The late famed evangelist Billy Graham asked his family in his last will and testament to defend the doctrines of salvation found in the Bible at any cost.
In his last will and testament, released to the public last week, Graham spoke about the "joy and peace" that he experienced after he started believing in God as a teenager.
Graham, who passed away in February at the age of 99, asked his family to read the Bible daily and also encouraged them to defend its doctrines.
"I ask my children and grandchildren to maintain and defend at all hazards at any cost of personal sacrifice the blessed doctrine of complete Atonement for sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone. I urge all of you to walk with the Lord in a life of separation from the world and to keep eternal values in view," the document, shared by WSOCTV on Friday, stated.
The famous preacher also recounts his first date with his wife, Ruth, in December 1940, three years before their marriage and says that he and his wife were able to live a "wonderful, thrilling, and joyous life together" because of Jesus Christ.
"I want to thank her for her years of devotion, love, faithfulness and sacrifice. Of all the people I have ever known, she was the greatest Christian," he adds.
Graham notes that he and Ruth had vowed to be tithers at the beginning of their marriage, so he pledged 10 percent of his residuary estate to the "Lord's work" in his last will and testament.
The evangelist further notes that they had "very little to live on" during the first few years of their marriage, so they tried to use the material blessings they acquired "for the glory of God."
Much of the 16-page document focuses on the dividing of the evangelist's assets. According to WSOCTV, the will lists the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) as the beneficiary, along with the famed preacher's five children and his literary trust, the copyright holder of his works.
Ken Garfield, author of several books about Graham, said he read the document repeatedly and thought that it was the evangelist's final sermon. "You could take these first 6 or 7 paragraphs of will and it's kind of the story of his life," he said, as reported by WSOCTV.
Graham, who was dubbed America's pastor during his lifetime, is considered the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history. Throughout his preaching career he advised presidents from both Democrat and Republican parties.
