satan’s work is the Christian who, above all else, lives for God, walks with integrity, is filled with the Spirit, and is obedient to God’s truth.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The greatest hindrance to Satan’s destructive efforts is our standing strong in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan rejoices when we are inconsistent, because he knows that an inconsistent Christian is an ineffective Christian—or worse.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We constantly pass up the rich and beautiful and ennobling experiences and seek out the tawdry, the cheap, and the degrading. These are the works of the devil, and they flourish on every side!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The devil is a master at making us question God and His Word. Twisting Scripture . . . taking a verse out of context . . .deceiving us into thinking God is mean-spirited—these are some of Satan’s favorite tricks.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Satan does not care how much you theorize about Christianity or how much you profess to know Christ. What he opposes vigorously is the way you live Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We must be constantly aware that Satan can take any human effort and twist it to serve his own purposes.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Only God can thwart the plans of Satan and his legions.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
If you are not careful you will find yourself actually in the employ of the devil. He is powerful, slick, crafty, wily, and subtle.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
One of the devil’s methods is to attack everyone . . . He knows that the Word of God is powerful, and he will try to keep you from it.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
When we are filled with the Spirit of God, obeying God, in His will and quoting Scripture, Satan will be defeated.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Jesus did not dispute [Satan] . . . our Lord quoted Scripture, and that’s one thing the devil can’t stand! The Scripture defeats him every time.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Fear can paralyze us and keep us from believing God and stepping out in faith. The devil loves a fearful Christian!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We have seen moral and religious leaders,men who claim to be followers of Jesus,fall into disgrace in the eyes of God and man, and worst of all we have seen the Gospel of Jesus Christ and twisted and distorted it by false teachers to accommodate the destructive morals and secular behavior of these times.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
As long as Satan is loose in the world and our hearts are dominated by his evil passions, it will never be easy or popular to be a follower of Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God’s followers need to know the truth He sets forth in His Word so that we can confidently discern between His truth and Satan’s lies.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Salvation is free, but there is a price to pay in following Jesus. It is never said in Scripture that we can have “Christ and . . .”.It is always “Christ or . . .”. What is your “or”?
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God—the Bible’s Author—loves you and wants you to be His child through faith in Jesus Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Faith is loved and honored by God more than any other single thing.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Your faith may be just a little thread. It may be small and weak, but act on that faith. It does not matter how big your faith is, but rather, where your faith is.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Jesus Himself was the first missionary . . .He pledged His followers to be missionaries too!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The happiest people I know are separated followers of Jesus Christ.They are not dependent on artificial stimulants. They do not resort to sick, dirty jokes. They do not abuse their bodies to relax their minds.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Faith implies four things: self-renunciation, reliance with utter confidence on Christ, obedience, and a changed life.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
When our faith becomes nothing more than a series of rules and regulations, joy flees and our love for Christ grows cold.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
If our faith isn’t rooted in the Bible, it will wither like a plant pulled out of the soil.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Fear can banish faith, but faith can banish fear.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Do you want your faith to grow? Then let the Bible begin to saturate your mind and soul.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Faith literally means “to give up, surrender, or commit.” Faith is complete confidence.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Faith in Christ is voluntary. A person cannot be coerced, bribed, or tricked into trusting Jesus. God will not force His way into your life. The Holy Spirit will do everything possible to disturb you, draw you, love you—but finally it is your personal decision.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Happy is the person who has learned the secret of being content with whatever life brings him, and has learned to rejoice in thesimple and beautiful things around him.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Do you really want happiness? Then you will have to pay the price of humbling yourself at the foot of the cross and receiving Christ as Savior.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Happiness is a choice, but grief is a certainty.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Christ said there is a happiness in that acknowledgement of spiritual poverty which lets God come into our souls.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
It is the presence of sin that prevents man from being truly happy.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The mourning of inadequacy is a weeping that catches the attention of God . . .The happiest day of my life was when I realized that my own ability, my own goodness, my own morality was insufficient in the sight of God; and I publicly and openly acknowledged my need of Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We say, “Happy are the clever, for they shall inherit the admiration of their friends”; “Happy are the aggressive, for they shall inherit a career”; “Happy are the rich, for they shall inherit a world of friendsand a house full of modern gadgets.” Jesus said, “[Happy] are the meek; for they shallinherit the earth” [see Matthew 5:5]. If we want the secret of happiness . . ."meekness” is a basic key.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
My wife and I were invited to have lunch with one of the wealthiest men in the world. He was seventy-five years old. Tears came down his cheeks. “I am the most miserable man in the world,” he said. I have everything anyone could ever want. If I want to go anywhere, I have my own yacht or private plane. But down inside I’m miserable and empty.” Shortly after, I met another man who preached in a small church nearby. He was vivacious and full of life, and he told us, “I don’t have a penny to my name, but I’m the happiest man in the world!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible lists in Hebrews 11 the heroes of the faith . . .who were tortured, imprisoned, stoned, torn apart, and killed by the sword. They didn’t wear designer jeans but went about in animal skins, destitute and tormented.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
There is no room for God’s Word in our culture, where our children are without reverence for God or faith in the Bible. There is no room for our Lord’s creed of purity and self-denial when the media sends forth a constant barrage of profanity and indecency and materialism.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Discouragement is the opposite of faith. It is Satan’s device to thwart the work of God in your life.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
[The] inability to comprehend fully the mysteries of God does not in any way curtail the Christian faith. On the contrary, it enhances our belief. We do not understand the intricate pattern of the stars in their courses, but we know that He who created them does, and that just as surely as He guides them, He is charting a safe course for us.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible teaches that faith will manifest itself in three ways. It will manifest itself in doctrine—in what you believe. It will manifest itself in worship—your communion with God . . .It will manifest itself in morality—in the way you live and behave.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Christians who are strong in the faith grow as they accept whatever God allows to enter their lives.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
I have never been to the North Pole, and yet I believe there is a North Pole. How do I know? I know because somebody told me. I read about it in a history book, I saw a map in a geography book, and I believe the men who wrote those books. I accept it by faith. The Bible says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” [Romans 10:17 KJV].
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Our faith can stand up to any question, but sometimes people ask questions—and keep asking questions—just to avoid facing their own spiritual needs and acknowledging who Jesus really is.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Don’t forget: Without fuel, a fire grows cold—and without the “fuel” of the Bible, prayer, and Christian fellowship, our faith grows cold.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible teaches that faith is the only approach that we have to God. No man has sins forgiven, no man goes to heaven, no man has assurance of peace and happiness, until he has faith in Jesus Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Faith isn’t pretending our problems don’t exist, nor is it simply blind optimism. Faith points us beyond our problems to the hope we have in Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Evangelism is not a calling reserved exclusively for the clergy. I believe one of the greatest priorities of the church today is to mobilize the laity to do the work of evangelism.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Philip is the only person in the Bible who was called an evangelist, and he was a deacon!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
He who is called to and set apart for the work of an evangelist is to devote his time and effort single-mindedly to this God-given task. He is not to be distracted by anything likely to deflect him from this. Persecution will not weaken his resolution. The persuasion of others will fall on deaf ears. Only the clear leading of God will cause him to change his ministry.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
No clergyman however brilliant, no evangelist no matter how eloquent or compelling, can bring about the revival we need. Only the Holy Spirit can do this.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The evangelistic ministry is a fight, not a frolic.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The great crowds themselves are meaningless. The thing that counts is what happens in the hearts of the people. The evangelist sows the seed, and much inevitably falls upon stony ground and bears no fruit. But if only a few seeds flourish, the results are manifold.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Evangelism has always been the heartbeat for our ministry
—  it is what God has called us to do.
Evangelism is more than simply encouraging decisions for Christ. It is urging people to become disciples—followers—of Jesus Christ. As such, the evangelist has a responsibility to make growth in discipleship possible for those who come to faith under his ministry.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
This is still the age of grace. God’s offer of forgiveness and a new life still stands. However, the door will one day be closed. Someday it will be too late. This is why the Bible continually warns and challenges: “Now is the accepted time” [2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV].
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
When you pick up the cross of unpopularity, wherever you may be, you will find God’s grace is there, more than sufficient to meet your every need.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Some of the most radiant Christians I have ever met were “wheelchair” saints. May God give you grace to “triumph in affliction.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We are living in an age of grace, in which God promises that “whosoever will” may come and receive His Son. But this period of grace will not go on indefinitely. We are even now living on borrowed time.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Only as we bow in contrition, confession, and repentance at the foot of the cross, can we find forgiveness. There is the grace of God!
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The motive of grace is the infinite, compassionate love of a merciful God, but the work of grace was the death of Christ on the cross.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The grace of God has been tested in the crucible of human experience, and has been found to be more than an equal for the problems and sins of humanity.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Throughout Scripture we read of warnings preceding disaster. Such alerts from God are part of His grace and provision.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Christ did not suffer and die to offer cheap grace. Jesus did not willingly go to the cross so we could have an easy life or offer a faith built on easy-believism. As someone said, “Salvation is free, but not cheap.” It cost Jesus His life.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
I look forward to seeing Christ and bowing before Him in praise and gratitude for all He has done for us, and for using me on this earth by His grace—just as I am.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Envy and greed always—always—exact a terrible price. I have never met an envious or greedy person who was at peace.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible warns us against greed and selfishness, it does encourage frugality and thrift.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible sees greed as a form of idolatry, because a greedy person worships things instead of God. Greed and envy have their roots in selfishness.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Envy and greed starve on a steady diet of thanksgiving.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Everything that we see about us that we count is our possessions only comprises a loan from God, and it is when we lose sight of this all-pervading truth that we become greedy and covetous.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Life is not a matter of dollars and cents, houses and lands, earning capacity and financial achievement. Greed must not be allowed to make man the slave of wealth.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
What is the authority in your life? Is it your selfishness? Your lust? Your greed? Or have you turned it all over to God and said, “Lord, You are going to be my authority”? When you are under authority, you are then able to assume authority.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We have seen the results of unrestrained greed, corruption, and manipulation on Wall Street, financial mismanagement in the halls of government, fraud and perversion at the highest levels of both church and state. Many people sense the possibility of an even greater unraveling in the world. We are constantly confronted by the realities of new problems in this age of crisis.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
It is not wrong to want to work and earn a decent living; in fact, God has given work to us. But this legitimate desire can very easily cross the line into greed—especially in our materialistic society.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Greed is an unreasonable or all-absorbing desire to acquire things or wealth. One test of greed is that it is never satisfied. Greed is repeatedly condemned in the Bible.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We need to be on guard against greed . . . above all we need to make sure our lives are centered in Christ and not things.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Exercise and proper eating habits are very important, since the Bible says that the body is God’s holy temple, but I don’t think that superbodies equate with committed Christian discipleship. Some of the greatest saints I’ve known have been those with physical infirmities.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Let us always remember that Christ calls men and women not only to trust Him as Savior, but also to follow Him as Lord. That call to discipleship must be part of our message if we are to be faithful to Him.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
To be a disciple is to be committed to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and committed to following Him every day. To be a disciple is also to be disciplined in our bodies, minds, and souls.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Our minds must be set always to seek the will of the Lord. Following the progressive discipline revealed through the Bible will result in a walk of obedience to God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God does not discipline us to subdue us but to condition us for a life of usefulness and blessedness. In His wisdom, He knows that an uncontrolled life is an unhappy life, so He puts reins on our wayward souls that they may be directed into the paths of righteousness.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
It is no accident that the words discipline and disciple resemble each other in the English language. The most common word in the Gospels for a Christian is disciple.
— Billy Graham
Christ never told his disciples that they would get an Academy Award for their performances, but He did tell them to expect to have troubles.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Jesus Christ spoke frankly to His disciples concerning the future . . .In unmistakable language He told them that discipleship means a life of self-denial, and the bearing of a cross.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Many Christians want the benefits of their belief, but they hesitate at the cost of discipleship.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
To be a disciple of Jesus means to learn from Him, to follow Him. The cost may be high.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We are commissioned to make disciples, to bring them into the same direct relationship with Christ as those who left their nets and their fishing boats to become “fishers of men.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
An evangelist is like a newscaster on television or a journalist writing for a newspaper . . . except that the evangelist’s mission is to tell the Good News that never changes.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
During all my years as an evangelist,my message has always been the Gospel of Christ.It is not a Western religion, nor is it a message of one culture or political system . , .it is a message of life and hope for all the world.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
God called me many years ago to be an evangelist, and I have never regretted His leading. I love the crusades, meeting people from every country and culture all over the world. My life has been blessed by friends from every land, and challenges from every corner.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Itinerant evangelists are the most important ambassadors and messengers on earth. They are a mighty army, spreading out across the world with a vision to reach their own people for Christ.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Some evangelists spend too much time thinking and even planning about how to achieve visible results. This is an easy trap to fall into.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
Nowhere do the Scriptures tell us to seek results, nor do the Scriptures rebuke evangelists if the results are meager.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The evangelist cannot bring conviction of sin, righteousness, or judgment; that is the Spirit’s work. They cannot convert anyone; that is the Spirit’s work.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible opens with a tragedy and ends in a triumph.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible is God’s love letter to us.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The whole world ought to know the story of the Bible.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
When you are told that science has disproved the Bible, ask specifically where such is the case. True science and a true understanding of the Bible are never at variance.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
The Bible is a living Book and can be trusted for its advice and direction and knowledge of God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
[God] speaks from heaven through the Bible, His written Word. This is why I use the phrase “the Bible says.” I would not have the authority to say what I do in sermons unless it was based upon the Word of God.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes
We should read the Bible expectantly, systematically, and obediently . . .The Bible can change our lives as we read it and obey its teachings every day.
— Billy Graham, Billy Graham in Quotes