1. Understanding Christian Spiritual Growth
The Mystic Way
of Salvation
Understanding Christian
Spiritual Growth

2. Christian Perfection: Matt 5:48
“Be therefore, as your heavenly Father is ”
perfect,
perfect.
“ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος
ἐστιν.”
τέλειοι
τέλειός
τέλειός
= “complete, perfect, mature”

3. Relationship with God
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message , that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you
have sent me.”
John 17:20-21

4. High-Level Overview Seasons of the Spiritual Life Pre-Decision
God exists
Purgative Way
Learning About God
Illuminative Way
Learning to Hear God
Unitive Way
Learning to Rely on God

5. High-Level Overview: Pre-Decision
Devoted to the question of God’s existence
Marked by awakening, forgiveness, new birth
Saved from the “power” of sin
Characterized by Self-focused petition
Your focus is on letting God know what you are concerned about
Culminates in Justification & New Birth
Vast majority of Christians get “stuck” here

6. Pre-Decision: God’s Existence
MetaphysicalArguments for the existence of God
Ontological
Telelogical
Cosmological
Atemporal Cosmological Argument
Contingency & Necessity
Idealism and Perceived Reality
Only God knows “Actual” Reality
You only experience “Actual” Reality through God = Abundant Life

7. High-Level Overview: Purgative Way
Devoted to learning about who God is
As you learn about who God is, God draws you away from the things that have separated you from God
Saved from the “presence” of sin
Shift to God-Focused petition and meditation
God-Focused petition happens when you focus on desiring to know who God is

8. High-Level Overview: Illuminative Way
Devoted to learning how to hear God
Marked by a change from Meditation to Meditative-Contemplation
Communication with God happens in real time, for the first time
Of the Christians that come to this season, many get “stuck” in the zeal that accompanies “hearing” God’s voice for the first time

9. High-Level Overview: Unitive Way
Devoted to learning to rely on God
Marked by a change from contemplative-meditation to simple contemplation
Most subtle of all transitions – characterized by a time of deep spiritual peace
Includes the “Dark Nights” of the soul and spirit
God teaches us to rely on who God is, rather then the mediums through which we have come to know God

10. Dark Night(s) of the Soul Dark Night of the Spirit
Pre-Decision
Purgative Way
Illuminative Way
Unitive Way
Union
Initial Sanctification
Entire Sanctification
Glorification
Prevenient Grace
Sanctifying Grace
Justification—Justifying Grace
Perfected (completed) in God, through Christ, by the Power of the Spirit
Salvific Overlay
Regeneration
Moral Law
Saved from the power, but not the presence of sin
Saved from the presence of sin
Natural Law
Anxiety-Driven Needs
God’s Existence
Learning about God
Learning to hear God
Learning to rely on God
Focus
Awakening
Moral Integration
Struggle Temptation
Mature Faith
Trials
Trust
Darkness
Zeal
Light Joy
Presence of God
Peace
Quiet Ecstasy
Loss of Defenses
Transforming Union
Dark Night(s) of the Soul
Dark Night of the Spirit
Experience
Peace & Freedom
Simple Contemplation
Self-Centered Petition
God Focused Petition
Meditative Contemplation
Infused Contemplation
Prayer of Full Union
Prayer
Meditation
Contemplative-Meditation
Prayer of Passive Union
The Thee Ways—Chart adapted from Groeschel, 1984, p.118, and Scraper, 2009 p. 176

11. Dark Night(s) of the Soul Dark Night of the Spirit
Pre-Decision
Purgative Way
Illuminative Way
Unitive Way
Union
Initial Sanctification
Entire Sanctification
Glorification
Prevenient Grace
Sanctifying Grace
Justification—Justifying Grace
Perfected (completed) in God, through Christ, by the Power of the Spirit
Salvific Overlay
Regeneration
Moral Law
Saved from the power, but not the presence of sin
Saved from the presence of sin
Natural Law
Anxiety-Driven Needs
God’s Existence
Learning about God
Learning to hear God
Learning to rely on God
Focus
Awakening
Moral Integration
Struggle Temptation
Mature Faith
Trials
Trust
Darkness
Zeal
Light Joy
Presence of God
Peace
Quiet Ecstasy
Loss of Defenses
Transforming Union
Dark Night(s) of the Soul
Dark Night of the Spirit
Experience
Peace & Freedom
Simple Contemplation
Self-Centered Petition
God Focused Petition
Meditative Contemplation
Infused Contemplation
Prayer of Full Union
Prayer
Meditation
Contemplative-Meditation
Prayer of Passive Union
The Thee Ways—Chart adapted from Groeschel, 1984, p.118, and Scraper, 2009 p. 176