Issue 771 – Highway of Holiness – June 11, 2022
Isaiah 35 is a beautiful promise for God’s people.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35
That passage is so pregnant with meaning that I could spend a month preaching it.
Verse 8 is amazing “a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way.” Some translations use Highway of Holiness.
The way or highway is for believers only, and they will remain on it even if they stumble. It leads to the joy of the redeemed in glory.
The Highway of Holiness also points us to God’s desire for His chosen people. He wants us to pursue holiness, to be holy.
That is a call often overlooked by Christians, myself included at times. God wants us to be holy. There are dozens of passages in Scripture calling us to be holy, including
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 3:14-16
I recently read a blog post that quoted a 70-year-old woman saying her biggest regret as a Christian was not pursuing holiness. That is a sentiment I have often heard.
I will readily confess that much of the pain in my life has come from the times I have chosen not to pursue holiness. While I cannot undo those mistakes, they are covered by the blood of Christ, and He has generously given me more days to follow Him.
Perhaps you have spent your life not pursuing holiness. Maybe you have enjoyed the benefits of being a Christian without paying attention to God’s calling. Today is the day to repent and turn back. Today is the day to begin to pursue holiness.
Our works and attitudes don’t earn us a way into heaven; that comes about by faith alone. Yet, those same works and attitudes impact our walk and the light we shine in the world.
Believers are walking on the holiness road. May our lives reflect it.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed.
Kevin.
Gleanings From The Word.
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV). Spelling modified to Canadian English as required.
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