Lately, I have spent a lot of time trying to explain the Christian walk through points and processes. Often in these conversations, I am tempted to run back to my apartment, find my copy of Beginning Well  by Gordon Smith, and just start reading the book line by line instead of trying to explain things in my own words. This is one of those books that five different people tell you to read, and you never understand why until you read it. Then you read it, and are like "YES! This is what I believe and have never been able to adequately articulate. Thank you!"

The entire premise of Beginning Well is that we as Christians have greatly screwed up the theology of conversion. Christian conversion is a process that occurs differently for everyone, but has seven key elements that need to come into play over the course of coming to know Christ. For some people these elements all click in a few months, for others- especially second and third generation Christians- sometimes it takes a lifetime.

The seven elements are:
Four internal aspects of conversion....
1) Belief... the intellectual component.
2) Repentance...  the penitential component.
3)Trust and assurance of forgiveness of sin... the emotional or affective component
4) Commitment, allegiance, and devotion.... the volitional component

The three supporting and enabling aspects of conversion...
5) Water baptism... the sacramental component
6) Reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit... the charismatic component
7) Incorporation into a Christian community... the corporate component

For me the belief element came at age 5 and was reconfirmed around the age of 13. The repentance came around the age of 14, the trust came around 15, the commitment was a process occurring between 16-18,  the water baptism happened at 19, the reception of the Spirit happened at 18 but wasn't embraced until 19, and the acceptance of a Christian community finally hit home in my 19th year. So when did I become a Christian? Eh, I dunno, somewhere along the way...

Smith compares conversion to an international flight. You start in one country and you land in another, but you do not get up midflight and ask the pilot to tell you the exact moment you crossed the border.  The pilot couldn't tell you exactly and if  even if he could it wouldn't matter. The important thing is that when you land you know that the border was crossed at some point and you've reached your destination. Smith reveals that we may never know the exact point we were justified in faith, but we will know that we were saved when we reach our destination.

He also writes that "Conversion is never an end; it is a beginning and a means to an end. Thus it must be followed by a program of spiritual formation that should mirror the very nature and contours of a Christian conversion" (153). Meaning, even after I am introduced to each of those seven threads, I need to continue to progress on each  and every thread, always moving towards Christ. Conversion is only the beginning of the journey...

As a self proclaimed life long Christian, I spent twenty years beginning my walk with Christ.... and I am still very much a work in progress...  how then can I encourage others to continue to progress on their own spiritual journeys?