You can be close to Jesus. You can grow up around Christianity. You can sit in church, know the Bible stories and even think you are a good person.
And still not be saved.
That was the sobering warning Franklin Graham delivered to thousands gathered at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, as he pointed to one of the Bible’s most chilling examples of someone who came incredibly close to escaping judgment: Lot’s wife.
According to The Christian Post, Graham used the Oct. 3 stop on his God Loves You Tour to ask a question that ultimately every person will have to answer.
“Are you ready to stand before God? Are you ready to give an account to Him?” Graham asked. “The Bible says it’s appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment.”
Those aren’t exactly comfortable words for a culture obsessed with affirming virtually everything.
But Graham wasn’t in Manchester to preach comfortable Christianity.
Taking his audience back to Sodom and Gomorrah, Graham highlighted a society filled with sin yet seemingly secure in its prosperity and power. It is a biblical account thousands of years old, but the warning feels remarkably current: Just because a culture celebrates something does not make it righteous in God’s eyes.
“Deep down in your heart, you know it’s wrong. Something’s missing in your life tonight,” Graham said, according to The Christian Post.
Then came the warning about Lot’s wife.
God provided a way out of Sodom. She was fleeing the city. Salvation was right there in front of her.
But she looked back.
“She was almost saved,” Graham said. “I’ve had people say, ‘Well, I’m this close to being a Christian.’ Well, you might as well be a million miles away because … either you’re saved, or you’re not.”
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That is the kind of statement that cuts through the fog of cultural Christianity.
There is no salvation by association. Graham knows that firsthand. Despite being the son of Billy Graham and growing up in one of the most famous Christian families in the world, he told the crowd that he did not personally surrender his life to Christ until he was 22.
“Repent means to turn. To turn your life, your mind from sin,” Graham said. “You’ve got to turn from it.”
And Graham wasn’t vague about sin, either.
The Christian Post reported that the evangelist addressed lying, stealing, coveting, adultery, sex outside marriage and abortion. He reminded the crowd of something increasingly unpopular in today’s world: Man’s laws do not overrule God’s.
Yet Graham’s message wasn’t merely about judgment.
It was about the way out.
“God is offering you forgiveness,” Graham said. “He’s offering you cleansing. He’s offering you a new life, a new beginning through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. But you’ve got to choose.”
That’s the heart of the gospel. Judgment is real. Sin has consequences. But Jesus Christ still saves.
Graham ended with an altar call, urging those who had never placed their faith in Christ to come forward.
“Come, come while you can,” he pleaded. “Do it now, do it now.”
In a world desperately blurring the lines between truth and deception, righteousness and sin, Graham’s warning could not be clearer.
You can redefine sin. You can normalize it. You can celebrate it.
However, it is impossible to be “almost saved.”
Eventually, everyone must decide what to do with Jesus Christ.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
