His wife had assisted him in this, and had thus facilitated his isolation. Indeed, they had both provoked discord among family members as a means of forestalling attempts at reconciliation (unless of course it was on their terms). I would have preferred to have felt a sense of grief over the loss of my Dad.  I don't believe we will ever meet again.  As for those living though spiritually dead, we must leave them to bury their dead, and forget those who die in both body and spirit.

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot honour your father and mother if they are dishonourable. ⁽⁴⁶⁾  I refer of course to parents who refuse to pursue righteousness, despite having had many opportunities to do so while living in the flesh. The real life is achieved progressively through one's spiritual development while suffering in the flesh. Without spirit development, there cannot be love. How can the Spirit plead, other than with the words:  'This is the way to happiness, seek righteousness and live.'

And so the struggle goes on, for spirit development toward perfection, with few "gold" like ones gathered out of so much "clay"     until the "day" of reality dawns: without deceit, cowardice, hypocrisy, pain or mourning. All these will have been replaced by spirit qualities of a superior nature within those subjected to God.

In light of this, the case for a married woman is particularly significant, as a requirement of God's righteousness is that she prove herself a beneficial complement of her husband, and thus become his glory. This is so that by her chaste efforts she helps her husband to overcome superfluous badness and become a glory of God. ⁽⁴⁷⁾ This is rarely achieved by men with domineering wives.

What an unutterable waste to have suffered a selfish and painful existence, with nothing but shame and desolation before God as a reward at the end of it. God-given opportunities for spiritual development are freely offered to us that we may be finally created in the "image" and "likeness" of God and His Son. (Gen 1:26).  It is important to note that their "image" and "likeness" is not a physical image or likeness, for they are Spirit. The intended purpose of God after the death of our physical body is that we ultimately live in the spirit heavens with God and His Son.

How true are the following words: 'A life is really long if it is a full life;  but fullness is not attained until the soul has rendered to itself its proper good, that is, until it has assumed control over itself.'  (Epistles of Seneca).

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