Closer to God’s Call T he stars were never as bright as the night the Holy Spirit sanctified me. Steps for Your Journey by MAJOR ANITA CALDWELL Each person has their own path to travel. We don’t want to imply that everyone’s journey to truth is the same, or that imitation produces the same awakening. Still, aspects of my own journey are consistent with how the Lord calls to each one of us. Repent, Truly Simply ask the Lord to forgive you for your past actions of sin. True sorrow brings true repentance. Allow the Lord to convict you and repent as He shows you the sin in your life. Here the definition of sin is important, and my definition is “Disobedience against the known commands of God.” For instance, if you know you should not lie and you choose to lie, you have sinned. The first step toward being sanctified and being set apart to God is repentance for sins and turning away from those sins. (Acts 3:19) Be Assured of Forgiveness We can know that we have been forgiven of our sins. Once you repent and believe in faith that Christ has forgiven you of sin, you know you are His by My brother had invited me to an old fashioned Wesleyan camp meeting. God had convicted me of my selfishness and I knelt at the altar to seek Him. At the early age of seven, I had asked forgiveness of my past sins. I was a minister’s daughter, but also a thief at the young age of six. I would steal money from the desks of other children in the classroom. God forgave me and I became victorious over that temptation. I also promised God at that young age that I would be a missionary to the small country of Haiti. God spoke to me again at age 15, and I rededicated my life to Christ and to missions. Somehow, I was sure that dedicating my life to Christ was the same as being sanctified. (Sanc•ti•fy: tr.v. sanc•ti•fied, sanc•ti•fy•ing, sanc•ti•fies 1. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate. 2. To make holy; purify.) My father clearly preached that to be sanctified was to be “set apart” unto God. Over the next two years, however, the Holy Spirit began to convict me as a very selfish person. I was proud of being a Christian and thought I was perhaps one of the best. I discovered how envious I was of others and their accomplishments. I continued to pray and to seek freedom from this selfishness until the night I knelt at the place of prayer at an old time camp meeting. I asked the Holy Spirit to cleanse me of sinful selfishness and to fill me with His Holy Spirit. I stood up from that place a sanctified, consecrated, wholly dedicated young woman. A few weeks later, I was tormented with doubt about the experience. One of my dear Bible college teachers said simply, “Anita, when are you just going to believe?” Surprised, I stepped away from her and knew in that moment that I would never turn back. I had taken my first step of faith in total obedience to the Holy Spirit. It has kept me strong in Christ for many years. Photo iStockphoto The War Cry | JUNE 2013 15