The Way of Holiness

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: Isaiah 35:8-9

An highway shall be there. God’s way, a place for not only one to walk on, but a highway could we say to heaven where many people will travel on. An highway is a prepared place where obstacles have been removed, hills have been brought lower and valleys have been brought up. Bridges have been placed across the rivers and streams, and a road bed put down for smooth travel. There are maintenance crews who continually keep track of repairs that need to be done to the roadway to keep it a safe well-maintained place. Besides maintenance workers, there are those who enforce traffic laws to keep us from being reckless and careless as we travel. Signs are posted as well to let motorist know what we can expect, places we can stop and rest, directions to towns an cities along the way. On most highways, there are designated places where you can either enter or exit the roadway and this is done to make it a safe and smooth as possible. The bottom line is that the highways are designed to keep everyone and everything safe as we travel to our destinations. No one lives on the highway, they are only as a means of travel to a destination. Considering this it helps us understand that God in His divine power has also made a way for us to travel on to our heavenly home. He has paved the way, given us His word to guide us and paid the toll with the death of his own precious son Jesus. He started this highway way back in the days of old when he gave the promise to our first parents that He would indeed redeem them from their fallen state of sin. Later, on the highway we see those who were found faithful, including Noah, and later Abraham, the father of faith, then Moses to whom He gave the Law. God’s people were not always faithful and often slipped back into sin, but God always held out the promise to them that they could return and find grace on His highway.

God’s highway is a way of holiness where the unclean shall not pass over. It is for the pure in heart as we read in the sermon on the mount. It is a place of purity for those who’s sin have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Not our own righteousness, but the righteousness we find only in a fully surrendered life. It is for those who’s inward cleansing has done a complete work, and their minds have been renewed by the Holy Spirit, and their walk of life and actions reflect those changes. We could compare the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to our right of passage to travel on that road without which we cannot see God.

God’s highway is intended to be a safe, simple place to travel. The way is well marked so as that not even a simple minded person or child should go lost, nor the common, wayfaring man, without many worldly possessions. On this highway God has place the Holy Spirit to ride along with us and give us direction and help us know the way to go. We could compare it to a GPS guidance system which when we enter the address it keeps track of where we are and what turns we need to take to get there. So, not only do we have the signs along the way but we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.

On God’s highway there shall not go any beasts of prey. Those who have not been regenerated are not allowed on God’s highway. Neither is Satan allow to come a destroy the travelers. God designed this place for the redeemed, who’s hearts and lives have been washed clean from sin and unrighteousness.

On this highway there are also others travelling to give us companionship and courage. Fellow travelers to give us courage when the going gets steep an tough. This also provides us with a measure of safety as they are there to encourage us to press on. God has designed it, that the travelers help each other by sharing about the way, the experiences they have gone through, and to sometimes help carry each others load. God’s highway was not meant to travel alone, although at times it is that way, but His real desire is that the traveler will have company and companionship along the way.

On this highway God has placed His Church as an additional security for her children. She is a living functioning group, whose members all have entered, through the same door of a new birth experience and water baptism. God has espoused Her to His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ who is at the head, as a Shepherd guiding and comforting her. Within those walls He has place many gifts to many different members to be used for Her honor and glory. Leaders have been chosen by God, not to be as lords but examples, to care for His children. He has placed the responsibility of brotherly care for each other to bear each other up in their weaknesses. Having said this, the highway is not limited to only His Church. To do so would invalidate the gospel, for the Church of God only allows those to enter who have already been born again and are a new creature in Christ. It is, however, God’s desire for the Church to portray the symbol of beauty and purity for all around to see.

The Church itself does not save anyone but it provides a safety and security for those who have found refuge in Her walls. She has stood the test of time and will continue to do so until the Lord takes Her home to be with Him in glory. The sobering thought is that one may be a member of God’s Church but may have sin in his heart. This is again the purpose of God’s Church to recognize and to judge sin. When an organization who is the Church of God, ceases to have that vision and power, she will cease to be the Church of God. God does not have a double standard for His Church and His highway of holiness. If anything, His Church is to be the pinnacle of His holiness. It may be difficult to understand but it is for this very reason why one cannot leave God’s Church and remain on the highway of holiness.

God did not design His Church to be a different standard of holiness, He made it to be a place of safety and security. In this wise if an impure spirit comes into one of Her members lives, She becomes responsible to restore that individual back into the grace of God. Albeit, She cannot force that person, only entreat them to see the error of their way so that God can work a work of repentance and restoration. Without this protection of brothers and sisters to help us walk the way of life, we become open prey for Satan to attack and lead us from the highway of holiness. For one to go, thinking they can leave the safety of the Church to walk the way alone is already a departure from truth, and is inconsistent with the Biblical teaching of the Church of God, in Matthew chapter 18.

When we stand before the Church and declare our vows of faithfulness, God honors those vows. He will not let us return to His way without renewing those vows. He invites us in close, to be near Him so that we can be safe. It’s not because we are better than others, or a higher calling, but because He loves us and wants to do everything so that we can be saved. True, this comes with added responsibilities, but they are not difficult or unreasonable. The church simply mirrors the love of God. We can read about her in the last couple of books of Revelation. She is God’s church to who He has entrusted the responsibility of care for her member as Jesus taught in Matthew 18.

The members of God’s Church have no boasting power, nothing great to show except that they are loved and redeemed by God. Saved, not by election, neither by right of birth but all must come in through the same door of redemption. There are none righteous, no not one.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Romans 3:10-11
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:5-7

Today there are many highways and many people traveling to many destinations, but there is only one highway that will take us Home. Many have tried to make the way easier, and Satan has also made many ways that look similar, but there is only one true way of holiness. May we have courage as we travel this way. Many have walked it before and we can see the signs they have left along the way to encourage those who follow. From the old patriarchs in the Old Testament, to Jesus and his apostles in the New Testament, on through the early Church till today. There have always been those who have forsaken all to enter that highway, and may we not do any less. Someday when we get to heaven, we will surely say that it was worth all of the difficulties we faced along the way.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. Luke 18:29-30