Travel the Holiness Highway

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Written by Mike & Susan E. Blankenship – Pastor and Minister of Music, Church of the Nazarene, Summerville, South Carolina, USA

Intro: Have you ever been on a trip and found yourself hopelessly lost? Or, have you ever started on a journey to a place you have never been before without a map and refused to ask for directions?  In both cases you needed to get help to get back on the right road, to go in the right direction so you could arrive safely at your desired destination.

We live in the “low country” of SC. It is a beautiful area – but can be really tricky to navigate due to the rivers, islands, lakes and ocean that all seem to run together. Susan and I like to travel and we particularly like to arrive at our desired destination; on time, without incident – don’t you? One of the most useful tools now available for travelers are the GPS units that you see in cars, on bikes, on boats, on people’s wrists – seems like they are everywhere.

I have a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit that has both lifetime automatic map updates andand lifetime traffic updates. With it, I receive regular map updates andand the updated traffic feature warns me about dangers and/andor delays ahead that would keep me from reaching my destination in a timely fashion. It is vital that I stay up-to-date with my GPS unit because I need the accuracy it can give to navigate.

I often speak to our people about: [1] Start with God – Salvation [2] Stay with God – Live a life with God seeking to draw even closer to Him – Sanctification and [3] Finish with God – Live for Him, so that one day you can walk into Christ’s loving arms and hear Him say the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

GPS (God’s Positioning System and/or God’s Power System) in holiness leads one safely home to heaven. To arrive safely in Heaven into the arms of Jesus is the Christian’s goal. To make it there you must travel the “highway of holiness”.

Isaiah 35:1-10, is a wonderful passage as we travel on the journey looking towards God. The “Highway of Holiness” is the roadway by which all nations (i.e., Individuals) shall journey to the mountain of the Lord’s House (i.e., Heaven)

Isaiah 35:1-10 (NIV) –

[1] The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.  Like the crocus,

[2] it will burst into bloom;  it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.  The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.

[3] Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;

[4] say  to those with fearful hearts, « Be strong, do not fear;  your God will come,  he will come with vengeance;  with divine retribution  he will come to save  you. »

[5] Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

[6] Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

[7] The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.  In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

[8] And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way.  The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.

[9] No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there.  But only the redeemed will walk there,

[10] and those the  Lord  has rescued  will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Our text for this message is Isaiah 35:8-10: [8] And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way.  The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. 

[9] No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there.  But only the redeemed will walk there, 

[10] and those the  Lord  has rescued  will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

God Has Made A Highway Of Holiness and He Wants His Children To Travel On It.

Those who are in Christ (have a personal relationship with Him) are on a journey right now.  This journey will last for the rest of your life and leads us to heaven. Our Heavenly Father wants each of us to draw even closer to Him. The road that you and I should travel is called “the way of holiness” and it is a road that is not traveled by many people. It is available to all who seek it – however many will not choose to take advantage of living a “Spirit-filled” life.

Those who travel the “Highway of Holiness” do not care as much for the things of this life as their eyes are set on a greater goal – making it into Jesus’ loving arms inside of heaven.

Isaiah makes three things crystal clear about the Highway of Holiness:

[1] It is unmistakably plain
[2] It is perfectly secure
[3] It brings one to safe arrival, (35:10)

GOD’S STANDARD IS:

I Peter 1:15– “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: BE holy, because I am holy”

We enter into a deeper relationship with God (this highway of holiness) through complete Surrender to God’s Spirit working in our lives. Those on the “Highway of Holiness” share the following:

1. They Pursue The Way With A Dependable Sense Of Direction, 8c
   1. Their focus is on God. They want to make it “to Him” and make it “with Him”.
      1. They want to be with Him on the journey
      2. They hear His (God’s) voice.
      3. They follow His instruction
      4. By doing so they draw even closer to God and His Holiness
      5. Just as it is important to follow the GPS unit’s instruction it is important for us to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives. 
   2. Proverbs 16:17: « The highway of the upright avoids evil: he who guards his way guards his life. » 
      1. Just as it is important for me to listen to my GPS unit and its traffic alerts so it is important for the believer to listen to warnings that we receive from the Holy Spirit speaking to us
      2. We need to both listen and obey the Holy Spirit’s voice so as to avoid dangers along the “Highway of Holiness”
      3. God does NOT want to see us fail. He wants to see us make it safely home to heaven so He will NEVER give us wrong directions
      4. God knows where we are and where the danger spots are. When we are tuned into His GPS instruction we avoid dangers and temptations.
   3. Proverbs 4:25-27: « Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
   4. If we are going to travel this Highway of Holiness, the things of this world must grow dim as God and His voice becomes clearer to us.
2. They Have Assurance Of Protection From Contamination By The Unclean, 8b
   1. Unclean (sinners) will not be on the highway of holiness.
   2. They will NOT pursue Holiness.
      1. They will get off the road.
      2. They will get sidetracked
   3. The “Highway of Holiness” is a road for those who are in a personal relationship with Christ and seek to draw closer to God
   4. Those who desire to be on the “highway of holiness” hear God’s call for a closer walk with Him and they seek to do just that.
   5. Again, for my GPS unit to give me accurate directions towards my destination I need to make sure it is “up to date” and properly plugged into a power source
   6. For us to be successful on the “Highway of Holiness”we need to make sure we are “up-to-date” with God and properly “plugged into His Power supply.
      1. He knows our exact position and where we are on the journey towards Him
         1. He knows if we need to change our position
         2. He knows and will show us when we need to take a better way
      2. For the GPS to work properly it needs to be plugged into the power source
         1. There is no better Power Source for the Christian than the Power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8
         2. Are you “plugged into the Power Source” of God’s Holy Spirit ?
3. Travelers On The Holiness Highway Are Compelled By A Conviction Of Mission, 1, 5-7
   1. Guard your vision
      1. Keep your eyes on Jesus
      2. Put on spiritual blinders and look straight ahead toward Christ 
   2. Guard your heart
      1. Don’t allow sin to become your master
      2. Every time we stray from the Highway of Holiness we miss God’s best for our lives 
   3. Guard your mind by carefully paying attention to the signs along the way. They will include, but are NOT limited to, the following:

Yield – let God direct your path, put yourself under God-called leadership and obey them that have been placed over you as long as they obey God.

Stop – don’t go that way, it leads to death and destruction.
–You are starting down the wrong path.
–Stay away from sin, from those who would pull you away from God and off the highway of holiness.

Caution – the way to go is not clear ahead. Turn on the search light of the Word of God, spend time in prayer and find the right direction. Then proceed ahead.

No Passing Zone – don’t get ahead of God’s time.
–Let the Spirit direct your every move so that you won’t be found “out on a limb” wondering where God is.

Merging Traffic – all along the “Highway of Holiness” there will be those who will attempt to cut you off or fall in behind you who will just slow you down.

–They may seem to be on the same journey as you for a while but then you will see their true destination as they begin to turn aside going after the things of this world.

–Keep steady on the Highway heading toward Christ-likeness.

Distance and information signs – keep your eyes and ears open for the signs of the end times.

–Our destination is much closer than we may think.

–If you are watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord then you won’t miss it.

1. They Shall Reach Their Destination Triumphantly, 10
   1. They are able to enjoy the journey 
   2. “They shall return to Zion with songs”; such as:
      
      “Singing I go along life’s road,
      Praising the Lord, praising the Lord;
      Singing I go along life’s road
      For Jesus has lifted my load”
   3. Joy and gladness have now replaced sorrow and sadness
   4. By staying on the Highways of Holiness we make it safely home to heaven… that is where we want to get to, our home ~ HEAVEN.
   5. Another Scripture that speaks to us about this is:“Isaiah 2:2-5 (NIV) –

      (2) In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 

      (3) Many peoples will come and say, « Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. » The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 

      (4) He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.  They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 

      (5) Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Conclusion: Holiness is the “song of the open road” with the GPS unit leading us to our destination.

— We are happy.
— We are free.
— We are under His Protection and Guidance.

n We find fulfillment as we draw closer to Christ
n Maybe you want to draw closer to Him today…?
n Christ invites each of us to draw closer to Him and “Enjoy the Journey.”
n “Lord, I want to be in that number when those saints come marching home.”

It is my prayer that you will accept God’s offer to:

[1] Start with God – Ask Him to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins,
[2] Stay with God – Ask God to both “Fill and Direct you” with His Holy Spirit as you travel the “Highway of Holiness” and
[3] Finish With God —Don’t get sidetracked but instead stay on the journey towards Heaven until you, yourself, hear our Savior say: “Well Done, Good and faithful servant enter on into paradise with me.”

Won’t you accept God’s G.P.S. (God’s Positioning System and God’s Power Supply) offer today and begin really enjoying the journey “with Him” as you travel “towards Him”?

Why remain lost or refuse to ask for directions?

Why not take the next step towards Him on the “Highway of Holiness” today?

It will be worth is all when you arrive safely in heaven and see Christ.