Trump Shares Franklin Graham Salvation Letter
Franklin Graham presented the gospel plan of salvation in a letter to President Donald Trump last fall. The president shared the letter on Palm Sunday.
Graham congratulated Trump for securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the return of remaining Israeli hostages, which he praised as “incredible accomplishments” and “an answer to prayer” amid Trump’s “historic” leadership. He also praised Trump for being a peacemaker, noting that Jesus promised blessings for such figures.
Graham went on to exhort the president to remember that, despite his many accomplishments and apparent blessings, neither he nor anyone else can earn favor before God and salvation from hell apart from trusting in the righteousness and atoning death of Jesus Christ performed on their behalf.
“This week, you commented to the media that you might not be heaven-bound,” Graham wrote, referring to remarks Trump made last October. “Maybe you responded in jest, but it is an important issue to know for certain that your soul is secure and will spend eternity in the presence of God. The only one who can save us from hell is Jesus Christ. You can’t save yourself; I can’t save myself. The only way to heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.”
Graham closed his letter by promising prayer for Trump and quoting the gospel message from Romans 10:9: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Despite some accusations of cynicism from detractors on social media, Graham’s letter drew approval from figures such as evangelist Sean Feucht, who expressed hope last fall that the 79-year-old president’s remarks could indicate that he is at least thinking about eternity and questioning where he will spend it.
“He has no shortage of people that have clearly explained to him on phone calls, on conference calls, in person about the forgiveness of sins, repentance, by grace alone you can be saved, not by works,” Feucht said at the time. “”I believe God is moving his heart closer than ever before..”
–Alan Goforth
