Franklin Graham: The Gospel—A Matter of Life or Death

During the Vietnam War, Ronald Reagan spoke about why Americans must treasure their freedom: “Freedom is a fragile thing, and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.”

Similarly, Christians must contend for the faith in every generation. God has entrusted us with the responsibility to go “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19) and to be His light “for salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47).

That’s why I am so excited that more than a thousand pastors and ministry leaders from nearly 60 European countries will gather in Berlin, Germany, May 27-30, to recommit themselves and their churches to proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It has been nearly 60 years since the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) hosted the World Congress on Evangelism in Berlin, and we’re doing it again because proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ remains the greatest need in the world today.

Since Pentecost, every generation has been called by God to boldly declare to the next generation the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the Gospel, which the Bible says “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

My father’s words in 1966 around the time of the World Congress on Evangelism are just as true in 2025: “Today, if the Christian Church could be aflame with enthusiasm for the Gospel of Christ, with the spirit of burning devotion to the Person of Christ, and with an overwhelming passion for the multitudes outside Christ, we could change the world.”

And while technological and scientific advancements in recent decades have profoundly transformed civilization around the globe, humanity’s greatest need hasn’t changed since Adam and Eve first sinned against God in the Garden of Eden.

Jesus Christ put it this way: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37).

I preach this same message throughout the world. No matter the continent or country, every human being must answer this question. It’s a matter of life or death. And the answer determines whether a soul spends eternity in Heaven or hell.

Jesus’ question is not theoretical or hypothetical. It cuts to the heart of the matter for every single person, everywhere, throughout every generation.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers forgiveness and eternal life for sinners who repent of their sins and profess Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The Bible clearly promises: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Much of Europe is uncomfortable with Jesus’ exclusive claim: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Christians are being met with increasing indifference, intolerance and even hostility.

According to the Pew Research Center, Islam is the fastest-growing religion across Europe and is projected to surpass Christianity by the end of the century as the world’s largest religion.

Evangelical pastors, ministry leaders, evangelists and church members alike must never forget that the Gospel’s call to surrender your life to Christ for forgiveness and eternal salvation is also a radical call to commit yourself to boldly and lovingly share the Good News of the Gospel with others—even when it’s unpopular or costly to do so.

I believe that’s what Jesus was talking about when He said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).

That’s exactly why BGEA didn’t retreat or remain silent when local government leaders attempted to shut down our evangelistic events in the U.K. in 2018 by banning bus ads promoting our Festival of Hope in Blackpool, England. The challenges continued in 2020, when seven of eight U.K. venues canceled BGEA events, caving to the demands of left-wing activists.

BGEA challenged those cancellations in court, fighting to preserve the opportunity for Christians to publicly proclaim the Gospel. And we eventually prevailed, with each of the legal disputes resolved and around $650,000 in legal costs recouped.

With those funds, we’ve created the Billy Graham Defense Fund to help Christians across the U.K. who face opposition, so that they will be free to live out and boldly share their faith.

BGEA will never back down on our Gospel-driven mission. Last June, I preached the Gospel to more than 15,000 souls in two of the largest cities in the United Kingdom—Birmingham, England; and Glasgow, Scotland. Next month, I will return to London to continue preaching that Jesus Christ is on a rescue mission to save sinners from hell. Also, this fall, I will be preaching in Brussels, Belgium, and my son, Will, is scheduled to preach in Estonia.

Our mission statement—“proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all we can by every effective means available to us and by equipping the church and others to do the same”—represents an unrelenting urgency founded on God’s trustworthy promises and commands in Scripture, such as:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Romans 10:13).

And let’s not forget the Scripture that compelled my father to proclaim the Gospel to some 215 million people in more than 185 countries: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version.