Three Processes of Spiritual Maturity

In the long history of Christian thinking about spiritual maturity, three processes are identified as essential to experiencing “Christ formed in you” (as Paul expressed it – Galatians 4:19). These three processes are purgation, illumination, and union.

Purgation is the process of removing sin and other obstacles to spiritual growth from our lives. For the new Christian purgation is mostly about overcoming sinful habits. I remember my disappointment a few days after my baptism when I opened my mouth and hateful words came out. It was painful to learn that while baptism washed away my past sins, my sinful habits remained and would have to be weeded out of my life. For those who are more mature believers the choice is likely not between good and evil but between good and better. After 45 years of living as a disciple of Jesus I am still experiencing purgation as the process of letting go of something good so that I can embrace something even better. Purgation can be thought of as the gastrointestinal system of spirituality; it is constantly cleaning up our lives by removing impurities and other things that hinder our growth.

Illumination is the process of becoming more aware of God’s work in our lives and in the world. For the past several centuries Christians in the Western world have equated illumination with “Bible study” and the rational acquisition of knowledge about God and his word. But illumination, while rational, is composed of more than just our reasoning ability. Illumination involves our senses, our reasoning ability, our intuition, our imagination, and any other ways God uses to communicate with his children. For Jesus, the cornerstone of illumination was experiencing the presence and work of the Father in his life. Jesus taught his disciples to expect the Father’s presence and work in our lives, too. The more we experience God – in our life and in the world – the more we peer into the “heavenly realms” (again Paul’s words – Ephesians 6:20). Illumination can be thought of as the sensory processing system of spirituality; it helps us understand the meaning of our experiences and God’s activity and revelation.  

Union is the process of falling so deeply in love with God that we are “consumed” by that love. Jesus calls us to that love when he says that the greatest commandment is to “love God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Paul calls us to that love when he prays that disciples “will know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge!” Paul claims that union with God is like the mystery of marriage where two people become one flesh. While maintaining their identity as a “self” they are also so united to the other that you can speak of them as one. The essence of this oneness is mutual submission. When we receive the love of God, and surrender ourselves to God in love, we participate in the greatest mystery in all of creation – we become partakers of the divine nature (to use Peter’s words – 2 Peter 1:4). Union can be thought of not as a bodily system raised to a spiritual level, but as the mystery of love itself that both consumes the lover and makes the lover more substantial that ever before. This is a great mystery.

These three processes - purgation, illumination, and union - should not be thought of as “steps on the journey of maturity” that happen sequentially, but rather as systems that run concurrently in our spiritual life. If you would like a conversation partner to help you explore these processes of maturity in your life, I would love to begin that conversation.