We have considered how the soul may make various journeys or transitions from state to state. In this lesson we trace the good paths which a person may follow. I have called these "the paths of grace" because God has provided them out of his kindness, mercy, and love. That's all the more reason why we ought to walk in these paths.

It will help you to follow this lesson if you have the diagram and notes from "Journeys of the Soul" in a separate window. You can arrange the two windows side by side on your screen.

Diagram

1. The Perfect Path

There is a perfect path that ought to be taken by everyone. It consists of three of the twelve possible transitions that we studied in "Journeys of the Soul".

A more simple and direct perfect path will be taken by many people. It consists of only two of the twelve possible transitions we studied in "Journeys of the Soul". Judgment day will come while a great many human beings are still living in this world. Many of those will not yet have committed sin. For these, the perfect path will consist of only two journeys, circumventing the portal of physical death and the state of hadean safety.

Three Observations About the Perfect Path

1. We all got started on the perfect path. We all made the first journey (transition 1). We passed through the portal of conception, into a state of innocence. Thus we were born and developed as infants in this world. We had no say over this. It was God's doing. What we made of this perfect start, however, was up to our own choice.

2. We could have continued to walk in innocence until this day, and onward to the time ends in which we may exercise choice. If this were not because of judgment day's coming (transition 8), then it would be by reason of our physical death. We would pass through the portal of physical death into the state of hadean safety (transition 5). After that, we would be resurrected to life, our path taking us through the portal of judgment day and into the state of eternal life in heaven (transition 10). This perfect path was God's will for us.

3. We left the perfect path. We should have remained innocent and pure from sin all through our life on earth until this day. However we chose to go on a wrong journey (transition 2), from the state of innocence through the portal of first sin and into the state of spiritual death or death in sin (Rom 3:23). We will take that up later, when we look at the sinner's right path. But first we must notice this...

The Perfect Path that Jesus Walked

Jesus followed the perfect path (1Pe 2:21-24, Heb 9:14). Jesus lived his whole life without sin. He began the perfect path just as every human being does. He passed through the portal of conception into the state of innocence (transition 1). Jesus later passed from the state of innocence through the portal of physical death, into the state of hadean safety (transition 5). After that he was resurrected and ascended into heaven (transition 10).

There are four differences in the path that Jesus took compared to the path taken by other human beings.

• His pre-existence. Jesus made the first journey (transition 1) from a state of eternal heavenly glory (Php 2:6-7) whereas we came from no state at all since we did not have a pre-existence.
• His virgin birth. Jesus's conception was miraculous because his mother was a virgin (Lke 1:27-33) whereas our conceptions were natural involving human fathers.
• His sinless life. Jesus, as we noted above, committed no sin (1Pe 2:21-24, Heb 9:14) whereas we left the perfect path. This difference is extremely important when we consider his suitability to offer himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins, and our need for him to have done so.
• His resurrection and ascension. In making the last journey from hades to heaven (transition 8), Jesus was the forerunner (Heb 6:19-20 1Co 15:22-23). So he did not have to wait for judgment day before he was resurrected and before he made his ascension into heaven, whereas we must all pass through the portal of judgment day (1Tm 4:1, Rom 14:10-12).

Where these differences make no difference. While the differences outlined above are important, they are differences that make no difference in certain respects...

• His human nature. Jesus was not just a look-alike pretense of a human being. He had the same human nature as we. His state of innocence was no more robust than ours, and the perfect path was no easier for him to follow than it was for the rest of humanity.
• His temptation. Jesus had no less opportunity and temptation to sin than do we. He had no less ability to leave the perfect path, and no more ability than we to maintain it (Heb 2:17-18, 4:15).
• His assurance and hope. Jesus was no more assured than we are of resurrection from the dead and of ascension into heaven. Nor did he have to be less obedient and committed to God in order to have that assurance (Php 2:8 Heb 3:6).

Jesus set an example in walking the perfect path. The Bible is clear about that example. Everyone "should follow in his steps 'who commited no sin...'" (1Pe 2:21-22 Isa 53:9). However, we did not follow the perfect path.

2. The Corrective Path

Those who have left the perfect path can regain it (Eph 2:1-10). Just as one left the perfect path and took a wrong journey (transition 2), so one can, through Jesus, and by God's kindness, take a corrective journey (transition 3) and regain the perfect path. Note the relevant journeys of the soul, including the one we ought not to have taken, as set out below:

This is not the perfect path because it includes a wrong journey (transition 2). However, by the grace of God, when we take the corrective path (transition 3) we enter the state of spiritual life.

The state of spiritual life is the state of forgiveness, rebirth, salvation, redemption, etc. From this state we are able to take the same journeys that one should have taken from the state of innocence.

The Path After Conversion

The rest of the way, after the sinner has taken the right path, and passed into a state of spiritual life, ought to be the same walk that one should have followed along the perfect path. There is a wrong path for a Christian (transition 4) which passes from the state of spiritual life through the portal of apostasy or falling away, back into the state of spiritual death (2Pe 2:20-22). However, the right path for the Christian is really our focus at the moment.

Or a simpler right path (transition 9) will be taken by faithful Christians who are still alive on earth when Jesus comes. This course is as follows:

3. Paths of Grace

I have called this lesson "Paths of Grace" because all the good paths we have considered in this lesson are provided by God's kindness, love, and mercy.

• The perfect path by grace. It was by God's grace that we were brought into the world innocent and with an opportunity to walk the perfect path. Without God's gracious and kindly help, it would be nigh impossible to walk that path, but God has always been there to help and shepherd the righteous along the righteous way (Psa 1:6, 23:1-4, 33:13-22, 1Co 10:12-13, Heb 4:14-16).
• The conversion path by grace. It is by God's grace that, having spoiled our opportunity to walk the perfect path, we were not left in a dead end state (Rom 3:23-24 Acts 3:19). We were provided a way to pass out of death in sin into a state of rebirth.
• The Christian path by Grace. It is by God's grace that, having taken the corrective path, we can then go forward (Php 3:13-14) and follow the path of life just as we would have done had we never sinned (Mtt 7:13-14).

End Note (1)

Jesus is everyone's Saviour, even the Saviour of those who have not sinned, because it is He who keeps them safe from the evil one, and they walk by faith through grace. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, nobody can come to the Father except through him (Jhn 14:6). That applies to those who have not yet sinned just as much as to those who have. No one is accepted by God in his own right. He is "made accepted" in God's beloved Son (Eph 1:6 KJV). Note these three points:

• A person who is capable of sin is also capable of faith (Mtt 18:6).
• That person cannot please God without faith (Heb 11:6).
• That person can have faith only by grace (Eph 2:8, Rom 10:8-17).
• There is no such thing as faith without obedience (Jas 2:20, Rom 1:4-5).

End Note (2)

The corrective path discussed in this lesson requires a person to take certain steps, as shown in the following chart.

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