God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you.'
Billy GrahamRead
I am 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.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
Salvation is based on faith and repentance, not on deeds.
Billy Graham's quote emphasizes that entry into Heaven is not determined by one's achievements or religious practices but rather by genuine faith and a heartfelt request for mercy, as exemplified by the thief on the cross. It highlights the accessibility of grace to everyone, regardless of their past.
Themes
SalvationFaithGraceMercyRepentance
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon about the power of grace, one might reference this quote to illustrate the simplicity of faith.
More from Billy Graham
All quotes →The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance.
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Don't ever hesitate to take to [God] whatever is on your heart. He already knows it anyway, but He doesn't want you to bear its pain or celebrate its joy alone.
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God will not force himself upon us against our will. If we want his love, we need to believe in him. We need to make a definite, positive act of commitment and surrender to the love of God. No one can do it for us.
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Success in God's eyes is faithfulness to His calling.
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Heaven doesn't make this life less important; it makes it more important.
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