Salvation starts a person on the road to heaven. After salvation, sanctification, the process of becoming holy or set apart for God's use, should consume our remaining physical life-time. When I think of my past, perhaps one of the biggest earliest milestones I remember was my desire to raise my sons under God. Since my own earthly father had died years before I had had a bumpy road recognizing and accepting my heavenly Father in every way as simply "my father". I can recall that prayer over 25 years ago when I asked my heavenly Father for help; for instructions in child rearing. I reminded Him of his promise "I will be a father to the fatherless". In my sprit He answered: the instructions are in the Bible. He also instructed me that my sons would see and develop an understanding of Him in proportion to my own heavenly Father/son example. This task had not just become a righteous responsibility but had become my calling for the next 20 years or so. Was I a perfect father? no. For example, I knew that when my action was motivated by evil I needed to quickly confess and ask for forgiveness, and yes even from my own sons. I wanted to become "mature ... [one of those] who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" [Hebrews 5:14].
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