The 7 Stages Of The Spiritual Journey From Birth To Death: Beginning, Prevenient Grace, New Birth, Growth, Holiness, Death, & Eternity

1. Birth into a crazy world: Imago Dei / Corruption

You were born into the world, a crying baby, in a hospital most likely, with no knowledge of anything in the world around you. We are born in many ways a blank slate, however, we are born into a particular mindset, of self-interest. We are born selfish, born prone to think about ourselves first, prone to sin, to do bad things. And of course we know that reality dates all the way back to the fall. So every human born on the planet is born in a selfish, fallen state. That’s why there’s so much chaos and destruction in the world, people are naturally disposed to do evil, instead of good.

However, we also have this desire within us for something more. The bible calls it “eternity” placed in our hearts.

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. -Eccl 3:11

We’re made in the image and likeness of God, we’re special, blessed, we have a desire to create and feel and grow and learn. We’re very special among God’s creation, but we’re also in rebellion, estranged from God. Two things here are true at the same time, one that we’re fallen, and also that we’re made beautifully in the image of God.

If you’ve ever seen a toddler, a child, they’re beautiful. They’re precious. They seek to learn. They begin to explore. They are fun to be around. They are innocent in many ways.

However, if you’ve ever seen a toddler, you can see how we are born with a sinful nature. They are selfish, if another child has a toy, they go and take it from them, they do bad things with you watching, to see how you’ll react. We’re all born into that state.

2. Prior to Salvation: Prevenient Grace / Free Will

Preferably, how it best works, is that parents raise their children carefully teaching them the truths of the Bible. They attend a youth group, church services, and eventually reach the age of decision, when they get to decide will I follow Jesus myself, or will I go a different direction. It should work that way, but very often it doesn’t.

So for many of us, probably most of us, we were quite confused in our teens, and wandering, and uncertain why we felt so bad, and convicted and just sort of aimless in the world.

And so we see that God begins to call us himself. It says in Acts 17:26-28 26 From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. 27 He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; 28 as someone has said,‘In him we live and move and exist.’”

So as family and friends pray for us, God reaches out to us, and calls us to himself. We begin to be drawn toward the Creator. We can resist this process, many do, and many also begin to cooperate in this process if seeking God, and asking questions, and studying the Bible, and attending a church or Bible study. But this process can last years, of seeking God, and God calling us to himself.

But there are two factors once again, to hold together, one that God calls us to himself. Two, that we seek after God. And in that process we draw closer and closer to Jesus Christ, the cross, and the offer of eternal salvation. It’s beautiful. But free will is real. And we can either engage in it, or reject it, God will honor our choice, even if it’s the wrong choice.

3. Moment of Salvation – Second Birth / New Life

Now many in the world will never go beyond step two, of that process of being drawn to God. They will repeatedly reject God as he reveals himself in various ways, through a person sharing the gospel with them, through a bible tract, through a beautiful summer day, through a church service, they will continue to turn away from God. Most people follow that path in fact, unfortunately.

But for us blessed few, who have been called to salvation by Christ, we come to that moment of salvation. This is the moment when we are born again.

When we repent and believe Jesus Christ of Nazareth really died on the cross for us, to wash away our sins and give us eternal life, we are born again by the Holy Spirit, and become a completely new person.