Making Disciples Who Make Jesus Known

I was 15-years-old when I came to faith in Christ. I had a thousand questions, I struggled with many insecurities, and I didn’t have a clear vision for the future. One day, a brother in Christ approached me. Juan was only a few years older than me, but he had significant spiritual maturity. He immediately “adopted” me. 

With Juan, I took my first steps in Christianity: I learned how to share the gospel with others, serve in different areas of the church and the community, and how to continue growing myself. Over the years, I’ve had other mentors like Juan, who have helped me to this very day. Their impact has been beyond what I can express.

Discipleship and mentoring have been two ordinary means that God has used to refine my faith, smooth out character flaws, and grow in a genuine love for the Savior. And they are crucial for every believer in Christ.  

The Spiritual Means of Discipleship and Mentoring

Discipleship can be broadly defined as the process of submitting to the ordinary means of grace: Bible reading, prayer, and communion with fellow believers in a local church (Acts 2:42). Mentoring is an intentional relationship between a more mature believer and a newer believer in Christ. The younger believer benefits from the mentor’s wisdom and godly character, with the goal of growing spiritually. (Proverbs 27:17). Discipleship includes mentoring. 

The ultimate result of effective discipleship and mentoring is that Christ shines more clearly in the believer, and the believer lives as Jesus lived: emptied of self and full of the Spirit (Philippians 2:5–7). In short, it’s a life of loving God and neighbor that leads to playing a role in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20).

Here are three ways discipling and mentoring can help us make disciples who make Jesus known everywhere.

Discipling and mentoring display the gospel clearly.

Our greatest need is to be right with God. This can only happen when a person places his full trust in Christ, repents of his sins, and submits to the guidance of the Spirit through the Scriptures (Romans 5:1). An effective discipler or mentor instructs a newer believer in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and what this means for daily life. In this way, the believer grows in his knowledge of the gospel and in the image of Christ.

Discipling and mentoring reveal our need for sound counsel.

Life is like flying a plane at an altitude of 30,000 feet: any wrong decision can bring danger. In a similar way, sin makes us clumsy and fragile. To live well, we need good counsel. Discipleship and mentoring are means that God has ordained to help a young believer receive wise instruction that helps him to walk within God’s will—the only place that brings true satisfaction and fullness of joy (Psalm 1:1–3). 

Discipling and mentoring provide clarity on God’s will.

Every child of God is called to use his gifts and talents to advance the gospel. But sometimes, it’s hard to know how we should do those things in our own lives. Discipleship and mentoring helps young believers with the direction and clarity they need to embrace their role in the Great Commission. 

The book of Job tells us: “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.” (Job 12:12). Every Timothy needs a Paul. Every Paul needs a Barnabas. If we are to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, we must be willing to both give and receive the instruction needed to be effective disciple-makers. Let’s look for those we can help grow in these ways. And let’s look for those who can help us.

By doing this, we’ll fulfill the mission that Christ has given us to teach others what we have learned, and we’ll offer an example for them to follow—even as we keep growing in God’s grace and our own efforts to know Jesus and make him known.