How important is evangelization? Well, how important is eternal salvation? 

We know evangelization is important to God, for He has told us that He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

And so the mission Jesus entrusted to His followers was to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).

Why? Because the eternal salvation of souls literally depends on it.

One of the most poisonous heresies of our time is the idea that most people go to Heaven basically just by being nice, regardless of their beliefs about God. 

An idea like that absolutely cripples any real efforts at evangelization. 

It’s pretty hard to be enthusiastic about proclaiming the Gospel if you don’t really think people need to believe it.

But the truth is that not everyone goes to Heaven. 

There are two paths and two outcomes: The way of salvation through faith as a disciple of Jesus Christ, which leads to eternal joy with God in Heaven, and the way of perdition, which leads to eternal suffering in Hell. 

Jesus Himself said it: “The gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many; the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14).

Evangelization is a requirement of love. Genuine love means willing the good of others, especially their ultimate good, which is eternal life with God. 

But Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary in order to obtain that good. 

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation” (CCC 161).

Jesus himself taught the same thing: “He who believes and is Baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Of course it is true, as Vatican II reminds us, that “in ways known to himself, God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him” (CCC 848).

St. Thomas Aquinas speculates that God could send an angel or a private revelation to lead such a person to faith in Jesus, yet “the Church still has the obligation . . . to evangelize all men”(CCC 848).

 Why? Because although miraculous private revelations are always possible, they seem to be pretty rare. 

It’s much more likely that God will send you or me to preach the Gospel, and we have to answer the call.

When I think of preaching with a sense of urgency, I think of John the Baptist. 

And for me, the painting on this page really captures the spirit of his preaching. 

You can see his intensity coming through in his posture — leaning over the trunk of a tree, as if eagerly straining forward to announce the Good News of the coming of the Messiah. 

But at the same time his face is full of gentleness and compassion. 

With his finger he points to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, whose sandals he is not worthy to untie. 

And the banner on his staff carries his immortal words, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

That is evangelization. 

Our task as missionary disciples is simply to point to the person of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, so that all those we meet might have the chance to encounter Him in a truly life-changing way.

Behold the Lamb of God, see how much He loved you! See how He offered His life as a sacrifice for YOU, so that you might be freed from your bondage to sin and from eternal death. He gave His life for us; let us also give our lives to Him!