What Follows Evangelism

Imagine if a doctor delivered a baby and then gave that newborn a box of diapers and sent him on his way. It’s unthinkable, actually, because we need to nurture babies, care for them, and love them.

The same is true of brand-new believers. We need to help them. In short, we need to disciple them.

The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:19–20, tells us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (NKJV).

Discipling is modeling for new believers what it means to be a Christian. It’s taking them through the basics of the Christian faith, getting them on their feet spiritually, and encouraging them to do the same for someone else.

But somewhere along the line, we’ve separated evangelism from discipleship. However, it’s all part of the Great Commission.

The apostle Paul summed it up this way: “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28 NKJV).

Paul, who was formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, had been a notorious Christian killer. But when he met Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road, he became a Christian himself.

Then the Lord directed a man named Ananias to go to the newly converted Saul and help him. Later on, Barnabas also came along and encouraged him. We don’t know that much about Ananias and Barnabas, but we do know a lot about the apostle Paul.

God wants to use you to be an Ananias to a Saul or a Barnabas to a Paul. He wants to use you, maybe behind the scenes, to help someone who needs to grow in his or her faith.