Acts 9:22
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
If people were to look at the early days of Saul’s conversion, they would see a pathway that leads to many people becoming a great influence for Christ in witness and in their church. Every church would love to have a Saul become an Apostle Paul to come out of their church, but sadly many do the opposite of what happened in his life that turned him into the great Christian example that we all follow. Let me share the critical steps that helped Saul increase in spiritual strength.
First, Saul was baptized immediately after his salvation. In Acts 9:18 it says that he arose and was baptized. Paul never took one class before being baptized; he just obeyed the Saviour’s Great Commission to be baptized. If more churches baptized their converts immediately after they got saved, more churches would find their Saul’s become an Apostle Paul. Baptism has everything to do with growth because it is the first step of obedience of the new believer. The first step in spiritual growth for any person is not to sit in a discipleship class but to be baptized. To require someone to sit in a discipleship class before getting baptized is to require them to disobey the Scriptures. The Scriptures are filled with illustrations of people being baptized immediately after they get saved. The day of Pentecost saw three thousand saved and baptized on the same day. The Ethiopian eunuch got baptized immediately after he got saved. The Philippian jailor and his family got baptized immediately after they got saved. Nobody will ever grow without following the first step of growth which is baptism.
Second, Saul went soul winning immediately after he was baptized. Acts 9:20 says, And straightway he preached Christ… Saul did not go to a discipleship class before he went soul winning, but as soon as he got baptized, they sent him to go soul winning. The sooner you get someone to go soul winning, the sooner you will grow them spiritually. Many think that we grow people spiritually by having them sit in a discipleship class, but the Scriptures show people increasing in spiritual strength AS they go soul winning. The first thing you need to get people to do right after they get baptized is to take them soul winning with you. More people will “stick” if you get them to go soul winning immediately.
Third, Saul got involved in the church immediately while he was soul winning. This is a great key to helping people to increase in spiritual strength. Too many churches wait until a person is “qualified” to do something in the church, but the only qualification I find in the Scriptures is that they get baptized and go soul winning. People will grow in the LORD when they get involved in the church. Sunday school is a big part in the growth of young believers as they teach the Word of God in a Sunday school class.
My friend, we must not be timid in telling our new converts what they need to do immediately after they get saved. You will find new believers will increase in spiritual strength if we get them baptized immediately and take them soul winning. Not one time in the Scriptures do you see a discipleship class growing people, but you do see people getting saved, baptized, and going soul winning, growing new believers into strong believers that produce fruit that remains.