There are four stages involved in our PRESENT Salvation.  The Life’s Application Bible tells us, "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are among the most significant people in the Old Testament. It is important to realize that this significance is not based upon their personal characters, but upon the character of God... They were not the perfect heroes we might have expected; instead, they were just like us, trying to please God, but often falling short.

Jacob was the third link in God’s plan to start a nation from Abraham. The success of that plan was more often in spite of, than because of Jacob’s life. Before Jacob was born, God promised that His plan would be worked out through Jacob and not his twin brother, Esau... As we follow him from birth to death, we are able to see God’s work." (Life Application Bible)

Like our lives, Jacob’s life had four stages in which he progressively became one with God.  Each stage was marked by personal interaction with God.  These four stages, as seen through Jacob’s life are:

"(1) In the first stage, Jacob lived up to his name, which means "he grasps the heel" (figuratively, "he deceives"). He grabbed Esau’s heel at birth, and by the time he fled from home, he had also grabbed his brother’s birthright and blessing. During his flight, God first appeared to him. Not only did God confirm to Jacob his blessing, but he awakened in Jacob a personal knowledge of Himself {God}.

(2) In the second stage, Jacob experienced life from the other side, being manipulated and deceived by Laban. But there is a curious change: the Jacob of stage one would simply have left Laban, whereas the Jacob of stage two, after deciding to leave, waited six years for God’s permission.

(3) In the third stage, Jacob was in a new role as grabber. This time, by the Jordan River, he grabbed on to God and wouldn’t let go. He realized his dependence on the God who had continued to bless him. His relationship to God became essential to his life, and his name was changed to Israel, ‘He struggles with God’.

(4) Fourth, Jacob’s last stage of life was to be grabbed - God achieved a firm hold on him. In responding to Joseph’s invitation to come to Egypt, Jacob was clearly unwilling to make a move without Gods approval." (Life Application Bible)

In summary:

Through Jesus Christ, God’s Holy Spirit lives in us continually; and OUR PROGRESSION can be divided into four main stages. These stages may overlap, especially as we climb from one rung on the ladder to the next. However, every Christian should strive to reach FULL MATURITY in Christ; and pray that they enter into, and complete the fourth stage.

(1) First, We gain personal knowledge of God. He calls us, we accept and receive both Jesus Christ as our Savior, and His Holy Spirit. We are given a new name; we reside in the name of Jesus Christ and within His Spirit. His Spirit lives within each of us, and all of us together. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are our BLESSING, and through them we receive KNOWLEDGE of God.

(2) Secondly, we begin to see God’s nature, character and personality manifested in us, through our actions towards others. We begin to look to God’s Word for advice and correction in all things. God’s opinion begins to be more important than our own. We begin to ask God His advice before reacting.

(3) Thirdly, we acknowledge our need and dependency on God for all things; and we become dedicated to God above all other beings and forces in our lives. As Jacob, we become convinced that God is the answer to all things.  We allow Him to consume us, beyond being tempted to look elsewhere for an alternative answer to our questions or problems. Our relationship to God becomes essential to our eternal life, both now and in the future. We WILL NOT let go of God.

(4) Fourth, God has been allowed to consume us completely. We have not only been grabbed by God, but we are seeing His victory in us. God has achieved a firm hold on us. We are clearly unwilling to make a move without Gods approval before hand."

Jacob heard God externally.  Because God's Holy Spirit lives within each of us, it is possible to hear God speak to you daily. I truly believe that it is next to impossible for a person to enter into the fourth stage of Spiritual maturity, without being able to personally hear God speak. Why?  Because, "We are clearly unwilling to make a move without Gods approval before hand."  When we can not hear God speak personally to us, we can not receive His approval or disapproval. We move though our physical life waiting for the exterior physical circumstances to show us either the blessing or mistake of our actions.

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